Good thing you didn’t bother with the fourth one beacuse the Nostaliga Critic already reviewed it and we know how much that film sucks!
To be honest, I never bothered with the KK film series though you made an interesting video on it without going into three part territory! I would’ve preferred the Rocky series because it has a better set of villains. But overall, good job as always!
I’m not sure what to think about this remake. I don’t really like using the word remake since it seems to differ so much from the original. The new movie should be called The Kung-Fu Kid not The Karate Kid since it takes place in China and has nothing to do with karate whatsoever. The Karate Kid was part of my childhood. It was, is, and always will be one of my personal favorite movies of all time.
Great reviews as it was pretty much nostalgic value from when I was growing up with these films.
I’m looking forward to an honest opinion of the Karate Kid remake considering that there’s going to be a lot of preconceived feelings of the film that I have.
ivenever actually had the oppurtunity to watch the karate kid movies, which makes me feel bad for watching this, but it was well made and didnt give that much away. perfect as usual.
Great reviews. I always thought that The Karate Kid felt alot like Rocky, now I can see why. But great and fair reviews of all three movies. Personally I am not looking forward to The Karate Kid remake… after seeing the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, I’m looking forward to this movie like a second kick to the balls.
Personally I see some really bad signs that this movie is not going to be as good as The Karate Kid, much less even be a decent movie.
The movie barely relates to The Karate Kid. There is no Karate, they’re in China, and Jackie Chan is Chinese. Why call it the Karate Kid when it’s not even the Karate Kid? This reeks of desperation on part of the producers and even if it was planned on being The Karate Kid from the start, it’s going to be riding that horse from all the way back then, and all the way to the grave.
I mean Never Back Down was pretty much The Karate Kid as well, hell it was more The Karate Kid than this movies looking to be IMO. But they didn’t need it.
But now I’m ranting. Great review James, always glad to see your movie reviews.
Very happy you did this one. The karate kid trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies ever, and i agree with you on almost everything in the review. Looking forward to more AVGN. And i really hope you do something on the contra series for AVGN soon. =)
The first Karate Kid was my favorite movie as a kid. It’s totally blasphemous that they would remake it, with the same title, and set it in CHINA! I’ve decided not to shell out money for these remakes anymore. It’s just getting out of control.
Great review! I agree in much butI think the second movie is as good as teh first one, very much because I love the setting, I’m very fond of Japan. I also like the forth movie very much, the spark betwean the student and the master is still there and the acting in that movie is great. Some very funny scenes with the monks also makes it memorable.
This is your WORST review James. You obviously do not understand martial arts or asian culture. You just follow all the typical sterotypes and don’t bother to study other cultures to get a better understanding. Your mixture of still photos and live video was just horendous. It was giving me a headache. You should have just stuck with live footage throughout. In Japanese culture if a feud is between two friends, it can expand to having problems with other family members and the other side’s friends as well. Hence the reason why the nephew was beating up Daniel all the time. He fed off of his uncle’s rage and felt that both Mr. Miyagi and Daniel deserved no mercy as far as the nephew saw it because he felt Miyagi disgraced his entire family for leaving like a coward in his eyes because Mr. Miyagi didn’t want to fight his best friend to the death over a woman. Part 2 is a much better film than the first. I at least feel that way because it’s much deeper. Part one was good, but it gets the typical stereotype that idiots get into. Part 3 and 4 were just pieces of shit. And I agree the “Remake” should have been put under another title. It’s not Karate he’s learning. It’s Kung Fu. Should have been called the Kung Fu Kid. You obviously didn’t get the deeper meaning in Parts 1 or 2 and your conncetion to Rocky is just laughable. There is no real connection other than the director. If I was to give you a rating on this review it would be a 1.5 out of 5. you got some pieces, but overall you FAILED misserably to understand the deeper undertones of the first two films.
I love parts 1 and 2. These movies are classic in every sense of the word, and while the music dates them, it’s appropriate for the setting. Could almost be seen as period pieces now.
The thing that makes these movies perfect? The movies aren’t about the style of martial art or the tournaments at the end. They’re about growing up, learning to be responsible and caring for those you love. That’s what really pisses me off about part 3. It’s not the over-the-top villains or the ridiculous situations. It’s that Daniel actually seems to regress into more of an A-hole than he was before he met Miyagi. The choices Daniel makes throughout the third film contradict everything he DEMONSTRATED HE LEARNED in parts 1 and 2, and Miyagi’s aggravation is more than justified…it’s completely warranted. Hell, if Miyagi wasn’t defending Daniel from getting MURDERED, he should have been kicking his ass for being an idiot.
That plus… Terry Silver is like, the Geese Howard of San Dimas or something. You’d think Miyagi would’ve taught Daniel the Power Geyser technique by the end of that crappy film.
God Bless Pat Morita. I wish I’d had the chance to meet him and thank him for Mr. Miyagi.
