The Karate Kid

Watching a movie can be about a whole lot more than witnessing actors on a screen act out a story. It's about balance; balancing your own life with the life the movie represents. When I was a teenager, Karate Kid was one of my favorite movies, who could resist Ralph Macchio's "baby browns" -- even when they were all bruised up by the Cobra Kai Karate Gang.

But seeing it now, knowing I would review it brought different things to mind, and made me long for the days when everyone's pants went all the way up to their waist.

The story of the Karate Kid has been done over and over. Kid gets dragged across the country to a new town against his will, instantly attracts the ex-girlfriend of the mean jealous jock that outweighs him by 50 pounds of muscle, trains for a few weeks with a senior citizen and goes on to beat mean jealous jock in a Karate tournament. Happens every day. It's a regular David & Goliath story -- and as a bonus he gets the girl and the respect of mean jealous jock guy.

The reality is that nine times out of ten we don't see this kind of "justice" outside the delusion of Hollywood or something like it, but for a short time, if we let ourselves get absorbed we can relate it to one of the many David situations in our own lives, and think maybe, just maybe, we can poise our slingshot to hit the giant. And if you happen to be a teenage girl-- or can imagine the Ralph Macchio of today, you can dream of those "baby browns" at the same time.

But plot and theme alone do not make a movie. Chemistry between the actors is important as well. Pat Morita was wonderful as Mr. Miagi and really showed a great range to his character. There was a definite feeling that he had quite a history. He could've easily been just a stereotype. Old Japanese Karate Master. But he wasn't from Japan -- he was from Okinawa, and island between Japan and China presented at a time when there had been some competitive tension between the two countries. The emphasis in his training was always balance -- something that is good for any of us to remember no matter who we are. The storyline reveals his own personal tragedy that makes us think of our own history-- for just a minute. There is an affection and trust that develops between Daniel-san and Mr. Miagi that goes both ways.

But still, I am bothered more by the holes. The farfetchedness of the plot situation, and the fact that Daniel's mother seems to drop out of the film like an afterthought relatively early in the movie, even though she was presented early on as being overprotective and on his case early on. What's with the 180?

Yet the idea of balance, disciple, and hard work as the path to success remains timeless. Perhaps that's why two sequels were made to the original Karate Kid, and why Will Smith is reportedly beginning production on a remake-- starring his son Jaden ,