The Karate Kid (franchise)
The Karate Kid franchise began in 1984 with a coming-of-age martial arts film that captured the struggles of a young boy, Daniel LaRusso, as he learns karate from mentor Mr. Miyagi, portrayed by Pat Morita. The film's success led to three sequels, including The Karate Kid Part II and The Karate Kid Part III, which explored themes of mentorship, resilience, and the impact of bullying. In 2010, a remake featuring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith introduced the story to a new generation, further broadening the franchise's appeal. The franchise was revitalized in 2018 with the launch of Cobra Kai, a series that follows the adult lives of Daniel and his former rival, Johnny Lawrence, and has garnered a significant fanbase on Netflix. The combined box office earnings of the films exceed $618 million, with the franchise continuing to influence popular culture and inspire interest in martial arts. As of 2024, a new feature film is in production, promising to add to the legacy of this iconic series. Overall, The Karate Kid franchise remains a significant cultural touchstone, resonating with themes of perseverance and personal growth across generations.
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The Karate Kid (franchise)
The Karate Kid film franchise and related spinoffs began in 1984 as a coming-of-age martial arts movie. The family drama inspired three sequels due to its popularity. The streaming service Netflix revived the franchise in 2018 with the drama series Cobra Kai. More than three decades after The Karate Kid was released, it was still airing in regular rotation on cable television. Many mixed martial arts professional fighters and untold numbers of amateurs credit the film with inspiring them to study martial arts.
The original film is notable for making stars of several actors, including young Ralph Macchio. Japanese American actor Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, who was previously known as a comedic actor, received his only Academy Award nomination and first Golden Globe nomination for originating the role of martial arts instructor and mentor Mr. Miyagi.
Background
In 1964, when he was about twelve years old, Robert Mark Kamen attended the World’s Fair in New York. As he was going home, a gang of bullies accosted and beat him up. He decided to study martial arts so he would be prepared if something like that happened again. He found a US Marine captain to teach him. However, his aggressive instructor pounded a message of revenge into the youngster, which was at odds with Kamen’s interests. He looked for another way and learned about Okinawan Gōjū-ryū. This led him to Chōjun Miyagi, a sensei who had learned Okinawan Gōjū-ryū from its founder. Miyagi, who spoke very little English, taught Kamen the defensive style that uses blocks and counterstrikes to redirect aggression back to the aggressor. Kamen trained four hours a day, every day.
Two decades after he turned to martial arts, Kamen was working in the movie industry. His mentor, Columbia Pictures chairperson Frank Price, told him producer Jerry Weintraub had optioned a story about a nine-year-old who had earned his black belt, an award of proficiency in his sport. The boy had been targeted by bullies and asked his mother, a single parent, if he could study karate. There, the child found a mentor. Weintraub asked Kamen for ideas to expand the story into a film, and Kamen told him about his own childhood experience as a victim who learned martial arts. Kamen combined the tales in writing a script, which had a production budget of eight million dollars. John G. Avildsen, who won an Academy Award for directing the 1976 best-picture winner, Rocky, was hired to direct.
The Karate Kid is about a young boy, Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio, who moves with his single mother, Lucille, to Southern California. He encounters a group of bullies who beat him up. The gang studies karate at the Cobra Kai dojo. A dejected and demoralized Daniel meets an elderly repair technician, Mr. Miyagi, played by Pat Morita. The man offers to train Daniel, revealing that he is a martial arts master who practices a less aggressive form of karate. Much of the film addresses Daniel’s impatience to learn to fight the bullies while Mr. Miyagi teaches him repetitive movements; for example, “wax on, wax off,” as Daniel waxes his mentor’s car. The climax features Daniel facing off against his primary tormentor, Johnny Lawrence, at a major tournament, the All-Valley Karate Championships. The ending is known for the Cobra Kai sensei encouraging his student, portrayed by William Zabka, to be more aggressive and injuring Daniel. Daniel uses a move called the crane kick to defeat his opponent.
The Karate Kid, which grossed more than $130 million worldwide, was not the biggest hit film of 1984. Ghostbusters grossed more than $220 million. Two other films released the same year, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins, also had higher global box office takes. However, The Karate Kid was about an ordinary American teen with relatable problems. It had an enduring impact, inspiring sequels, spinoff series, video games, and merchandise, and prompted youngsters to study martial arts.
