The Karate Kid

Predictable yet satisfying, The Karate Kid follows streetwise teen Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) as he arrives in sunny Los Angeles with his mother (Randee Heller’s Lucille) and almost immediately finds himself the target of callous bullies (led by William Zabka’s smug Johnny Lawrence). Daniel’s initial inclination is to simply avoid Johnny and his obnoxious cronies, yet – after learning that he shares a building with an aging karate master (Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi) – the scrappy high schooler agrees to participate in a karate tournament with his blonde nemesis. It’s a straight-forward premise that’s initially employed to entertaining effect by John G. Avildsen, as the director, working from Robert Mark Kamen’s screenplay, instantly transforms Daniel into a sympathetic figure by emphasizing the character’s fish-out-of-water status – with Macchio’s personable performance effectively perpetuating the film’s laid-back atmosphere (and this is to say nothing of Daniel’s appealing friendship with Elisabeth Shue’s Ali). There’s little doubt, however, that the movie suffers from a serious case of overlength that dulls its impact even in its earliest stages, as the 126 minute running time guarantees that virtually every aspect of the proceedings inevitably wears out its welcome – with the progressively tedious training sequences certainly standing out as the most egregious example of this. It’s a testament to the performances and to the palpable chemistry between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi that The Karate Kid remains watchable even through its overtly needless stretches, while the involving and genuinely exciting finale, in which Daniel faces off against his persecutor, ensures that the movie concludes on an unexpectedly (yet appropriately) rousing note – which effectively cements the film’s place as a disappointingly uneven piece of work that could’ve benefited from some judicious editing.

**1/2 out of ****