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Showing posts with the label The Karate Kid

Televsion Review: "Cobrai Kai" Wins Top Honors Without Resorting To Fighting Dirty

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs Out of Four 1984's The Karate Kid  is one of those movies that you either look back on with reverence or find yourself thinking that it can't have been as good as you remember. The blend of Rocky and John Hughes meeting the chop socky craze should feel pandering, and it should certainly feel dated and hokey after all these years. But (aside from Pat Morita's jump kicks being less than spectacular) it holds up extremely well, thanks to earnest performances and and a heart so big it is in danger of exploding at any moment. Growing up poor and frequently bullied, it was impossible not to love the film. I wanted to be Daniel LaRusso, and all of us wanted a friend like Mr Myagi. The second film (the only of the trilogy that I actually saw in a theater) is a lot less relatable, but it's a grand time nonetheless. The third film is . . . not so grand. Put it together with the spinoff, The Next Karate Kid, and you get a feel for what it...