Overview
Following the success of The Karate Kid, the studio ordered the first of several sequels. Morita starred in the first four movies of the franchise, while Macchio starred in the first three. In the fourth movie, the character Mr. Miyagi trains a young female. Macchio also reprised his role of Daniel LaRusso in the 2018 spinoff series Cobra Kai. Miyagi also introduced episodes of the 1989 television series, an animated quest action series also titled The Karate Kid.
The Karate Kid Part II debuted in 1986 and went on to gross more than $115 million worldwide. The film finds Daniel and his mentor traveling to Okinawa, Japan, to visit Mr. Miyagi’s dying father. Both teacher and student must stand up to enemies.
The 1989 film The Karate Kid Part III was not as successful, grossing only $39 million. The focus of this story is on John Kreese, the sensei of Cobra Kai dojo, portrayed by Martin Kove. Kreese seeks revenge for his karate school after Daniel defeated his student in the tournament at the end of the first film. When Mr. Miyagi and Daniel return from Okinawa, they find the apartment building where they lived and where Mr. Miyagi was employed has been demolished.
The Next Karate Kid, the 1994 installment and fourth film of the franchise, departed somewhat from the earlier films and grossed much less, earning nearly $16 million. It stars Hilary Swank as angry teen Julie, who becomes Mr. Miyagi’s new student.
The most financially successful film of the franchise was released in 2010. Although not a direct sequel to the earlier films, the remake, also titled The Karate Kid, had a budget of $40 million and earned more than $55 million in its opening weekend. Worldwide, it grossed more than $359 million. It stars Jackie Chan as kung fu master Mr. Han and Jaden Smith as Dre Parker. As in the first film, the youngster is bullied. He is mentored by Mr. Han.
The combined global box office earnings of the films totaled more than $618 million as of 2024. Video and download sales added over $72 million to the value of the franchise.
Macchio, Kove, and Zabka reprised their roles in the 2018 television series Cobra Kai, which began on YouTube and moved to Netflix in 2020, becoming one of its most popular shows. Thirty years after Daniel defeated Johnny in the tournament, Daniel is a happily married man who runs a successful business. Johnny lacks purpose until he helps a boy who is being bullied. He decides to revive the Cobra Kai dojo. Daniel teaches Johnny’s estranged son karate. The first season of the series ends with a confrontation at the All-Valley Karate Tournament. By 2024, the show had completed five seasons and was in production on its sixth and final season. In September 2022, it was announced that a new full-length feature film in The Karate Kid franchise was in production. Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, and Ming-Na Wen were cast, and filming was underway in 2023 and 2024.
Bibliography
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“Box Office History for Karate Kid Movies.” The Numbers, www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Karate-Kid#tab=summary. Accessed 5 May 2021.
Cordero, Rosy. “Cobra Kai’s Martin Kove on Working with Son Jesse in Season 3, Potential Love Interest for Kreese.” Entertainment Weekly, ew.com/tv/cobra-kai-martin-kove-season-3-interview. Accessed 18 May 2024.
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Gibson, Kelsie. “Karate Kid Cast, Release Date and What We Know So Far.” People, 7 Mar. 2024, people.com/karate-kid-everything-to-know-8605778. Accessed 18 May 2024.
Hunt, Loretta. “‘There’s Chunks of Wisdom’; How The Karate Kid Launched MMA Careers.” The Guardian, 5 Jan. 2021, www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/05/karate-kid-cobra-kai-mixed-martial-arts. Accessed 18 May 2024.
Kinno, Kohjiro. “The Crane Kick Is Bogus: A Karate Kid Oral History.” Sports Illustrated, 1 May 2018, www.si.com/media/2018/05/01/karate-kid-movie-oral-history-cobra-kai. Accessed 5 May 2021.
Mancini, Vince. “Legendary ‘Karate Kid’ Screenwriter Robert Kamen on ‘The Fifth Element,’ ‘Taken,’ and ‘Creating’ Jason Statham.” Uproxx, 12 Feb. 2021, uproxx.com/movies/karate-kid-writer-robert-mark-kamen. Accessed 18 May 2024.