Customer Reviews

The Karate Kid Collection (Four Film Set)

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Part I (5 stars): Funny, I'm just not a big "karate buff", in fact, this probably is the only set of movies like this I own, or may ever own. When I tell people this is one of my favorite movies *ever*, they laugh. Then they say, "Are you serious?" And my words to explain why always fall short. Beyond the karate, beyond the underdog nature, there lie two characters that seem to compliment each other so perfectly it really makes the movie what it is regardless of the subject matter. Something about the chemistry between Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio simply defies convention and thrives on it. The casting by all involved was surely just one part luck, one part fortune, the DVD extras merely icing. My only complaint is this not being mastered to 5.1 DD sound.

*edit* I watched the commentary last night and I must say I was disappointed. Pat Morita's input was intrusive, and many comments made by the group were simply uncalled for. When Elizabeth Shue would walk away from the camera they would comment about her rear end and totally ruined a part of my respect for them. They went on to ridicule an "extra" who became a greeter of some sort. They laughed and carried on through the whole thing. At the beginning I thought, well they are a lively group, but after 45 minutes it wore thin and I wished then I would have turned it off. There were a few bits here and there I learned, but what I really learned is why companies have the disclaimer at the beginning of the movies.

Part II (4 stars): I'm kind of ashamed of avoiding this movie now. As much as I loved the first I never bothered with the second. I've just never been fond of sequels. Be it Back to the Future Two, the Lost World, or the hundred other sub par sequels, they just seem to mar the original product. However, here at Amazon I read that this story picks up 5 minutes after the first and that peaked my interest. Previously, I just assumed it would be directionless swill. So wrong. The score, the heart, the soul, and even the casting practically live up to the first, and I'm shocked at that. In fact Daniels love interest in this even out does the first!! Having the impact on me this film had 19 years after it was made is quite remarkable. It's not without it's flaws though, the last 15-20 minutes really just seemed to lose steam, the "storm" sequence being almost painful. Sad that there are no extra's to speak of, this movie may have been even more interesting to hear about.

Part III (3 stars): Definitely the weakest of the three, still a must see for the simple fact that Pat and Ralph still have that spark. Sadly, the casting choices for the villains are overwrought and the story just seems forced. I suppose the concept was losing its impact but regardless, the script just wasn't well thought out. Again, this picks up right after Part II and there is just something about this continuity that makes me think John Avildsen has courage and vision. The weakest part of the script easily being the "sign the paper" portions that defied common sense, still like Part II I'm simply shocked these movies are not disastrous "1 out of 5's" (as some here at Amazon alluded to) although having the original director onboard surely meant these movies had the stability they needed... and deserved. Having viewed Parts II and III has forever altered the way I will view Part I, and I'm relieved to report it's all for the better. They only enhanced what I knew and make me appreciate it that much more. Why not have commentary on all three movies?

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The Next Karate Kid (2 stars): I'm trying to view this as a sort of "bonus movie" within the packaged set. While 2 stars may seem low I think this movie does contain some decent performances by Hillary and Pat. The problem again is the script, hell, even the premise. So, a middle aged woman lets a friend of her fathers move in with her teenage daughter while she goes and stays at his home California? Please. A big problem are the overzealous sadistic "TV Movie" quality of just about everyone except the two leads. Even the love interest in this is so utterly flat it is totally deflated. Most of what should have had an impact (like the Hawk) didn't and a certain parts (like "Zen" bowling) seemed like embarrassing filler.

While some critics dismiss "The Karate Kid" as a 1980s teen movie, I place it in the same category as such classics as "Star Wars", "Rocky" and "Jaws." It is a beautifully-written, -acted and -directed film that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you cheer. Pat Morita's Mr Miyagi (for which he received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor) is one the archetypal characters in American film. His relationship with Ralph Maccio's Daniel LaRusso is as genuine and touching as any you will find in film. I remember seeing it in the theater when I was very young and the audience exploding into applause at the final "crane kick" scene. That does not happen very often.

The DVD of the entire series is now available (Part 2 is decent but Parts 3 and 4 are not). The best DVD feature is the making-of documentary. It's been 21-years since this film was in theaters and all the major contributors are still alive and in good spirits for the documentary. Everyone involved in the project sees this movie as the pinnacle of their careers (and I agree with them).

This is one of my favorite films. I give it my highest recommendation.

The Karate Kid series is to me alot like Rocky. Funny because the director is the same guy who directed Rocky. This is the classic story of an fatherless teen (Daniel Larusso) who struggles to fit into his new plush California surroundings. Along the way he makes enemies of the local karate punks (Cobra Kais) and becomes subject to their bullying. He later meets up with a maintenance man (Mr. Miyagi) who is a karate master from Okinawa. Miyagi becomes a friend and Karate instructor to the boy and the two form a lasting friendship. Daniel also hooks up with the local rich girl. This movie has it all and the ending will get your blood pumping. A true classic, the type of film that makes you cheer for the underdog.

