Karate Kid Trilogy

the next karate kid? any chance it is the same karate chick that roundhouse kicks her way into "plumbers dont wear ties"?

I feel kinda weird, because i watched Karate Kid 2 right the day night the earthquake hit, and all the disaster and aftermath reminded me a lot the scene of the typhoon, it was like foreseeing what was about to come for Japan.

Want another similarity with Rocky? the guy who plays Kreese appears on an episode of the Incredible Hulk playing an underdog boxer. Guess whats his name? Rocky!!

Daniel is Italian, and is from New Jersey.

Never made the connection between TKK and Rocky before. Good review James.

Wish you had reviewed the last one "The Next Karate Kid" just so we have a clue. I watched the latest and it's horrible IMO.

Uhm. I only saw the first one in the series, but I never liked it. it sure has that Rocky-like style, that's great, but while Stallone was good in fighting, Daniel looks like a total moron. He does wrong even the basic stances! The hands, the arms, the legs, nothing in his position is good! Was it too much for the actor to do a little basic training before filming? In Rocky you cheer for him, and when he wins it's believeable, but here... Also the training doesn't make sense! Wax on, wax off? Seriously?
Maybe that's the point, I'm taking it too seriously, I'm beeing too technical, maybe because I like martial arts, and this is just a movie about the kid, but karate is also in the title, so it should be more accurate!
Well, thinking of it Karate Kid helped bringing to the west the love for martial arts, so maybe is also thanks to it that I'm now able to study them and do such comments, so it still has its value... No. I'm sorry, I don't like it.

Haight Daniel Son!

u should realy review the movie double dragon

On TV The next karate kid was called Karate Kid 2 so I was really confused when a friend told me that in Karate Kid 3 there's Daniel again so i got f*cked up until i found out about you. Thanks!

Dude is that a sequel or a remake cause i'm not sure and what movie theatre was it playing cause i haven't seen that one yet or predators i've been dying to see those two and now i wanna see the last exorcism.

you should make a review of parahna 3-D i watched it at the movies and the only thing i have to say is two words gore and comady. The movie doesnt have that mutch comady but when it gets there every one will start laughing .oh and if you are going to make a review about it remember to cencer it i dont know if thats how you spell it but you know what it means

hey james did u go to see the remake did u like it hate it cause obviously i didn't see it but that doesn't matter u should see it like diary of a wimpy kid that movie was awesome. by the way just to be honest cause i usually forget something right away after i fall asleep did the movie have some of the stuff from rodrick rules cause to be honest i totally forgot.

i wonder if their will be a review of the old pink panther movies?

oh yeah, james bond is awesome!

the new nightmare on elm street, i gotta hear your thoughts on it

the new 2010 was actually verry cool

The remake should be called the kung fu kid

I am interested in what do you think about the new karate kid movie :)

you should do a review of the bond films

I never saw the 4th one. Is it that bad?

James, if you haven't already you should see the faux trailer to Ralph Macchio's never to be released film that doesn't exist 'Wax On, Fuck Off'. It's an hilarious send up of both the Karate Kid films and the actor's squeaky clean image. Check it out.

I don't think you REALLY understood some of the soil in the earth called The Karate Kid. There's just stuff that you can't take seriously, and if you don't, then it's flipping awesome. What a masterpiece, but here's my formula: don't go in expecting a masterpiece or you won't get a masterpiece. Don't expect what you should get.

Great review, but why are there no comments regarding Daniel's love interests? The break-ups are resolved in a single line in each film, as if they didn't even exist. lol. The end of part 2 leaves us expecting Kumiko to move to the states to pursue dance school or some shit.

I liked the review, but James... come on, the third on isn't THAT bad. :p

if only i could watch the fuckin review! fuckin spike.com wont let me! now THATS BULLSHIT!

James,

I pretty sure when Daniel said "Why didn't you?" it was intended as a joke, I mean I would have said it.

I'm still the best around,and noone will ever keep me down

gotta give it up for johnny. he took that kick like noones ever seen before.

