Already watched Karate Kid Part 2 on Patreon! Loved it! Do u want to see it on UA-cam? 1980's Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLQHhQlj8i5drsQx2uSifPV3sKWZEJrnyx.html
Pat Morita loved being Mr Miyagi. For years afterwards, kids would run up to him in the street and hold his hand like he was their grandpa, and he took that relationship very seriously. About twice a day for the rest of his life, he would recieve kudos from random people, even Japanese people, who claimed he inspired them to take up karate.
It was definitely a change for him from playing Arnold on happy days and as a comedian to this role If fact I want to say his stand up act was a bit on the raunchy side back in the day
That was one hell of a sad moment and Morita was rightfully nominated for an Oscar for his role as Mr. Miyagi. That scene was a masterclass in writing and acting.
The movie hints that both Miyagi and Kreese (the Cobra Kai teacher) were veterans, Miyagi in WW2 and Kreese in Vietnam (explored more in the TV series), but they obviously took away very different lessons from their service
"The Next karate Kid" isn't really a remake...It's a branch off the main story....But in the Same Miyagi-verse! The other one...TOTAL REMAKE.,..Total RIP-OFF!
For the longest time I thought Daniel was supposed to be a freshman (14yo) to Johnny's being a senior (17/18yo) just bc of the size difference between them.
EVERYBODY walked out of the movie theatre jumping on one leg with their hands in the air! 🤣🤣🤣 Also, Liz Shue in the movies is an important reason why being a teenager in the 80s was so great! 😀
I was about to reply and say Chad McQueen didn’t die it was the “get him a body bag” kid that died from cancer a few years ago (watch Cobra Kai to learn more) but then I looked it up and was shocked to learn Chad McQueen died a couple of weeks ago on 9/11!!! WTF?! He died from organ failure from a fall he didn’t fully recover from 4 years ago? What?! Damn that’s sad…..😢 Rest In Peace Chad McQueen
@@frankthespank Yes, I learned about Chad's passing from a YT thumbnail about a week and a half ago, and I too did my own search to find out it was true... I did also know about Rob Garrison (Tommy) passing away IRL too. And Ed Asner (Johnny's step father, Sid) as well... May they all RIP...
The relationship between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi is so heart warming, they had such an incredible bond together. Also your Karate Kid Part 2 reaction on Patreon was awesome Jen 🔥.
"Man who catch fly with chopsticks can accomplish anything." I always loved Daniel and Miyagi's bond, they acted as a surrogate family for each other, since they were both grieving loved ones.
After the chat I checked the facts. Yes, Manzanar National Historic Site preserves an old WW2 internment camp in California. Not long ago, I was surprised to learn that Canada also interned Japanese during the war. Young George Takei and his family were interned in Arkansas, and later California. On a happier note, great reaction, Jen!
Canada did worse, and better, regarding the Nikkei. In 1944, they told the Japanese-Canadians to either go to Japan or never settle west of the Rocky Mountains (i.e. British Columbia). Like their US counterparts, most of the people who were shipped away from the Pacific coast were citizens, so this "go back to where you came from" stuff from Canada was extremely racist, and like the questionnaire given to prisoners in the US, stemmed from an assumption that the people of Japanese descent were somehow fiercely loyal to Japan (they weren't). But the order was pretty much reversed by 1949, almost 40 years before Reagan apologized and issued reparations to the Japanese-Americans. The Canadian Prime Minister issued an apology a month after Reagan. It's ironic, how the displacement and dispossession of people of Japanese descent in the US and Canada was so similar to what happened to the Jews in Europe at the time. The main difference is that the Americans and Canadians didn't try to eliminate the Nikkei.
Mr Miyagi is the mentor everyone needs! Wax-on-wax-off is now iconic, as are many of his other lines. The "what kind of belt do you have?" scene almost had coffee coming out of my nostrils, and I've seen this dozens of times 😁
I love all of these movies. The story of Mister Miyagi and Daniel-San is just so perfect. I even loved The Next Karate Kid with Hillary Swank. I didn’t much care for the one with Jackie Chan, though.
@@dekulruno sadly I think that fact went over many people's heads and it's a shame. I would have been much better if they call it the kung fu kid. It's implied it's a remake and it's more culturally appropriate.
@@michbenny1363 They considered titling it The Kung Fu Kid (cast apparently referred to it as such on set), but ultimately, they went with the The Karate Kid, presumably to draw fans of the original films in and make it clear that it was a remake (and not a rip-off or something, I guess).
@@dankwaifu2093 yeah but the title The kung fu kid it's still close enough for people to make the association. I guess that's why I'm in a different business.
The realization of Daniel finding out about Miyagi's past and bowing to him out of respect and the car gift scene always gets me. All of that work Daniel did on his house was repaid ten fold. Plus he was using muscle memory as quite an effective training tool.
What i love about this channel is that Jan pulls out older and old classics to react to. Most reactors i watch only do contemporary and popular stuff, they rarely watch anything that was made pre 00s and it gets a little boring. So thank you Jan for this gem, it's one of my favorite movies and a true classic.
Good for Jen for noticing that this had the same director and the same composer as Rocky. When Mad Magazine did their parody of this, they called it The Karocky Kid.
I had no idea that Rocky and Karate Kid had the same director. Explains a lot about certain choices of music and motif. I love both series so much. Pat Morita is ICONIC in this role. I really hope you continue this series. They aren't as iconic as this one, but they are still really fun. Bonus fun fact, Pat Morita was a comedian and was friends with Redd Foxx.
The ending with Daniel saying 'we did it' and Miyagi smiling and nodding perfectly encapsulated their relationship, and it was a great decision by the editor to make that the final shot of the film.
This training is sort of like learning to play the piano (or other instrument). You constantly have to work on the fundamentals, like finger independence, hand independence, coordination, finger patterns/positions for chords, and things like that. You can't just go and play anything (well) you want right away, because your body needs to learn how to move first. This is a great lesson this movie teaches, and Daniel-san's sore arms means that he's getting a good workout, too, to make him stronger.
What really annoys me is that Ralph Macchio is 62 and barely looks changed from how he looked in this movie. I'm 9 years younger than him and am barely recognizable from how I used to look. He's got blessed genes or something. Or maybe he's just lived a very clean life. :-)
it's the 80's! For reference in the US it wasn;t until 1974 that a women could get a credit card without her husband's signature. Crazy to think how recent some of this stuff was.
Jen's reaction to this was absolutely heartwarming. Her delight at the mother/son relationship at the beginning and involvement with the contest at the end were both so good. 👏
I was a teenager when this came out and yes, I took up Shotokan Karate after seeing it, including competing in tournaments. This film brings back good memories
Growing up, I had a grandfather whom Mr. Miyagi always reminded me of. While ethnically European, my grandfather was culturally very East Asian in many ways, as he was born and spent most of his first 11 years in Tibet and lived in northern Thailand from his early 20s to his mid 40s. By my time, he was an increasingly elderly medical doctor with countless amazing stories of his life in Asia and endless words of wisdom and good advice. In later life, he was small and bent over, much like Mr. Miyagi, and while he wasn't a martial artist, he was still much tougher than he looked.
