 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Karate Kid
- Review Date: February 13, 2006
- PG
- Genre: Drama
- 1984
Common Sense Media says
'80s classic is still fun for families with older tweens.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this classic '80s martial arts movie is still a fine pick for families with older tweens. The Karate Kid was re-made in 2010 with a younger perspective starring Jaden Smith. The PG rating of the original seems a little mild considering the number of swear words (including "s--t"), insults, and fights -- not to mention one scene of marijuana use. This is a standard new-kid-in-town flick, but it's also got soul thanks to the teacher-student relationship between wise Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and lonely teen Daniel (Ralph Macchio). Issues of class, race, (teen) romance, and even war are explored in this coming-of-age tale, where karate is a metaphor for life.
What's the story?
After moving from New Jersey to a small apartment complex in Southern California with his single mom, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) finds himself an outsider at his new suburban high school, where the cool guys drive expensive convertibles and take karate so seriously that they're more than happy to beat him silly again and again. Daniel's one pretty friend Ali (Elisabeth Shue) is unfortunately also the ex-girlfriend of Daniel's chief bully, blackbelt-champion Johnny (William Zabka). Unable to adequately defend himself, Daniel turns to his apartment's Okinawan super, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), for help. Miyagi agrees to teach Daniel karate -- but in his own, unique way. After some unorthodox training (waxing cars, sanding floors, painting fences, catching flies), Miyagi convinces Johnny's aggressive karate instructor (Martin Kove) to make his pupils back off ... until the next karate championship.
Is it any good?
If you say "wax on!" to anyone born in the late '60s or '70s, they'll immediately answer "wax off!" -- that's how big a cultural phenomenon THE KARATE KID was in the '80s. Like Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Dirty Dancing, this is just one of those special, mid-'80s classics from which fans can quote countless scenes. And despite some dated details (the big hair, the track suits, the funny-looking cars and wardrobe), the story holds up remarkably well, because Daniel is a high-school Everyman. He's not Gossip Girl rich or Zac Efron handsome or extraordinarily gifted in any way; he's just a new kid in town who's willing to train hard, actually get to know an older Japanese man most teenage guys would have made fun of, and better himself in the process. Oh, and he does a killer job at winning the girl, the championship, and the hearts of moviegoers everywhere.
The Karate Kid isn't a slick, angsty coming-of-age drama, but there's so much to just enjoy about it. Shue's Ali is sweet -- especially because she doesn't mind Daniel's working-class background -- but the teens' romance is filler for the central relationship in the movie: that of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Not many movies can make multi-generational friendships seem authentic, but Macchio and the late Morita managed to achieve a closeness that was believably touching. When Daniel tells Mr. Miyagi "You're my best friend," it's not awkward -- it's true. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi are a more relatable Luke and Obi Wan or Harry and Dumbledore, and it's that archetypal teacher-hero dynamic that ultimately makes The Karate Kid a winner.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about whether Daniel is the stereotypical "new boy in town." How does he feel about starting over in a completely new place? How does Daniel's relationship with Mr. Miyagi change both of their lives?
This is at its root, an underdog story. What other movies fit into this genre? What are some similarities between the main characters' journeys? Who helps them? Who are their rivals?
How do class and financial status affect Daniel's place in the high-school hierarchy? Ali's country-club parents treat Daniel shabbily. Why? Kids: How do you treat people from different backgrounds or those who are new in town?
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- Teens & kids
Kid, 10 years old
March 29, 2011
AGE
Language is NASTY!
The s-word is used!
What other families should know:
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Kid, 10 years old
February 13, 2011
AGE
Very funny but watch the language
I like the kid's karate teacher Mr. Miyagi like when he drinks and becomes all crazy! I heard that he died 6 years ago which is November 24th, 2005. He was really funny when he sang happy birthday which was not in the new karate kid in 2010.
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
careful for kids 10 and under
we just watched this with our 8 & 10 year olds (3rd & 4th grade) and while it is a good story, I don't think I was ready for my kids to watch it.
The main bully was rolling a joint (try explaining that to an 8 year old), and there were a lot of curse words that you expect from a HS kid, but not that you want your child to hear (ie the karate kid telling his mom that this is bull$%^&).
I would say 5th grade would be the minimum age for me.
