Rating: 
Summary: One of the best movies ever!
Review: Ralph Macchio had just finished playing Johnny Cade in "The Outsiders" also another great movie and decided to play Daniel in The Karate Kid. A story of a teen who arrives in California and as soon as he meets a new girlfriend, the leader of "The Cobras", a karate "dojo", gets into a fight with Daniel. An instructor named Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) teaches Daniel the secrets of Karate and self-confidence and self-defense after seeing him getting beat up by the Cobras after a prank Daniel did. This movie is the best martial arts movie of all time. See my review about "Crossroads" also starring Ralph Macchio.
Rating:
Summary: Get him a body bag! Hehehehehehehehehe!
Review: Ahh...one of the finest and most emotionally delivered lines in American cinema history. But I digress....This movie truly found it's way into the hearts of all kids who grew up in the 80's. Immediately after seeing this movie - you could witness about 3 dozen boys and girls practicing the Crane technique on car doors.....baby sisters...etc. Take a loser kid from New Jersy. Throw him in a station wagon with his mom (who leaves the computer industry for restaurant management. Great career move Mrs. LaRusso.) and make him live in a dumpy apartment building. Ahh! But that building also houses a Karate/Jedi master named Mr. Miyagi. Then, throw in a love triangle that includes loser Daniel, Alison (played by beautiful Elisabeth Shue) and Johnny - the kid with serious anger management problems and a wicked front kick. Seriously, wouldn't you want to kill Daniel if he took Elisabeth Shue from you? Thought so. OK - now you have a group of "Kobra Kai's" that have an super-irrational hatred for this wimpy loser named Daniel. After Daniel gets beat up every day for 6 months - he figures he'll call on Yoda...umm, I mean Mr. Miyagi. Miyagi teaches Daniel to kick some serious ... by making him do all of his household chores. Being the spineless wimp Daniel is - he actually hangs around to do the work (which includes painting Yoda's house dark green. What the???) This military dose of Spring-cleaning turns Daniel into a freakin' killing machine. If only he would have had time to learn the other skills like "Grout the Tile" or "Plunge the Toilet!" So - to prove him manhood, and to keep Elisabeth Shue from realizing that she's actually dating a girl, Daniel enrolls in the All-Valley Karate tournament for teens and 32 year-old Ralph Macchio. Before Daniel can achieve "balance," he has his femur snapped in two by Bobby Brown (no - not that Bobby Brown. The Kobra Kai that got slighted by not being allowed to fight Daniel. What a jip. You know Bobby was going to win it all....) No, it's all OK. Miyagi turns back into Yoda and heals the crushed leg by doing some crazy sandpaper thing with his hands. I guess body heat can reset a compound fracture. Daniel is now limping but is feeling A-OK! Shock. Daniel wins the tournament by using the most telegraphed Karate move ever conceived. Johnny practically sprints into the Crane move otherwise known as the "I'm gonna kick you" technique. Daniel is champ - gets girl - and gets an approving nod from Yoda...umm....I mean Mr. Miyagi. Seriously, this movie is a lot of fun. It's one you must own.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Movie, Bad DVD . . . Find out Why!
Review: This movie deserves only 3 stars instead of 3 for the following reasons: 1) There are no extras other than the trailer on this DVD. Why didn't Columbia Home Video include the trailers for the two sequels? Why didn't they get Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita (academy-nominated for this role) or director John G. Avildsen to supply commentary? 2) The movie was shot in 1.85:1 which means that the movie was shot full frame (1.33:1) but was projected in the theatre with the top and bottom blocked. This practice gives a widescreen look to movies. Since 'The Karate Kid' was done this way, pan and scan was not needed. You actually see more but this causes the composition to be a little off because there is so much space above the actor's heads. Funny thing, The Karate Kid parts 2 & 3 are letterboxed. Does this mean that an old video transfer was used for this DVD? 3) Where's the Dolby 5.1?
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Horrible DVD
Review: Five star movie, 1 start DVD = 3 stars total. This is one of my top 5 favorite films. However, I'm not about to buy the DVD when it only has the Fullscreen version and no commentary. Its really sad that such a classic has gone so unappreciated. Parts 2 and 3 are widescreen, wake up people! Oh and by the way, if you are one of those people who think that widescreen means that they "cut off the top and bottom" of the film to make it look like you're in the movies, please educate yourself. Its fullscreen versions of films that cut parts of the picture out.
Rating: 
Summary: A Purely "DVD" Review
Review: I see all of these reviews giving this DVD 5 stars and I have to laugh. No widescreen, sub-standard pan-and-scan print, lack of any quality extras (and this was a 2nd release of this film!) sounds like a VHS review---perhaps these reviews are for that. DVD means widescreen---period! With the exception of the older movies that were filmed in fullscreen (i.e. "Citizen Kane" or "On The Water Front" -- two well-made DVDs btw) no movie, not a one, should be released if there isn't a widescreen version on it---certainly a movie shouldn't ever be released TWICE with both versions fullscreen.... Rumor has it that they have been unable to find a useable widescreen version of this film (hard to believe isn't it?) to use for a DVD, but in that case be up front about it and quit releasing this POS version on DVD---do it a third time and heads will roll.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!
Review: Besides the fact that Ralph Macchio is so hot this movie is awesome! Its got action, love, comedy...everthing! The love story between Ali and Daniel is so cute and nice and the fighting between the groups is intense and hard core! THis movie RULES!
Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming "formula" Teenage Drama
Review: Director John Avildsen (of the "Rocky" fame) applies his "root-for-the-underdog" formula to this teenage drama, resulting in a heartwarming, satisfying family fare. Ralph Maccio (at 22 still convincing as a mid-teen) plays the "kid" who is tormented by bullies, until an elderly karate master (effectively portrayed by Pat Morita) teaches the boy the spiritual and physical disciplines of karate. The predictable outcome is nonetheless uplifting and give the audience (especially children) the message that good will triumph over evil. The relationship between the "kid" and his "teacher" is a high point of this film. Seen as a surrogate father-son team, the leads' interaction is a delight to view. This is one of the best films of its kind. I highly recommend this film as an alternative to other, much more violent "entertainment" that seems to dominate Hollywood lately.*****
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing, Exciting Movie!
Review: I LOVE this movie! It's really exciting, the story's great, and the fighting looks sooo real! I love the classic story of good over evil. I think everyone should see this movie and the rest in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Must be Widescreen!!
Review: This is a great movie and is well deserving of a widescreen presentation, fully restored and with commentary. It is what I believe one of the best movies of the 1980's and it is a shame that in a time when so many mediocre movies are given the star treatment in the DVD world, this one is so unbelievably substandard. I will not buy this movie until it is on widescreen at the very least. Give this movie and its' fans a break! Do it right!
Rating:
Summary: No widescreen?!?!?!
Review: What's the deal releasing this movie on full screen? It's a classic film that I've seen about 100 times but I will not be buying this DVD, until it gets what it deserves. Widescreen, commentaries, deleted scenes? Come on, I expect so much more. Until then I'll stick with my VHS copy.
| 