Interesting reviews and i'm sadly a bit optimistic about the new "karate kid" coming out but i'd rather rent it than watch it at the movies

Sorry for the double post :/

Regardless of all the weird crap about the title, I do want to see it. It actually does look pretty good.

My karate instructor and I have actually had lengthy discussions about the new Karate Kid. When you break it down, it actually is the Kung Fu Kid. They're in China, Jackie Chan is teaching him, they actually call it Kung Fu, and they are doing Kung Fu.

The only reason they're calling it the Karate Kid is to cash in on the name. If they called it Kung Fu Kid, people either wouldn't have bothered, or they would've have claimed that it was ripping off the Karate Kid. Plus, there are plenty of people who don't know the difference between Karate and Kung Fu, so those people won't be bothered by it.

Yeah I'm not going to see the karate kid remake in theatres because in its trailer he says "I will teach you kung fu" and whats the title of the movie karate kid, heck they're even in china and I swear if jaden smith's character has a love intrest I will never see it becuase he was like 11 or 12 when they film this movie. Also I love jackie chan he is awesome but does he know the name of the movie is karate kid also how is it a remake unless the kid's name is daniel it isn't a remake. And one more thing everyone bitched about the american godzilla being godzilla in name only guess what they should bitch even mopre about this movie its not a remake at all nothing from the original and once more he is teaching him KUNG FU not KARATE.

@JesseJace: What in the hell are you talking about, bro?! Google search her name. She's hotter now than she ever has been. That deal on 24 was makeup for the purpose of the show. Just like Charlize Therone in Monster.

I remember thinking that Tamlyn Tomita (Kumiko) was a supreme cutie in Karate Kid 2. Then I saw her more recently on 24 and I was like, "Yikes. She turned to vinegar."

I actually completely agree with your reviews of the trilogy, even that 'The Next Karate Kid' doesn't fit in the series. Of course you didn't fully review each one, so I'm sure there are some minor points within each film on which I'd disagree with you.

They probably do want to widen their audience with the title, but I did read an explanation for it. Apparently, in the movie the Chinese students tease Jaden's character for trying to use Karate on them by calling him "Karate Kid." Of course, he's not very good at it and gets beat up. The rest is essentially the same.

I have no interest in the new version, though. I can't relate to Jaden's character. It just seems like an action movie for kids (where it has comedy to lighten the mood). I dare say it'll have stereotypical black culture reactions from Jaden's character to stay "hip" as well. This one won't hold up. In fact, without Jackie Chan and Will Smith (I know it's Jaden, but you wouldn't care about him if not for his father) this movie would just blend into the crowd.

I guess that the weird part about the new movie is that Jackie Chan keeps telling the kid he's gonna teach him Kung Foo. When I first saw the trailer I was like 'oh, nice... a Kung Foo Kid? Kinda like a spoof of Karate Kid'
The when they announce the title it says KARATE Kid... Seriously, WHA THE HELL?

One funny thing you forgot to mention is that Thomas Ian Griffith actually are 1 year younger then Macchio..

haha crazyy

Another magnificent production, James. It never ceases to amaze me how every movie you upload touches on a major element of my own childhood. The Karate Kid series is no exception. The trilogy is a classic.

I must also add that your choice to end the video with Miyagi and Daniel on the boat was masterful.

Your work is awesome, James. I'm dying to see your review of The Cheetahmen! ;-)

Great! I could't agree more. I lovede the original movie. It's the classic underdog movie, just like Rocky. The second was a bunch o' crap, and #3 isn't worth the mention. I have no expectations of the upcoming movie, but hey, let's give it a shot. Super review James. Thumbs up!

Great review. I haven't watched this movie and ages and I didn't realize that it had the same director as rocky. Things make a lot of sense now!

