Coming-of-age films have been around for decades, but they seemed to really hit their stride in the 1980s. Films centering around first love, outsiders and bullying rose in popularity throughout the decade, and one of the most beloved turns 40 years old this summer. “The Karate Kid” opened June 22, 1984 and unleashed a new idol for teens to adore, boosted the popularity of martial arts in the U.S. and skillfully delivered the lesson that inner strength is just as powerful (even more so) as outer strength. Let’s take a look back at a classic that proved that a film doesn’t have to have big name stars to become a blockbuster. Read on for more about “The Karate Kid” 40th anniversary.
Screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen had been beaten up by a gang of bullies as a teen, and had turned to martial arts to learn to defend himself. Years later, he was made aware of a story about the young boy of a single mother who had earned a black belt to defend himself against the neighborhood bullies. Kamen combined that story with his own to create “The Karate Kid.”
Some of the most prominent up-and-coming actors of the decade were considered for the title role, including Robert Downey Jr., Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn. But it was Ralph Macchio who won the role of Daniel LaRusso, an Italian-American teen from New Jersey who moves with his single mother to Reseda, California, and sparks the animosity of the school bully. Macchio’s resume was fairly short to that point, but he had made an impression as one of the breakout stars in “The Outsiders,” and “The Karate Kid” turned him into an international star and teen idol.
William Zabka landed his first acting role in “The Karate Kid,” playing Daniel’s nemesis Johnny Lawrence, an angry teen who starts a rivalry with Danny over Ali Mills (played by Elisabeth Shue, also in her first major film role), Johnny’s ex-girlfriend who becomes interested in Johnny. Johnny and his buddies are members of the Cobra Kai dojo, where they have learned aggressive martial arts and Johnny is a black belt. The gang continually harass Daniel until the situation escalates and they beat him. These were all the makings of a typical teen drama/comedy — a sensitive outsider, a gang of bullies, a love triangle — but Daniel’s defender is anything but typical, and is what set this film aside from other teen films — and sports films.
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The eccentric Okinawan handyman from Daniel’s apartment complex witnesses Johnny’s gang attack Daniel, and swiftly intervenes, effectively ending the attack with disciplined martial arts, leading to Daniel’s desire to learn karate. It would take a very special actor to properly portray Mr. Miyagi, with the ability to convey wise, and sometimes humorous, bits of wisdom without turning him into a caricature. Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, a favorite of famed director Akira Kurosawa, was the initial choice; however, he didn’t speak English. Pat Morita auditioned, but was rejected due to his association with comedy, especially his role of Arnold on “Happy Days.” Morita eventually grew a beard and cultivated an accent based on his uncle. When he was finally cast, he was asked to use his given name, Noriyuki Morita, to give more authenticity to the role.
Morita’s portrayal of Mr. Miyagi, and the portrayal of the friendship between him and Daniel, is what set this film apart. After Miyagi strikess a deal with Johnny’s cruel sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) that will pit the two boys against each other, he teaches Daniel more than the physical art of karate. From a series of chores to a neat little trick with a karate chop to the true heart of the discipline, Miyagi teaches Daniel the importance of balance (emotional and physical) and heart over the power of a kick.
“The Karate Kid” went on to become the biggest sleeper hit of 1984, ranking as the fifth-highest grossing film behind “Ghostbusters,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “Gremlins.” It would be the career-defining film for Macchio and Zabka, and garner Morita Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. Five more films have followed over the past four decades, as well as the acclaimed series “Cobra Kai” (2018), for which Macchio and Zabka are co-producers and co-stars.
“The Karate Kid” also boosted the popularity of the sport in the United States. But it’s true legacy is the lesson that there is more power and honor in “wax on, wax off” than in “sweep the leg.”
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