Ha! me too! And I was also bullied by karate jerks at school in the 80s. thankfully, they never used their karate on me, I don't think any of them were black belts, but they did like to show off whatever they learned during recess and lunch time. I didn't start doing martial arts until I was 17.
On a side note one of my HS buddies is in the finals. Daryl V is the guy that loses in the match before the championship... He did this after we graduated in 1981. He still does promotional appearances... 😊
YES! I'm so happy you're reacting to one of my favourite trilogies of all time! The story continues as a TV show known as Cobra Kai, which is a love letter to the original 3 movies. Cobra Kai turns everything up to 11 and is made with so much heart and soul. Please watch it, Jen! Karate Kid 1, 2 & 3 is not the complete story!
One other note, my sensei and his students saw this movie in theaters. They saw the big twist coming a mile away. Even now, my dojo encourages students to find hidden opportunities to practice and train by adapting our footwork and movements when performing manual labor around the house or at work.
Ralph Macchio still owns that yellow car that Miyagi gave to Daniel. I don't know if he bought it or if it was given to him by the film's producers, but he owns it.
As a kid, this was one of my favorite movies because I moved from California to Chicago and it was cool to see the bullied kid win in the end. As an adult, the relationship between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi is what this movie is all about :D
Do not delay watching Karate Kid 2, it picks up where this one ended, like the two films making one long movie. Anyway, loved the review, love you, take care and stay safe ❤️
Pat Morita was diagnosed with Spinal Tuberculosis when he was 2 years old and spent the next 9 years in a full body cast. When he was finally cured and learned to walk at the age of 11 he was shipped right to a Japanese internment camp with his family.
I like how in the Cobra Kai show, how Daniel retains his love not only for karate and tiny trees, but also nice cars -- all things that remind him of his time with Mr Miyagi.
This is actually how these types of martial arts fights went back in the nineties before the m m a started. I Held the colorado state championship for 2 years. I stopped competing only because I wanted to focus on my college football career. As far as boys and ex girlfriends are concerned when My former girlfriend got a new guy I invited him outside. He thought I was gonna beat him up But instead I told him everything I knew about her and what To do and what she needs and wished him good luck. They ended up getting married.
15:00 It was also a test. A lesser person would give up in a huff. But Daniel not only kept on going but did the best job he could and made those cars sparkle.
From my understanding, the guy that faced Jonney before the final, was the guy that did the choreography for the movie and was actually the stand in for Mr. Myagi in the beach scene.
I think that's half correct. Darryl Vidal (the semi finalist who lost to Johnny) was Mr. Myagi's stand in for the crane kick at the beach. However, I believe Pat Johnson (the referee) was the one who did the karate choreography for the film.
Another awesome review by Karate Jen 😉. Quick note, the song during the tournament was supposed to be used in Rocky III, instead of Eye of the Tiger. Then Survivor presented Stallone with the classic song, so he passed on “You’re The Best“. Love the blonde Jen. You are such a positive person. ❤️You’re the best!
"You're the Best" the song they used for the Tournament montage was originally going to be used for Rocky 3, but it was left off the soundtrack after "Eye of the Tiger" was written.
The late John G. Avidsen (Oscar-winner for Rocky, 1976) directed the first 3 films of the franchise. The Rocky saga's composer, Bill Conti scored all these films too. Karate Kid was actually the name of an DC character from the Teen Titans. So the rights to the name had to be acquired in order to use it as the movie's name. I was 4 years old when this was released. One of the greatest cinematic experiences i ever had. Daniel's story hit home for so many of us kids, learning to be brave and having the right guidance to do so. This movie got me into classical karate to study and later on other martial arts. This was Ralph Macchio (Daniel) after his groundbreaking performance in The Outsiders (1983). I knew of the late Pat Morita as an actor and comedian (Happy Days, Sanford & Son). Morita's voice as Miyagi was the voice of his late uncle and the dialect took some time in a few readings. Such a great performance and him being nominated for an Oscar (Best Supporting) was so cool. William Zabka (Johnny) went on to become a Oscar nominee as well for co-writing and producing a short film, Most (2003). All these things, plus "Wax on, Wax off" and 40 years later, you gotta love it. Also RIP to Martial Arts' legend Pat E. Johnson, one of the referees/the film's fight choreographer and Chad McQueen (Dutch), the only son of screen legend Steve McQueen.
“You’re the Best” is one of the greatest montage songs ever. It was originally written for “Rocky III”, but Stallone went with “Eye of the Tiger” instead.
Disguising martial arts training as tedious menial chores is a common martial arts movie trope. One of my favorites is a student relegated to kitchen at the Shaolin Temple stirring giant vats of soup who finds that all those circular motions were to train him to become an expect in long staff fighting in the movie "Shaolin Temple" (1976).
15:00 - *The "Training" of Daniel by doing chores is a brilliant story way to teach him movements, for sure, but it is also a practical way for him to build strength, endurance and stamina, which are three very important aspects when taking a kid who has little to no sports training and martial arts experience to fight against other trained martial art initiated students and keep it realistic that he could actually defeat them; which is part of what makes the writing of **_The Karate Kid_** so brilliant! and why it is still to this day a cinematic classic which survives the ages!* *You MUST watch The Karate Kid part 2 and 3! No ifs ands or buts about it!* 👍👍
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. i loved it as a kid, and as I got older I came to understand Miyagi's story more and it only made the movie better. god, just watching this video is reminding me just how amazing Maccio and Morita are together
- Pat Morita was considered a "risky" choice to cast as Mr. Miyagi, as he was not an experienced martial artist and had only played comedy roles up to that time. The choice to cast him in a dramatic role ultimately turned out to be brilliant, as that became the signature performance of his acting career. - The song used in the tournament, "When You're the Best Around", was originally composed for one of the "Rocky" movies, but ended up not being used for it, so the studio used it for this one instead. - The head referee of the tournament was the karate trainer for both Ralph Macchio (Daniel) and Pat Morita and for the Cobra Kai characters. To fit their characters and have their roles expressed in the way they used karate, he trained them in very different styles. He spent a lot of one-on-one time training the protagonists carefully, similar to how Mr. Miyagi trained Daniel in the movie. He trained the Cobra Kais as a group, in a gruff, military fashion. - Many of the opponents in the tournament were played by actual karate practicioners from the LA area, including Johnny's semifinal opponent, who, IIRC, was a real-life karate tournament champion who was excited to get to show off some of his moves in a major film.
This movie resonated with me as a kid, and inspired me as well. It was also the first movie I saw with Pat Morita, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn he was a comedian after seeing this. Glad you had a great time.