Was this rated before their was PG13? It seemed more of a PG13 movie to me.
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Kid, 12 years old
October 26, 2010
AGE
Some several Karte beatings and some bad language. Little bit of drinking by Mr. Miyagi and the No Mercy thing.
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Teen, 15 years old
June 23, 2011
AGE
Great film
One of my favourites! My mom and I were scrolling throught Netflix and she wanted to watch this (I had a cliche, boring romcom in mind) and I reluctantly agreed, and all my thoughts changed! This is an awesome movie! So great and very entertaining! The only problem for me would be language which was kind of heavy for a movie starring teenagers.
What other families should know:
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AGE
WHAT
no, they didn't say "sh*t". maybe should be seeing NEW AND OLD ones
[Take Away 1] NOT FOR KIDS take away 1 and under
[0] IFFY for 0+
[8] OK for Kids 8+
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AGE
WHAT
no, they didn't say "sh*t". maybe should be seeing NEW AND OLD ones
[Take Away 1] NOT FOR KIDS take away 1 and under
[0] IFFY for 0+
[8] OK for Kids 8+
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Kid, 11 years old
May 23, 2010
AGE
Daniel (main character) gets bullied by 5 guys ,(who know karate). So , to stop them bullying him and making his life a hell , he enters a "karate tournament" , and he wins , then its the end . But most of the movie , is what he's doing (training , going out , getting ready etc.) There isn't really bad language , but i cant say that , because there is just 2 s-words . And more insults that would get you introuble if you said them , (so that why) . And of course its violent , but in a "karate fashin" , but not including when he wets one of the bullys , then they chase him and kick him a couple of times till he goes unconsious .
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Teen, 13 years old
March 22, 2011
AGE
Classic movie, Watch it
There is frequent violence and some language but this is a great movie to watch with family. There are black eyes and some blood and a broken leg. This movie is all about standing up for yourself and there is a scene where even though Daniel is injured, he still gets back up to win the sparring the competition.
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Parent
August 5, 2010
AGE
Wax On...If You're Not Too Young
The original Karate Kid is still a classic after all these years. I can't honestly tell you how many times my friends and I did the whole "wax on/wax off" thing or even the move Daniel (Ralph Macchio) does at the end of the movie. Having said that, movies made in the 1980s were held to a different standard than that of today. First and foremost, the PG-13 rating did not exist when this movie came out and even if it had, I'm not sure that this movie would have received it based on the criteria of the day.
First the bad--Daniel wants to learn karate to get revenge and to hurt the guys who beat him up and stole his pride. The Cobra Karate Dojo makes viewers aware that "strike first, strike hard, no mercy sir!" and "fear does not exist" are rules to live by. The instructor is a hard-core ex-Vietnam vet, who clearly never left the jungles of the war (it doesn't exactly paint Vietnam vets in a positive light). The Cobras are bullies who are cruel, smoke dope, and rule the school. The language of both them and the rest of the teens in the movie save Alli (Elisabeth Shue) is terrible. I'd honestly forgotten how much bad language is in the movie. Some parents will not want their young children to experience the violence of karate as well. There's a scene in which Mr. Miagi is drunk and singing in Japanese in remembrance of his late wife, who died in Okinawa during World War 2. Parents might want to explain to their children that drunkenness does not solve problems, but rather mostly makes them worse.
The movie, however, is also full of positive images as it's a true underdog story. Some kids will be able to relate being the new kid in town from far away, having a mom that's single, and being bullied at school. The movie teaches about ultimately being accepted by others, dealing with being an only child of a single mother, fighting is not the answer, and people from different levels of the caste system can still love each other despite one being poor and one being rich. Mr. Miagi (Pat Morita) teaches Daniel that fighting is not the answer but that karate is rather used for self-defense. In the end, kids learn that hard work pays off, underdogs can win, and that bullying/hurting people is never a good thing.
What other families should know:
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| Topics: | sports and martial arts, friendship, misfits and underdogs |
| Studio: | Sony Pictures |
| Director: | John G. Avildsen |
| Cast: | Elisabeth Shue, Pat Morita, Ralph Macchio |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 127 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 22, 1984 |
| DVD release date: | June 7, 2005 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | thematic intensity and mild violence |
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