Karate Kid Review
The initial film of the enormously successful Karate_Kid series, although essentially the familiar tale of an underdog striving for victory, has an innate appeal often lacking in the genre -- an entirely believable rapport between its two stars. The script centers on the travails of a teenage boy, played by Ralph_Macchio, who learns to defend himself against the bullying of some uncomfortably Aryan-looking types from an elderly Asian gardener (Pat_Morita) who happens to be a master of the martial arts. The film goes beyond the typical plot machinery, as the old man teaches the boy about more than just karate, and a relationship develops between the two. Macchio and Pat_Morita are close to perfection in their roles, and Martin_Kove is good as the guy you love to hate. Macchio went on to star in a couple of sequels to the hit film, and it seems possible that his strong identification with the role might have hampered the development of his career. Michael Costello, Rovi
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