I remember seeing this back when it came out in the '80s. It was the first time I'd ever seen an American depiction of karate (or any other marital art) that focused on the _spiritual_ side of the art, and the life philosophy it can teach, rather than just kicking ass and breaking stuff. Incidentally, the novelization of the movie had an extra scene at the end which was apparently part of the filming script but got cut from the final edit. That's where the opening of Part 2 comes from.
The only good thing about the 4th movie is the chemistry Pat has with the new student. The writing of the antagonists was done badly. It was too cheesy.
28:32 Chad McQueen, who plays Dutch, sadly just died at age 63 a couple weeks ago, on September 11, 2024. He was the son of legendary film star Steve McQueen.
Fun fact from a guy who has studied karate for 21 years. The name "Miyagi" is a very famous and important one in karate overall as a man by the name of Chojun Miyagi founded the school of Goju-ryu which is one of the five primary schools of karate that are considered combat effective. The director of this film actually hired a Goju-ryu black belt to train Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio in that style while he hired another guy who was well-versed in Tang Soo Do (Basically a more aggressive Korean take on Shotokan, the most popular school of karate by numbers of students) to train the Cobra Kai actors. The conflict at play isn't style vs style, but mindset: Mr. Miyagi hates fighting and thus will end it quickly with potentially lethal force if forced to do so but his methods tend to take longer to get there. John Kreese is a psychopath who cares only about aggressively dominating and destroying one's enemies without any sense of restraint. There is nothing inherently incorrect about those battle philosophies per se, but the main issue is Kreese is teaching the Bully group only to destroy without any moderation. Speaking as a more traditional martial artist, if someone asks me for advice on which school or gym they should look into, I first ask them why they want to take up martial arts, what their timeframe is (i.e. do they need to learn how to fight RIGHT NOW or can they take a slower approach), if they are comfortable with the idea of potentially caving in a rib cage or crushing a throat with a strike or if they would prefer just subduing an attacker, and so on. Then I ask them about the threats they seem most likely to face and adjust from there. Lastly, I ask them what their schedule is since the monetary cost of training for someone who is truly serious in studying martial arts is a relative non-issue but if they are strapped for cash, I can provide "next best" alternatives to what I think would be best. Overwhelmingly, I often introduce them to a good MMA gym where I will show up somewhat regularly both to learn new material that isn't emphasized in karate while acting as a sparring partner who fights much differently than the students are accustomed to while also adapting my knowledge of biomechanics and strategy to come up with new ideas on how they can use what they know. A common example is that I often teach the MMA students how to use their training to combine grappling with striking (known as "dirty boxing") to punch an opponent on tender spots of their arms to more easily set up a takedown, adapting my karate motions to show setups for takedowns that they may not have seen before and so on. My approach is that all fighting methods have something to offer and while I prefer my more traditional karate because I have the most experience with it and it works, I try to adapt my knowledge to fit the knowledge the students have.
Kreese is also a Vietnam vet (we see a black and white photo of him in uniform and presumably saw action), so that can also explain his "kill the enemy" attitude. Sounds fine if you're a Green Beret, maybe not so much to young teenage civilians.
I saw this movie in the theater in 1985, and many times since then, and until I saw your reaction, I never noticed most of the music. I’m really enjoying your channel!
I was 14 when this movie came out (the perfect age). My friends and I went overnight from Star Wars to karate being our whole world. You will love part 2 and 3, and the Cobra Kai series.
"They're just kids." And you realize the whole other level about this series. it's not just about kids and dates and tournaments... It's about the adults and how they teach the kids, setting the examples that guide them. And how they sometimes the kids end up fighting their teachers battles by proxy. It's why Miyagi's story and his treatment of Danial is so special. it's the relationship every single kid on earth deserves to have with their parents and teachers. I really hope you watch the rest of the movies. And the Cobra Kai series _absolutely_ respects the themes and depth of the original movies.
The actor that played Dutch ("Dead meat!"), Chad McQueen, recently passed away. He was the son of actor Steve McQueen, and former owner of McQueen Racing.
- Ralph Macchio was about 22 when he made the film, Elizabeth Shue (Ali) was 20, and William Zabka (Johnny) was 18. When the series Cobra Kai started, Ralph was older than Pat Morita was when he first played Mr. Miyagi. - The yellow convertible that Mr. Miyagi gives to Daniel was actually given to Ralph Macchio, who still owns it. It even appears a couple of times in Cobra Kai. - Dutch, the Cobra Kai with bleach blonde hair who starts up with Daniel in the locker room at the tournament, was Chad McQueen, the son of the legendary Steve McQueen (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape). Unfortunately, Chad passed on September 11, 2024, just two weeks ago, as of this video posted to UA-cam. - Pat Morita did not have a Japanese/Okinawan accent in real life; he mimicked his uncle's accent when playing Mr. Miyagi, as Pat had a flat Southern California accent. Pat was a stand-up comedian and comedy actor best known for playing Arnold on Happy Days. One of my favorite roles he had was in the TV series M*A*S*H as Captain Sam Pak, who only appeared in a couple of early episodes. Nobody wanted to hire him as Mr. Miyagi, and it took forever for him to finally get an audition. However, once he read, he was Mr. Miyagi. He was nominated but lost the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, which went to Louis Gossett, Jr. for An Officer and a Gentleman. - Mr. Miyagi was a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was made up of Japanese-Americans fighting in the European Theater of Operations during WWII. It was one of the most highly decorated outfits. Mrs. Miyagi was interned at Manzanar Internment Camp in California. The whole internment of Japanese-Americans during the war is a significant stain on America.
Great reaction to this 80s classic Jen....BTW Ralph Macchio (Daniel) still owns that yellow car to this day. 😉....Please do all the all the sequel films and the TV series Cobra-Kai. 👍
There was an infirmary at the Manzanar interment camp for routine medical care, but for medical specialists (like an OBGYN you would need for serious complications during childbirth) you had to get a doctor to travel over 300 miles from Los Angeles General Hospital. When Mrs. Miyagi experienced complications, they couldn't get a doctor out to her in time to save her or the baby.
One thing that took me years to understand: Ali's family isn't actually rich. They're posers (or living beyond their means, or having cash-flow issues). There are clues scattered throughout: Their house is falling into disrepair, their clothes are a step below the others at the club dinner, the hostility toward Danny when they see his car/mom. This is why they really want Ali and Johnny to get together: His family is actually rich (enough). They don't want their precious little girl to end up with some poor-boy like Danny. Her happiness isn't as important as their image. Lucille LaRusso, on the other hand: mom of the freaking decade!
A subtext in the film is that as much as Daniel needed a father figure and Miyagi needed a son/student Just as Daniel had problems and needed someone to teach him, Miyagi who If you will notice was a lonely and solitary man at the start of the film needed Daniel to bring him out of the shell he had lived in for the nearly 40 years since he lost his wife and child.