Here I sit anxiously awaiting my boxed set, just busting at the seams at the opportunity to see KKI in widescreen. I am a huge KK fan ... I have the first one on Beta, VHS, and DVD. I also have the soundtrack on cassette and CD. I have the paperback book versions, some of the action figures, and the script. I love this film; I know this film. I just popped the DVD in and to my dismay I see that even though the box says remastered for HD, absolutely nothing was done to clean the film up. It has the same dust specks in it that the original DVD had in it. What's worse, this isn't even widescreen!!!!! The lowlifes simply cut off the top and bottom of the original and called it widescreen. I compared it to my original full screen and you are missing parts of the picture. I am very very disappointed and will be seeking to get my money back due to their false advertising.

There are only a handful of movies that I associate with my youth while growing up in the 80's. "The Karate Kid" was definately one of them. By taking a seemingly cliched premise about the student being taught by the master to avenge his honor, the filmmakers were able to inject a lot of warmth, humor and heart into the movie to make it an entirely unforgettable film. Unfortunately, the sequels (as they rarely do) never lived up to the original with the fourth one (starring a young Hilary Swank) being a parody of itself. But rather than bore you with inane details as to what I loved and hated about each film, I will describe the special features, which is the only reason to put up with the last two sequels. A treat for "The Karate Kid" fans is a forty-five minute documentary on the filmmaking process from its origins to the final cut. It was great seeing Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Martin Kove (Kreese) and William Zabka (Johnny) as they are today, describing their experiences while making the film. Hearing Kove admit that his initial dislike for the director helped him to channel his character's anger was great. The "East Meets West: A Composer's Notebook" and "Life of Bonsai" featurette were basically fillers and only added trivial information about the film. However, I was a little disappointed that the same amount of features weren't found on "The Karate Kid, Part II," nor the other sequels, as bad as they were. But it's the first film that I hold close to my heart and with the great features and affordable price, the collection is well worth the price.

"Wax On. Wax Off." is probably one of the biggest catch phrases in American pop culture and we get to relive that and other fun moments in this box set. I love the Karate Kid, even though I am definitely more partial to first and second one and I wasn't overly thrilled with The Next Karate Kid. These movies are like Rocky for teenagers but thankfully there's only 4 of them!
This belongs with the many other great teenage movies of the 80s and is highly recommended!

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE KARATE KID COLLECTION AND I HAVE TO SAY IT'S VERY GOOD, THE FIRST KARATE KID GOT THE GOOD TREATMENT IS IN WIDESCREEN, IT HAS THE INTERVIEWS OF ALL THE CAST IN THE MOVIE (EXCEPT ELIZABETH SHUE), THE FIRST KARATE KID I GIVE IT 5 STARS, THEN COMES KARATE KID II IT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING NEW BUT THE MOVIE IS PRETTY MUCH GOOD, IT STILL HAS A PLOT AT LEAST, I
GIVE IT 4.5 STARS, THEN COMES KARATE KID III THERE ARE NO WORDS FOR THIS ONE, THIS IS THE WORST OF ALL TIME, THE PLOT IS VERY VERY PATHETIC, IT IS JUST A REHASH OF THE FIRST ONE, AND PLUS RALPH MACCHIO GOT VERY OLD AND FAT IN THIS ONE I GIVE IT 2 STARS, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST COMES THE NEXT KARATE KID ONE WORD "BORING!" I GIVE IT 1.5 STARS.

KARATE KID 5/5
KARATE KID II 4.5/5
KARATE KID III 2/5
THE NEXT KARATE KID 1.5/5

STICK WITH THE FIRST KARATE KID AND KARATE KID II

As parents of young children, the TV does not always offer a good selection of movies that we can watch together. This DVD set gives us 4 family movies. We do prefer the original Karate Kid and the sequel, but they are movies that we can all agree on, young and old.

Finally, all the movies together in a single package. I have been enthralled with the Karate Kid since seeing the first one back in 1984. I think I am in a rare minority here in that I actually like all four of the movies, one and two still having a higher preference though. The biggest reason I like all four is without a doubt because of the depth of character of Mr. Miyagi. I remember my first Sensei talked almost the same way, which was a big deal to me when I first saw Karate Kid since he did this before the popularity of the movie. This for some reason had a profound and lasting effect. I read somewhere the Pat Morita built most of the Miyagi character on the fly and I think he did an awesome job of this throughout all the movies. The continuing philosophy and mentality throughout all four movies alone was well worth the price. Of course my wife and kids are getting insanely tired of me quoting Mr. M. "BONZAIIII!!!!!"

I hate double sided discs! The 3rd and 4th films should be on their own with separate packaging. At least the movies are in widescreen.