Actually TwistedSpeech; James said “similar” not “exactly”. They’re both Italian, they’re both living in the dumps, and they do have similar speech patterns, and they both have awesome montages. Second. It’s the job of the writer and director to make sure the audience get’s everything. Clearly they failed to elaborate on this deeper running of resentment between Daniel and Sota’s nephew; it’s not the job of the audience to compensate for these failings. So the feud between him and Daniel feeling like there’s no real reason is a just one. I felt similar, though I always thought it was because his nephew was just a dick like Johnny. Of course his dip into insanity in the end was just a bad choice of a way to end the movie IMO.
Can’t say much about three. But I do agree that the stills do feel a little cheap. But Jame’s is a busy guy, and since I make reviews and videos myself; I can understand him doing this to save some time.
@d100Productions: You’re dead wrong. They did a great job of elaborating the deeper meaning in Part 2. They explained how honor means everything to asian culture. Yeah Sato’s nephew was a dick. He went off the deep end because he truly believed that honor was everything and that people who do not honor a duel are cowards and deserve no mercy. When Sato said his nephew was dead to him he went off the deep end because of how much honor means to people of asian decent. He believed if he could kill Daniel and Mr. Miyagi that his uncle would see him as his own again. It was a great film and if no one saw the those things in the film then they obviously are too narrow minded to see what is obviously already there.
@TwistedSpeech: Hm. True, I will admit it’s been awhile since I’ve actually sat through that movie and watched it fully. But I kind of think the whole “honor” system may have been exaggerated with the western scope. Kind of like how weeaboo’s think Japan is all super serious about Samurai and Feudal Japanese History; etc. And I wouldn’t call someone who doesn’t like The Karate Kid II narrow minded; it’s just a different type of film. What would you say if someone called you narrow minded for not liking the first Karate Kid more than the second?
I saw these on TV a few times in the late ’90s. They got my attention as I was in karate at the time. I think they showcase the value of having a good instructor, like I was lucky enough to have.
I only know the first movie, I saw it a long time ago on television and I don’t remember much of it, but I think I liked it back then. Anyway, excellent review, as usual.
Good thing you didn’t bother with the fourth one beacuse the Nostaliga Critic already reviewed it and we know how much that film sucks!
To be honest, I never bothered with the KK film series though you made an interesting video on it without going into three part territory! I would’ve preferred the Rocky series because it has a better set of villains. But overall, good job as always!
I’m not sure what to think about this remake. I don’t really like using the word remake since it seems to differ so much from the original. The new movie should be called The Kung-Fu Kid not The Karate Kid since it takes place in China and has nothing to do with karate whatsoever. The Karate Kid was part of my childhood. It was, is, and always will be one of my personal favorite movies of all time.
W00t! Such a good choice to cover! I remember the first time I saw Karate Kid with my older brother. Such a quintessential movie of the time.
http://www.livingwithanerd.com
Great reviews as it was pretty much nostalgic value from when I was growing up with these films.
I’m looking forward to an honest opinion of the Karate Kid remake considering that there’s going to be a lot of preconceived feelings of the film that I have.
crane kicks in the playground when i was at school is a good memory.
also
“sweep the leg”
elizabeth shue
cobra kai
top stuff
ivenever actually had the oppurtunity to watch the karate kid movies, which makes me feel bad for watching this, but it was well made and didnt give that much away. perfect as usual.
James Cameron should write a screenplay for a movie starring Rocky and Kreese.
What’s up with the movie poster? It looks like they’re going to start kissing one another.
Sweet! comic that i had my Cobra Kai tshirt on me today and see this =P
Great reviews. I always thought that The Karate Kid felt alot like Rocky, now I can see why. But great and fair reviews of all three movies. Personally I am not looking forward to The Karate Kid remake… after seeing the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, I’m looking forward to this movie like a second kick to the balls.
Personally I see some really bad signs that this movie is not going to be as good as The Karate Kid, much less even be a decent movie.
The movie barely relates to The Karate Kid. There is no Karate, they’re in China, and Jackie Chan is Chinese. Why call it the Karate Kid when it’s not even the Karate Kid? This reeks of desperation on part of the producers and even if it was planned on being The Karate Kid from the start, it’s going to be riding that horse from all the way back then, and all the way to the grave.
I mean Never Back Down was pretty much The Karate Kid as well, hell it was more The Karate Kid than this movies looking to be IMO. But they didn’t need it.
But now I’m ranting. Great review James, always glad to see your movie reviews.
Very happy you did this one. The karate kid trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies ever, and i agree with you on almost everything in the review. Looking forward to more AVGN. And i really hope you do something on the contra series for AVGN soon. =)
The first Karate Kid was my favorite movie as a kid. It’s totally blasphemous that they would remake it, with the same title, and set it in CHINA! I’ve decided not to shell out money for these remakes anymore. It’s just getting out of control.
Great review! I agree in much butI think the second movie is as good as teh first one, very much because I love the setting, I’m very fond of Japan. I also like the forth movie very much, the spark betwean the student and the master is still there and the acting in that movie is great. Some very funny scenes with the monks also makes it memorable.