To extrapolate on Mr. Miyagi's methods here: karate techniques often require countless hours of repetition combined with even more hours of specialized weight training routines to achieve the results we see in many of the old masters. Daniel only had 2 months to prepare, so Mr. Miyagi had Daniel do extensive manual labor to build up the required muscles while forcing him to memorize the movements by dictating how that labor was to be done. Manual labor for hours on end is one of the oldest and best ways to build functional muscle and stamina which is part of why Crossfit does things like flipping tires, smashing a massive tire with a sledgehammer, and so on. It's why construction workers are among the types you do not pick a fight with: even if they don't have much skill, once they get their hands on you it's over unless you're VERY good in terms of skill.
Johnny actor William Zabka actually accidentally broke Ralph Macchio’s ribs when he kicked him against the fence. When they held Ralph up, he actually was in severe pain.
i've watched this movie probably 100 times & thats the first time- and only because you mentioned it, that i saw the dog tags when daniel picked the car lol
REALLY hope you dive into the Cobra Kai series, Jen. 98% of the time, when we get a movie/TV series sequel decades after its original release, they're awful. A lot of the later Jurassic Park movies were bad. The later Indiana Jones movies were bad. If the Gladiator 2 trailer reactions are any indication, it's gonna bomb. Cobra Kai is the VERY rare instance where this isn't the case at all. It's an incredibly faithful continuation of the original movies. You'll love it.
Elisabeth Shue (Jennifer Parker in BTTF 2 & 3) drove Mr. Miyagi's car. Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen) drove it a year later with a black sport paint job.
I saw this with Ghostbusters as a double feature. The "cinema" was a oversize shed, off the side of a pub, in either Byron Bay or Ballina on the New South Wales Coast, Australia. About 50 fold out chairs and a screen I think they got from a primary school. Still one of the better sites of my life.
Classic movie from my childhood. Still have a crush on Elizabeth Shue. In the movie it appears they push start Daniel's mom's station wagon multiple times. It was a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Concours station Wagon. The funny thing is the car in reality had an automatic transmission and you can only push start vehicles with manual transmissions. Another fun fact: The car Mr Miyagi gives Daniel for his birthday is a 1947 Ford Super Deluxe convertible and was actually gifted to Ralph Macchio by the producer after filming one of the sequels. He still owns it today, and it even shows up in Cobra Kai. Fun nostalgia. The Character Mr Miyagi was 59 but in 1984 actor, Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi was actually 52. Whats crazy is Ralph Macchio will be 63 in Nov 2024. Wow! He doesn't look it.
Giving this a rewatch and loved your reaction so much , Its so great going into a movie blind and enjoying it as much as you did , as you say this movie has so much heart, it truly does ofc it just makes me want you to watch cobra Kai more and more but understand it may be a long long time before that happens, in the meantime we may get some martial arts movies as it's definitely a genre you seem to enjoy 🥋🔥 cheers for another fun rewatch Jen san 🙏👊
Joe Esposito's "You're the Best" is such a great song; it was originally written for the movie Rocky III but ended up being replaced by "Eye of the Tiger" (there are a couple of lines in the song the would have made a lot more sense had it been used for Rocky).
Already watched Karate Kid Part 2 on Patreon! Loved it! Do u want to see it on UA-cam?
1980's Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLQHhQlj8i5drsQx2uSifPV3sKWZEJrnyx.html
Absolutely...but in fairness, I'll watch you react to just about anything. Even Michael Bay films.
YES, PLEASE?!?🙏
Absotively possilutely!
Hello Jen San
Yes please. And then part 3 and finally Cobra Kai! :)
Pat Morita loved being Mr Miyagi. For years afterwards, kids would run up to him in the street and hold his hand like he was their grandpa, and he took that relationship very seriously. About twice a day for the rest of his life, he would recieve kudos from random people, even Japanese people, who claimed he inspired them to take up karate.
♥
It was definitely a change for him from playing Arnold on happy days and as a comedian to this role
If fact I want to say his stand up act was a bit on the raunchy side back in the day
May he RIP
@@parallaxnick637 to me he'll always be Arnold, I grew up watching Happy Days
@@shawnmiller4781 Right up there with Redd Foxx!
Miyagi earned the medal of honor fighting for this county in Italy while his wife and child died in an internment camp...😢
That was one hell of a sad moment and Morita was rightfully nominated for an Oscar for his role as Mr. Miyagi. That scene was a masterclass in writing and acting.
The movie hints that both Miyagi and Kreese (the Cobra Kai teacher) were veterans, Miyagi in WW2 and Kreese in Vietnam (explored more in the TV series), but they obviously took away very different lessons from their service
In America. So sad. Often overlooked. Listen to Fort Minor, Kenji, for more on that internment reality.
Karate Kid 2 for sure. 3 is good. Then skip all remakes and watch Cobra Kai TV series. You'll be happy with that.
the remake is actually a really good movie, however it should not be called Karate kid
@@theaces3697yeah, should be called The Kung-Fu kid.
@@theaces3697Agreed.
"The Next karate Kid" isn't really a remake...It's a branch off the main story....But in the Same Miyagi-verse!
The other one...TOTAL REMAKE.,..Total RIP-OFF!
I concurr....
Miyagi actor Pat Morita was nominated for an Oscar in 1985 for his work in this movie.
I do not know nor care who won. Morita was robbed.
The Karate Kid 2 picks up right after the end of the first movie. You should definitely check it out!
Thanks Jen!
Keep crushing it!
It's wild that Ralph Macchio was in his early 20's at the time. He had such a baby face, and looked convincing as a teenager.
@@trinaq he still look young asf
@@jasonkh4Indeed. When Cobra Kai began, he was 4 years older than Pat Morita was when this was released.
And by the third movie, he was already married
For the longest time I thought Daniel was supposed to be a freshman (14yo) to Johnny's being a senior (17/18yo) just bc of the size difference between them.
EVERYBODY walked out of the movie theatre jumping on one leg with their hands in the air! 🤣🤣🤣
Also, Liz Shue in the movies is an important reason why being a teenager in the 80s was so great! 😀
Jen maybe you didn't recognize Daniel (Ralph Macchio) as Vinny's cousin from My Cousin Vinny
Or as Johnny from the outsiders
@@JasonKreider-eq8kp Stay gold.
RIP Chad McQueen (Dutch)
Son of Steve McQueen
@@Estrada72 I watched this film at the cinema when I was a kid back in the 80s. I never knew he was Steve McQueen's son... until now.
I always called him Dead Meat Dutch and Tommy Take a worm for a walk week Tommy, too bad we have lost both of them along with Pat Morita.