There is one point about part 3 that I would like to make though. I think you missed something about what Terry was trying to do to Daniel. You said Terry turned up at the club and instigated the fight for no reason. However, there was a big reason. He is trying to get Daniel to turn away from the path that Miagi had shown him. Miagi had always taught Daniel that karate is only for defense, but Terry is trying to turn him into a violent beast. The same can be said for Terry's training practices. So you can see that Jon Crease's revenge is not only to cause Daniel physical pain but also to destroy Daniel and Miagi's relationship and to turn Daniel into a monster. They almost succeed until Miagi saves him and everything ends happily ever after (as usual:) I agree that Part 3 is completely over the top but I think there was a little bit more to what Terry and Jon were trying do than you give them credit for.

Looking forward to your next review:)

To be honest,the newer version doesn't have very good acting,and the Karate kid actually uses Kung Fu(doesn't matter since it looks way better than karate).However,the action is awesome,at least from the trailers,and there are some cool tricks.Also I like the music they song they chose,which is known as 100% Reason to remember the name.The lyrics to that song are classic,and reflect on real life.

yo james can u pls make a new bullshit episode last one was last year and arnt u takin an avgn break

@dragonfly82

To me it has nothing to do with it being in China that the title should be changed. It's the focus being on Kung Fu and not Karate that has me questioning the title. I think they're just using the title to capitalize off the orginal.

In Japan, the remake is called "Best Kid". Because if they called it Karate Kid in Japan, they would be so insulted by a movie set in China, in which the characters do Kung Fu called "The Karate Kid", that nobody would watch it.

Karate started in Okinawa, Japan. It is a symbol of Japanese national pride.

This is a great review. I only ever really watched the full thing of number 1 probably because I was to busy watching stuff like Jackie Chan and his amazing fightscenes. I was never really drawn twards movies like this I watched more stuff like Jackie Chan and James Bond and so on. This new one looks sort of cool because Jaden Smith is in it instead of some other nobody and Jackie Chan doesn't play Mr Myagi. Geat job.

Just wanted to say, the "remake" is apparently not a remake. Allegedly, in other countries it'll be called "The Kung Fu Kid", and it is only called "The Karate Kid" in the west so that people will think it has something to do with the trilogy and watch it.

If it really was a remake, then I'm pretty sure it's incredibly culturally insensitive: The Chinese and the Japanese hate each other, so why would a Chinese man teach an American child a Japanese martial art?

Nice review as always. I always prefered the second to the first one, perhaps due to a greater sense of danger, though I'll agree, Chozen wasn't very well explained. Then again, there is something to having a villan that's just a jerk for being a jerk's sake. We all have that side to us and it can be nice to have it shoved on the screen for us to look at and ponder.

3, well, I can see what they were trying to do, but they missed the mark. I'll forgive Silver being a rich SOB that has nothing better to do with his time and money than help an old war buddy get revenge. All things considered, it wasn't even a bad plan: get Daniel and manipulate him until he's broken both mentally and physically before pulbic defeat. It was just rushed, exagerated, and loses all meaning when the old guy mops the floor with all three of the bad guys at once. Maybe if Myagi had died and Daniel had to find his own path, but then you'd have another Rocky connection.

Next Karate Kid wasn't a total waste, more of a watered down rip off of the first film. As for the upcoming one, I'll admit it doesn't look as toxic as I was afraid of, but I'm somewhat put off by the age of the fighters. It feels more Like Jackie Chan should be giving them a spanking than a beating, whereas the bullies in the origianl were close to adulthood.

I actually watched the first three on a whim last Wed-Fri. I guess a lot of people are with the new one coming out, thus the review. Still, it's nice to have your reviews coincide with my activities.

I have to say, watching the Karate Kid trilogy is like watching the 80's version of Rome. A strong beginning, slight shrinkage in the middle, then a terrible, burning crash with the third entry.

James, you'll probably never see this comment, but I wanted to mention something: Avildsen movies always seem to embody certain zeitgeists. And I wasn't sure of why until I revisited Rocky. For some reason the locations he uses are spectacular. Rocky to me is the embodiment of the 1970's, with the old gyms, old bars, and old streets. The same is the case with The Karate Kid. A sand beach, the quintessential 80's apartment, and of course the Civic Center at the end of the movie. I think more than anything these movies hold up because of the locations. Of course there is more to it than that, but to be fair, the nostalgia value always holds up for these specific reasons,