This is your WORST review James. You obviously do not understand martial arts or asian culture. You just follow all the typical sterotypes and don’t bother to study other cultures to get a better understanding. Your mixture of still photos and live video was just horendous. It was giving me a headache. You should have just stuck with live footage throughout. In Japanese culture if a feud is between two friends, it can expand to having problems with other family members and the other side’s friends as well. Hence the reason why the nephew was beating up Daniel all the time. He fed off of his uncle’s rage and felt that both Mr. Miyagi and Daniel deserved no mercy as far as the nephew saw it because he felt Miyagi disgraced his entire family for leaving like a coward in his eyes because Mr. Miyagi didn’t want to fight his best friend to the death over a woman. Part 2 is a much better film than the first. I at least feel that way because it’s much deeper. Part one was good, but it gets the typical stereotype that idiots get into. Part 3 and 4 were just pieces of shit. And I agree the “Remake” should have been put under another title. It’s not Karate he’s learning. It’s Kung Fu. Should have been called the Kung Fu Kid. You obviously didn’t get the deeper meaning in Parts 1 or 2 and your conncetion to Rocky is just laughable. There is no real connection other than the director. If I was to give you a rating on this review it would be a 1.5 out of 5. you got some pieces, but overall you FAILED misserably to understand the deeper undertones of the first two films.
I love parts 1 and 2. These movies are classic in every sense of the word, and while the music dates them, it’s appropriate for the setting. Could almost be seen as period pieces now.
The thing that makes these movies perfect? The movies aren’t about the style of martial art or the tournaments at the end. They’re about growing up, learning to be responsible and caring for those you love. That’s what really pisses me off about part 3. It’s not the over-the-top villains or the ridiculous situations. It’s that Daniel actually seems to regress into more of an A-hole than he was before he met Miyagi. The choices Daniel makes throughout the third film contradict everything he DEMONSTRATED HE LEARNED in parts 1 and 2, and Miyagi’s aggravation is more than justified…it’s completely warranted. Hell, if Miyagi wasn’t defending Daniel from getting MURDERED, he should have been kicking his ass for being an idiot.
That plus… Terry Silver is like, the Geese Howard of San Dimas or something. You’d think Miyagi would’ve taught Daniel the Power Geyser technique by the end of that crappy film.
God Bless Pat Morita. I wish I’d had the chance to meet him and thank him for Mr. Miyagi.
-Nas
Actually TwistedSpeech; James said “similar” not “exactly”. They’re both Italian, they’re both living in the dumps, and they do have similar speech patterns, and they both have awesome montages. Second. It’s the job of the writer and director to make sure the audience get’s everything. Clearly they failed to elaborate on this deeper running of resentment between Daniel and Sota’s nephew; it’s not the job of the audience to compensate for these failings. So the feud between him and Daniel feeling like there’s no real reason is a just one. I felt similar, though I always thought it was because his nephew was just a dick like Johnny. Of course his dip into insanity in the end was just a bad choice of a way to end the movie IMO.
Can’t say much about three. But I do agree that the stills do feel a little cheap. But Jame’s is a busy guy, and since I make reviews and videos myself; I can understand him doing this to save some time.
@d100Productions: You’re dead wrong. They did a great job of elaborating the deeper meaning in Part 2. They explained how honor means everything to asian culture. Yeah Sato’s nephew was a dick. He went off the deep end because he truly believed that honor was everything and that people who do not honor a duel are cowards and deserve no mercy. When Sato said his nephew was dead to him he went off the deep end because of how much honor means to people of asian decent. He believed if he could kill Daniel and Mr. Miyagi that his uncle would see him as his own again. It was a great film and if no one saw the those things in the film then they obviously are too narrow minded to see what is obviously already there.
“Oh, Daniel-san. You all wet behind the ear!”
Another good review. Your reviews are short on being “crazy” like AVGN and long on insight which really makes it enjoyable to watch. Another A+ James!
@TwistedSpeech: Hm. True, I will admit it’s been awhile since I’ve actually sat through that movie and watched it fully. But I kind of think the whole “honor” system may have been exaggerated with the western scope. Kind of like how weeaboo’s think Japan is all super serious about Samurai and Feudal Japanese History; etc. And I wouldn’t call someone who doesn’t like The Karate Kid II narrow minded; it’s just a different type of film. What would you say if someone called you narrow minded for not liking the first Karate Kid more than the second?
I saw these on TV a few times in the late ’90s. They got my attention as I was in karate at the time. I think they showcase the value of having a good instructor, like I was lucky enough to have.
I think you should have gone into “the next karate kid” more but I understand the reasons to why you didn’t.
Good episode James.
I only know the first movie, I saw it a long time ago on television and I don’t remember much of it, but I think I liked it back then. Anyway, excellent review, as usual.
I cant believe they are remaking this movie. -.-
the first movie*