I was about to reply and say Chad McQueen didn’t die it was the “get him a body bag” kid that died from cancer a few years ago (watch Cobra Kai to learn more) but then I looked it up and was shocked to learn Chad McQueen died a couple of weeks ago on 9/11!!! WTF?! He died from organ failure from a fall he didn’t fully recover from 4 years ago? What?! Damn that’s sad…..😢
Rest In Peace Chad McQueen
@@frankthespank Yes, I learned about Chad's passing from a YT thumbnail about a week and a half ago, and I too did my own search to find out it was true... I did also know about Rob Garrison (Tommy) passing away IRL too. And Ed Asner (Johnny's step father, Sid) as well... May they all RIP...
The relationship between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi is so heart warming, they had such an incredible bond together. Also your Karate Kid Part 2 reaction on Patreon was awesome Jen 🔥.
At heart this is a story about a kid who lost his dad and an old man who lost his son.
Daniel is like the son that Mr Miyagi never had and Mr Miyagi is like the father Daniel needed.
"Man who catch fly with chopsticks can accomplish anything." I always loved Daniel and Miyagi's bond, they acted as a surrogate family for each other, since they were both grieving loved ones.
It makes that certain scene in the sequel hit hard.
It was so weird seeing Pat Morita go from Arnold on Happy Days to Mr. Miyagi.
Dont forget, he was on Sanford and Son too!!!!
He also appeared doing comedy on late night talk shows in the 60s.
I didn't know either. Thanks, I'll see if I can find some clips.
@@greekpapi He did a good imitation of Redd Foxx too when talking about Foxx helping him out in the business.
@@greekpapi
ua-cam.com/video/490TsUYe5f4/v-deo.htmlsi=w1KZq__x8CAtvYms
This is a movie of my generation. I was about the same age as the kids at the time. Seen it a hundred times, but Jen is worth 101.
After the chat I checked the facts. Yes, Manzanar National Historic Site preserves an old WW2 internment camp in California. Not long ago, I was surprised to learn that Canada also interned Japanese during the war. Young George Takei and his family were interned in Arkansas, and later California. On a happier note, great reaction, Jen!
Canada did worse, and better, regarding the Nikkei. In 1944, they told the Japanese-Canadians to either go to Japan or never settle west of the Rocky Mountains (i.e. British Columbia). Like their US counterparts, most of the people who were shipped away from the Pacific coast were citizens, so this "go back to where you came from" stuff from Canada was extremely racist, and like the questionnaire given to prisoners in the US, stemmed from an assumption that the people of Japanese descent were somehow fiercely loyal to Japan (they weren't). But the order was pretty much reversed by 1949, almost 40 years before Reagan apologized and issued reparations to the Japanese-Americans. The Canadian Prime Minister issued an apology a month after Reagan.
It's ironic, how the displacement and dispossession of people of Japanese descent in the US and Canada was so similar to what happened to the Jews in Europe at the time. The main difference is that the Americans and Canadians didn't try to eliminate the Nikkei.
@@MMuraseofSandvich Thanks for the reply. This is a part of history I don't know enough about.
Yes Canada did that as well….must be a coincidence that the coastal fishermen wanted their competitors in camps and their assets sold off
Fortunately, Japanese already hadctheir own country and aren't now bombing others to expand "theirs"..
Nariyoshi was risking his life in war for the US, while his wife and unborn baby were dying in an internment camp.
This part *ALWAYS* makes me cry.
Mr Miyagi is the mentor everyone needs! Wax-on-wax-off is now iconic, as are many of his other lines. The "what kind of belt do you have?" scene almost had coffee coming out of my nostrils, and I've seen this dozens of times 😁
I love all of these movies. The story of Mister Miyagi and Daniel-San is just so perfect. I even loved The Next Karate Kid with Hillary Swank. I didn’t much care for the one with Jackie Chan, though.
It was kinda weird to base the Jackie Chan one in China and still call it Karate Kid
@@dekulruno sadly I think that fact went over many people's heads and it's a shame. I would have been much better if they call it the kung fu kid. It's implied it's a remake and it's more culturally appropriate.
@@michbenny1363 They considered titling it The Kung Fu Kid (cast apparently referred to it as such on set), but ultimately, they went with the The Karate Kid, presumably to draw fans of the original films in and make it clear that it was a remake (and not a rip-off or something, I guess).
@@dankwaifu2093 yeah but the title The kung fu kid it's still close enough for people to make the association. I guess that's why I'm in a different business.
About the "Chinese Karate Kid ... At least they keptcthe "spirit" of the original movie(s). Yes, feels weird, though.
Last year I met William Zabka/Johnny, Ralph Macchio/Daniel and Martin Kove/Kreese. All 3 guys were very cool to talk to.
The realization of Daniel finding out about Miyagi's past and bowing to him out of respect and the car gift scene always gets me. All of that work Daniel did on his house was repaid ten fold. Plus he was using muscle memory as quite an effective training tool.
After this movie came out, I couldn’t get people to stop calling me, “Daniel-san”, for a very, very long time.
What i love about this channel is that Jan pulls out older and old classics to react to. Most reactors i watch only do contemporary and popular stuff, they rarely watch anything that was made pre 00s and it gets a little boring. So thank you Jan for this gem, it's one of my favorite movies and a true classic.
Jen's too polite to correct you, but I'm not. It's Jen, not Jan.
Good for Jen for noticing that this had the same director and the same composer as Rocky. When Mad Magazine did their parody of this, they called it The Karocky Kid.
Wax On, Wax Off. Elizabeth Shue was absolutely beautiful in this movie.
See also Cocktail and Adventures in Babysitting... and Leaving Las Vegas...
@@darrellyounyvski591 Yes, Ms Jen is very beautiful too. 😍
@@havok6280 Especially Adventures In Babysitting
Nothing beats her in Adventures in Babysitting
She's really good in The Saint with Val Kilmer also, Jen would like it.
I had no idea that Rocky and Karate Kid had the same director. Explains a lot about certain choices of music and motif. I love both series so much. Pat Morita is ICONIC in this role. I really hope you continue this series. They aren't as iconic as this one, but they are still really fun. Bonus fun fact, Pat Morita was a comedian and was friends with Redd Foxx.
The ending with Daniel saying 'we did it' and Miyagi smiling and nodding perfectly encapsulated their relationship, and it was a great decision by the editor to make that the final shot of the film.
This training is sort of like learning to play the piano (or other instrument). You constantly have to work on the fundamentals, like finger independence, hand independence, coordination, finger patterns/positions for chords, and things like that. You can't just go and play anything (well) you want right away, because your body needs to learn how to move first. This is a great lesson this movie teaches, and Daniel-san's sore arms means that he's getting a good workout, too, to make him stronger.
What really annoys me is that Ralph Macchio is 62 and barely looks changed from how he looked in this movie. I'm 9 years younger than him and am barely recognizable from how I used to look. He's got blessed genes or something. Or maybe he's just lived a very clean life. :-)
Search for Ralph Macchio's video "Wax on, F off" where he makes fun of his little boy looks and his squeaky clean reputation.
it's the 80's! For reference in the US it wasn;t until 1974 that a women could get a credit card without her husband's signature. Crazy to think how recent some of this stuff was.
If you’re going to watch Cobra Kai, you need to see all three Karate Kid movies. They all tie into the series.
Now you have to watch 2,3 and all of cobra Kai
"Now to ice his knee!" - you're awesome.
Jen's reaction to this was absolutely heartwarming. Her delight at the mother/son relationship at the beginning and involvement with the contest at the end were both so good. 👏
I was a teenager when this came out and yes, I took up Shotokan Karate after seeing it, including competing in tournaments. This film brings back good memories
"You're the best friend I ever had." - Gives me the same tears I get when I hear President Whitmore's speech.
Growing up, I had a grandfather whom Mr. Miyagi always reminded me of. While ethnically European, my grandfather was culturally very East Asian in many ways, as he was born and spent most of his first 11 years in Tibet and lived in northern Thailand from his early 20s to his mid 40s. By my time, he was an increasingly elderly medical doctor with countless amazing stories of his life in Asia and endless words of wisdom and good advice. In later life, he was small and bent over, much like Mr. Miyagi, and while he wasn't a martial artist, he was still much tougher than he looked.
Watching Jen react to movies is as comforting as snuggling in a warm blanket with a hot cup of joe on a cold rainy day
Mr. Miyagi and Obi-Wan Kenobi have the same energy.
having an all knowing mentor of the world feels so comforting.
My name is Dan (Daniel) so of course I always get called Daniel-San!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ha! me too! And I was also bullied by karate jerks at school in the 80s. thankfully, they never used their karate on me, I don't think any of them were black belts, but they did like to show off whatever they learned during recess and lunch time. I didn't start doing martial arts until I was 17.
On a side note one of my HS buddies is in the finals. Daryl V is the guy that loses in the match before the championship... He did this after we graduated in 1981. He still does promotional appearances... 😊
"This kid is so cute." As a 15-year-old back then, I thought so too! Ralph Macchio was my first celebrity crush.
YES! I'm so happy you're reacting to one of my favourite trilogies of all time!
The story continues as a TV show known as Cobra Kai, which is a love letter to the original 3 movies. Cobra Kai turns everything up to 11 and is made with so much heart and soul.
Please watch it, Jen! Karate Kid 1, 2 & 3 is not the complete story!
The Karate Kid Part II is an incredible sequel. Brilliant.
One other note, my sensei and his students saw this movie in theaters. They saw the big twist coming a mile away. Even now, my dojo encourages students to find hidden opportunities to practice and train by adapting our footwork and movements when performing manual labor around the house or at work.
Ralph Macchio still owns that yellow car that Miyagi gave to Daniel. I don't know if he bought it or if it was given to him by the film's producers, but he owns it.
That's so cool.
It’s in the Cobra Kai TV show.
@@RandomNonsense1985 Yep. Love that series. Waaay better than I expected it to be.
It was given to him as a gift after the third movie.
As a kid, this was one of my favorite movies because I moved from California to Chicago and it was cool to see the bullied kid win in the end. As an adult, the relationship between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi is what this movie is all about :D
At heart this is a story about a kid who lost his dad and an old man who lost his son.
Do not delay watching Karate Kid 2, it picks up where this one ended, like the two films making one long movie. Anyway, loved the review, love you, take care and stay safe ❤️
Karate Kid Part 2 is already on Patreon!
Pat Morita was diagnosed with Spinal Tuberculosis when he was 2 years old and spent the next 9 years in a full body cast. When he was finally cured and learned to walk at the age of 11 he was shipped right to a Japanese internment camp with his family.
I like how in the Cobra Kai show, how Daniel retains his love not only for karate and tiny trees, but also nice cars -- all things that remind him of his time with Mr Miyagi.
This is actually how these types of martial arts fights went back in the nineties before the m m a started. I Held the colorado state championship for 2 years. I stopped competing only because I wanted to focus on my college football career. As far as boys and ex girlfriends are concerned when My former girlfriend got a new guy I invited him outside. He thought I was gonna beat him up But instead I told him everything I knew about her and what To do and what she needs and wished him good luck. They ended up getting married.
I stated counting everytime you said "kick his butt!" 🤣🤣🤣
15:00 It was also a test. A lesser person would give up in a huff.
But Daniel not only kept on going but did the best job he could and made those cars sparkle.
From my understanding, the guy that faced Jonney before the final, was the guy that did the choreography for the movie and was actually the stand in for Mr. Myagi in the beach scene.
I think that's half correct. Darryl Vidal (the semi finalist who lost to Johnny) was Mr. Myagi's stand in for the crane kick at the beach. However, I believe Pat Johnson (the referee) was the one who did the karate choreography for the film.
Another awesome review by Karate Jen 😉. Quick note, the song during the tournament was supposed to be used in Rocky III, instead of Eye of the Tiger. Then Survivor presented Stallone with the classic song, so he passed on “You’re The Best“. Love the blonde Jen. You are such a positive person. ❤️You’re the best!
"You're the Best" the song they used for the Tournament montage was originally going to be used for Rocky 3, but it was left off the soundtrack after "Eye of the Tiger" was written.
The late John G. Avidsen (Oscar-winner for Rocky, 1976) directed the first 3 films of the franchise.
The Rocky saga's composer, Bill Conti scored all these films too.
Karate Kid was actually the name of an DC character from the Teen Titans.
So the rights to the name had to be acquired in order to use it as the movie's name.
I was 4 years old when this was released.
One of the greatest cinematic experiences i ever had.
Daniel's story hit home for so many of us kids, learning to be brave and having the right guidance to do so.
This movie got me into classical karate to study and later on other martial arts.
This was Ralph Macchio (Daniel) after his groundbreaking performance in The Outsiders (1983).
I knew of the late Pat Morita as an actor and comedian (Happy Days, Sanford & Son).
Morita's voice as Miyagi was the voice of his late uncle and the dialect took some time in a few readings.
Such a great performance and him being nominated for an Oscar (Best Supporting) was so cool.
William Zabka (Johnny) went on to become a Oscar nominee as well for co-writing
and producing a short film, Most (2003).
All these things, plus "Wax on, Wax off" and 40 years later, you gotta love it.
Also RIP to Martial Arts' legend Pat E. Johnson, one of the referees/the film's fight choreographer
and Chad McQueen (Dutch), the only son of screen legend Steve McQueen.
Just to add to this, the movie was pitched as Rocky for teens.
@@kgjung2310 😲
“You’re the Best” is one of the greatest montage songs ever. It was originally written for “Rocky III”, but Stallone went with “Eye of the Tiger” instead.
Disguising martial arts training as tedious menial chores is a common martial arts movie trope. One of my favorites is a student relegated to kitchen at the Shaolin Temple stirring giant vats of soup who finds that all those circular motions were to train him to become an expect in long staff fighting in the movie "Shaolin Temple" (1976).
15:00 - *The "Training" of Daniel by doing chores is a brilliant story way to teach him movements, for sure, but it is also a practical way for him to build strength, endurance and stamina, which are three very important aspects when taking a kid who has little to no sports training and martial arts experience to fight against other trained martial art initiated students and keep it realistic that he could actually defeat them; which is part of what makes the writing of **_The Karate Kid_** so brilliant! and why it is still to this day a cinematic classic which survives the ages!*
*You MUST watch The Karate Kid part 2 and 3! No ifs ands or buts about it!* 👍👍
"Wax on Wax off" The greatest motto for every bullied kid in history and hero.
Ralph Macchio to this day still owns Daniel's birthday car.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. i loved it as a kid, and as I got older I came to understand Miyagi's story more and it only made the movie better.
god, just watching this video is reminding me just how amazing Maccio and Morita are together
- Pat Morita was considered a "risky" choice to cast as Mr. Miyagi, as he was not an experienced martial artist and had only played comedy roles up to that time. The choice to cast him in a dramatic role ultimately turned out to be brilliant, as that became the signature performance of his acting career.
- The song used in the tournament, "When You're the Best Around", was originally composed for one of the "Rocky" movies, but ended up not being used for it, so the studio used it for this one instead.
- The head referee of the tournament was the karate trainer for both Ralph Macchio (Daniel) and Pat Morita and for the Cobra Kai characters. To fit their characters and have their roles expressed in the way they used karate, he trained them in very different styles. He spent a lot of one-on-one time training the protagonists carefully, similar to how Mr. Miyagi trained Daniel in the movie. He trained the Cobra Kais as a group, in a gruff, military fashion.
- Many of the opponents in the tournament were played by actual karate practicioners from the LA area, including Johnny's semifinal opponent, who, IIRC, was a real-life karate tournament champion who was excited to get to show off some of his moves in a major film.
This movie resonated with me as a kid, and inspired me as well. It was also the first movie I saw with Pat Morita, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn he was a comedian after seeing this. Glad you had a great time.
I remember seeing this back when it came out in the '80s. It was the first time I'd ever seen an American depiction of karate (or any other marital art) that focused on the _spiritual_ side of the art, and the life philosophy it can teach, rather than just kicking ass and breaking stuff.
Incidentally, the novelization of the movie had an extra scene at the end which was apparently part of the filming script but got cut from the final edit. That's where the opening of Part 2 comes from.
All the three original Karate Kid movies are good, and the fourth is good too 👍
Tough I didn't watch the 2010 reboot, yet.
The only good thing about the 4th movie is the chemistry Pat has with the new student. The writing of the antagonists was done badly. It was too cheesy.
I didn’t like reboot movie. It wasn’t as good as this movie.
28:32 Chad McQueen, who plays Dutch, sadly just died at age 63 a couple weeks ago, on September 11, 2024. He was the son of legendary film star Steve McQueen.
Fun fact from a guy who has studied karate for 21 years. The name "Miyagi" is a very famous and important one in karate overall as a man by the name of Chojun Miyagi founded the school of Goju-ryu which is one of the five primary schools of karate that are considered combat effective. The director of this film actually hired a Goju-ryu black belt to train Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio in that style while he hired another guy who was well-versed in Tang Soo Do (Basically a more aggressive Korean take on Shotokan, the most popular school of karate by numbers of students) to train the Cobra Kai actors. The conflict at play isn't style vs style, but mindset: Mr. Miyagi hates fighting and thus will end it quickly with potentially lethal force if forced to do so but his methods tend to take longer to get there. John Kreese is a psychopath who cares only about aggressively dominating and destroying one's enemies without any sense of restraint. There is nothing inherently incorrect about those battle philosophies per se, but the main issue is Kreese is teaching the Bully group only to destroy without any moderation.
Speaking as a more traditional martial artist, if someone asks me for advice on which school or gym they should look into, I first ask them why they want to take up martial arts, what their timeframe is (i.e. do they need to learn how to fight RIGHT NOW or can they take a slower approach), if they are comfortable with the idea of potentially caving in a rib cage or crushing a throat with a strike or if they would prefer just subduing an attacker, and so on. Then I ask them about the threats they seem most likely to face and adjust from there. Lastly, I ask them what their schedule is since the monetary cost of training for someone who is truly serious in studying martial arts is a relative non-issue but if they are strapped for cash, I can provide "next best" alternatives to what I think would be best. Overwhelmingly, I often introduce them to a good MMA gym where I will show up somewhat regularly both to learn new material that isn't emphasized in karate while acting as a sparring partner who fights much differently than the students are accustomed to while also adapting my knowledge of biomechanics and strategy to come up with new ideas on how they can use what they know. A common example is that I often teach the MMA students how to use their training to combine grappling with striking (known as "dirty boxing") to punch an opponent on tender spots of their arms to more easily set up a takedown, adapting my karate motions to show setups for takedowns that they may not have seen before and so on. My approach is that all fighting methods have something to offer and while I prefer my more traditional karate because I have the most experience with it and it works, I try to adapt my knowledge to fit the knowledge the students have.
Kreese is also a Vietnam vet (we see a black and white photo of him in uniform and presumably saw action), so that can also explain his "kill the enemy" attitude. Sounds fine if you're a Green Beret, maybe not so much to young teenage civilians.
You will definitely enjoy Karate Kid II. A great sequel, equal to the first
"Best defence, no be there."
@@daverhoden445 dont let your opponent move or do things
this is why i love you as a reactor.... tournament adminstrator: "what belt are you?" Jen Murray: "the none of your business belt." HAHAHA 🤣
I saw this movie in the theater in 1985, and many times since then, and until I saw your reaction, I never noticed most of the music. I’m really enjoying your channel!
I was 14 when this movie came out (the perfect age). My friends and I went overnight from Star Wars to karate being our whole world. You will love part 2 and 3, and the Cobra Kai series.
27:09 there's a deleted scene that explains why she's mad at him. Once they cut that scene, it really doesn't make sense anymore.
30:21 omg after watching the first part of cobra kai season 6, this phrase finally makes more sense... *speechless*.
I saw this in the movie theater
me too
Same here.
Ditto.
Yep.
That must have been a great experience.
"They're just kids." And you realize the whole other level about this series. it's not just about kids and dates and tournaments... It's about the adults and how they teach the kids, setting the examples that guide them. And how they sometimes the kids end up fighting their teachers battles by proxy. It's why Miyagi's story and his treatment of Danial is so special. it's the relationship every single kid on earth deserves to have with their parents and teachers.
I really hope you watch the rest of the movies. And the Cobra Kai series _absolutely_ respects the themes and depth of the original movies.
The actor that played Dutch ("Dead meat!"), Chad McQueen, recently passed away.
He was the son of actor Steve McQueen, and former owner of McQueen Racing.
- Ralph Macchio was about 22 when he made the film, Elizabeth Shue (Ali) was 20, and William Zabka (Johnny) was 18. When the series Cobra Kai started, Ralph was older than Pat Morita was when he first played Mr. Miyagi.
- The yellow convertible that Mr. Miyagi gives to Daniel was actually given to Ralph Macchio, who still owns it. It even appears a couple of times in Cobra Kai.
- Dutch, the Cobra Kai with bleach blonde hair who starts up with Daniel in the locker room at the tournament, was Chad McQueen, the son of the legendary Steve McQueen (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape). Unfortunately, Chad passed on September 11, 2024, just two weeks ago, as of this video posted to UA-cam.
- Pat Morita did not have a Japanese/Okinawan accent in real life; he mimicked his uncle's accent when playing Mr. Miyagi, as Pat had a flat Southern California accent. Pat was a stand-up comedian and comedy actor best known for playing Arnold on Happy Days. One of my favorite roles he had was in the TV series M*A*S*H as Captain Sam Pak, who only appeared in a couple of early episodes. Nobody wanted to hire him as Mr. Miyagi, and it took forever for him to finally get an audition. However, once he read, he was Mr. Miyagi. He was nominated but lost the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, which went to Louis Gossett, Jr. for An Officer and a Gentleman.
- Mr. Miyagi was a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was made up of Japanese-Americans fighting in the European Theater of Operations during WWII. It was one of the most highly decorated outfits. Mrs. Miyagi was interned at Manzanar Internment Camp in California. The whole internment of Japanese-Americans during the war is a significant stain on America.
Great reaction to this 80s classic Jen....BTW Ralph Macchio (Daniel) still owns that yellow car to this day. 😉....Please do all the all the sequel films and the TV series Cobra-Kai. 👍
I have lived 40 years with only one thought in my head: Wax on, wax off. Classic line.
There was an infirmary at the Manzanar interment camp for routine medical care, but for medical specialists (like an OBGYN you would need for serious complications during childbirth) you had to get a doctor to travel over 300 miles from Los Angeles General Hospital. When Mrs. Miyagi experienced complications, they couldn't get a doctor out to her in time to save her or the baby.
One thing that took me years to understand: Ali's family isn't actually rich. They're posers (or living beyond their means, or having cash-flow issues). There are clues scattered throughout: Their house is falling into disrepair, their clothes are a step below the others at the club dinner, the hostility toward Danny when they see his car/mom. This is why they really want Ali and Johnny to get together: His family is actually rich (enough). They don't want their precious little girl to end up with some poor-boy like Danny. Her happiness isn't as important as their image.
Lucille LaRusso, on the other hand: mom of the freaking decade!
A subtext in the film is that as much as Daniel needed a father figure and Miyagi needed a son/student
Just as Daniel had problems and needed someone to teach him, Miyagi who If you will notice was a lonely and solitary man at the start of the film needed Daniel to bring him out of the shell he had lived in for the nearly 40 years since he lost his wife and child.
To extrapolate on Mr. Miyagi's methods here: karate techniques often require countless hours of repetition combined with even more hours of specialized weight training routines to achieve the results we see in many of the old masters. Daniel only had 2 months to prepare, so Mr. Miyagi had Daniel do extensive manual labor to build up the required muscles while forcing him to memorize the movements by dictating how that labor was to be done. Manual labor for hours on end is one of the oldest and best ways to build functional muscle and stamina which is part of why Crossfit does things like flipping tires, smashing a massive tire with a sledgehammer, and so on. It's why construction workers are among the types you do not pick a fight with: even if they don't have much skill, once they get their hands on you it's over unless you're VERY good in terms of skill.
Johnny actor William Zabka actually accidentally broke Ralph Macchio’s ribs when he kicked him against the fence. When they held Ralph up, he actually was in severe pain.
i've watched this movie probably 100 times & thats the first time- and only because you mentioned it, that i saw the dog tags when daniel picked the car lol
REALLY hope you dive into the Cobra Kai series, Jen.
98% of the time, when we get a movie/TV series sequel decades after its original release, they're awful. A lot of the later Jurassic Park movies were bad. The later Indiana Jones movies were bad. If the Gladiator 2 trailer reactions are any indication, it's gonna bomb.
Cobra Kai is the VERY rare instance where this isn't the case at all. It's an incredibly faithful continuation of the original movies. You'll love it.
Elisabeth Shue (Jennifer Parker in BTTF 2 & 3) drove Mr. Miyagi's car. Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen) drove it a year later with a black sport paint job.
Jen + 80’s movies = cuteness factor 100% 🫶🏼😎🎥🎬🍿
Daniel: "When are you going to fix the faucet?"
Mr. Miyagi: "After, after, after."
That part always cracks me up 😂😂😂
I look at this movie completely differently since the Karate Kid episode of Community 😂
I saw this with Ghostbusters as a double feature.
The "cinema" was a oversize shed, off the side of a pub, in either Byron Bay or Ballina on the New South Wales Coast, Australia. About 50 fold out chairs and a screen I think they got from a primary school.
Still one of the better sites of my life.
Jen your videos are super relaxing and fun. Thank you for sharing your reactions with this amazing community!
I'm so glad to hear that! Happy to have you here ☺️👍
I was 10 years old when this came out in 84 such a crucial part of my childhood all 3 karate kids.
Even in this film Princess Leia takes down bullies. 🤣
The girl that tripped the bullies at the Halloween party was dressed as Princess Leia.
Classic movie from my childhood. Still have a crush on Elizabeth Shue.
In the movie it appears they push start Daniel's mom's station wagon multiple times. It was a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Concours station Wagon. The funny thing is the car in reality had an automatic transmission and you can only push start vehicles with manual transmissions. Another fun fact: The car Mr Miyagi gives Daniel for his birthday is a 1947 Ford Super Deluxe convertible and was actually gifted to Ralph Macchio by the producer after filming one of the sequels. He still owns it today, and it even shows up in Cobra Kai. Fun nostalgia. The Character Mr Miyagi was 59 but in 1984
actor, Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi was actually 52.
Whats crazy is Ralph Macchio will be 63 in Nov 2024. Wow!
He doesn't look it.
Giving this a rewatch and loved your reaction so much , Its so great going into a movie blind and enjoying it as much as you did , as you say this movie has so much heart, it truly does ofc it just makes me want you to watch cobra Kai more and more but understand it may be a long long time before that happens, in the meantime we may get some martial arts movies as it's definitely a genre you seem to enjoy 🥋🔥 cheers for another fun rewatch Jen san 🙏👊
I love the spin-off movie, “Karate Island”. 😂
Joe Esposito's "You're the Best" is such a great song; it was originally written for the movie Rocky III but ended up being replaced by "Eye of the Tiger" (there are a couple of lines in the song the would have made a lot more sense had it been used for Rocky).
26:07 fun fact Ralph macho got to keep that car after the filming