Reminiscing: The Karate Kid

I was nine years old when I first saw this movie starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. I remember the hype this movie had during those years. I mean you can’t watch television for an hour without seeing the same trailer being shown during the commercial breaks.

So with all that hype, there’s no way me and my brothers are going to miss this movie. My elder brother Dino,says that it was a comedy because Pat Morita was one of the stars. I looked at him like he was an idiot because the trailers shows him as a Japanese-American who speaks English with a weird accent. How was I supposed to know that he was included in the early seasons of “Happy Days”. Anyway so we begged our mom to take us and of course as all mothers are they just can’t say no to their kids sometimes so she trooped us to the nearby theater (there were no malls in the Philippines then) a few days it was released.

It was a great movie! Well that’s what I think then and I still think it’s a great movie now. It shows the how a very bullied boy trained and fought back fair and square to the guys who torment him everyday during in and out of school. I hated Kreese (Martin Kove), “Johnny” ( William Zabka) and the rest of the Cobras. Elizabeth Shue was the lead girl here and she already looked great back then. I distinctly remember wearing a headband the size of a small towel on my head and trying desperately to imitate the moves that “Miyagi” has taught “Daniel” (“Wax on…wax off”) and of course the Crane Kick! Almost all the kids in my class would try to do that kick every time there was free time during school. Looking back I feel like a stupid idiot.

Two years later the sequel was shown. This time it’s a fight for life and honor. Forget about the tournament! Daniel and Miyagi went to Japan to visit Miyagi’s father who was in his death bed. The movie shows how Miyagi went abroad to keep himself from fighting his best friend Sato who was portrayed by Danny Kamekona and his nephew Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) is not helping things work out either. Daniel learned another form of Karate here or finishing move is I think is most appropriate because he only used it in the end of the main fight scene. The Drum technique. Sale of toys that look like Pellet Drums became the craze of every kid back then.

The Third installment of the film. Shown in 1989. Close the story of Daniel Laruso. Here he is being tormented by Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) who was secretly being sponsored by Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) and John Kreese (Martin Kove). The story is actually the weakest of the franchise that featured Ralph Macchio and of course obviously he’s aged a bit (28 years old) and hello…. fatter? The movie’s setting also ruined it because it was set 6 months after KK2 and even make-up can’t hide it. Then there was Robyn Lively’s character “Jessica Andrews”. The character never developed into anything and she was gone before the tournament was shown. The tournament a yes the real bummer. Many wondered why the Daniel Larusso character, who fought for respect and then his own life in the two previous films, somehow became even wimpier and more obnoxious than before Miyagi took him under his wing. Also in the second film, he ends up fighting for his life and in this film, he is back to fighting for something less than his very life, violating a dependable narrative strategy. This is where many believed that the franchised “Jump the shark”. The Franchise was forgotten soon after.

Then in 1994. A new Karate kid film was released. This time it was Hilary Swank who became Miyagi’s student Julie Pierce, a kid who was deeply bothered by the death of her parents in a car crash that she’s having a hard time with her friends, and her grandmother. Miyagi appoints himself as Julie’s guardian. Miyagi takes Julie to a Buddhist Monastery to quiet her spirit and teaches her Karate. The movie also has it’s own villains like Col. Dugan (Michael Ironside) the leader of the “Alpha Elite” a quasi-security enforcement group in school. But the same formula was almost used. This time Julie was challenged to a fight by Ned (Michael Cavalieri) the most aggressive person in Alpha Elite who always failed in his attmpt to flirt with Julie. As usual the good guys win!

The Karate Kid was a great movie during the 80’s too bad the producers failed in giving a fresh story for the third installment, and much worst failed again in the fourth and last sequel. Still “Karate Kid” brings back memories of my childhood, where life was easier, no bills to pay, no worry in the world because as kids we were only supposed to enjoy life. And The Karate Kid is one of those movies that gave you enjoyment when you were a kid. 

“The Clown Prince of Crime”

Next week the new Batman epic ” The Dark Knight” will be shown to movie theaters around the world! This will be the second movie since the franchise reboot 3 years ago. It still featured Christian Bale as Millionaire Bruce Wayne and Gary Oldman as Lieutenant James Gordon the future commissioner. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine is back as well as Lucius Fox and Wayne’s butler Alfred respectively. Katie Holmes who played Rachel Dawes in “Batman Begins” was unable to return and is replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

But for me, the most anticipated character in this movie will not be Batman, but his archenemy “The Joker”! Played by the late Heath Ledger of the “Brokeback Mountain” Fame. The first time I saw this new version of the Joker I caught myself saying “Cool”! Instead of the recognizable Rictus (or permanent grin) that the Joker has on his face. The producers replaced it by a “Glasgow Smile” by the looks of it. I won’t explain what a “Glassgow smile” is, too gruesome. But any way, I think this will be the best Joker portrayal yet second only to Jack Nicholson’s Joker in the first Batman movie. The producers says that this new version of “The Clown Prince of Crime’s” portrayal was inspired by the character’s first two appearances in the comics, as well as The Killing Joke.

Cesar Romero in 1960

There are many incarnation of the Joker, the least murderous of all is Cesar Romero’s version during the Campy Batman series during the 1960’s.

Jack Nicholson, 1989

Then in 1989 Jack Nicholson the internationally renowned actor for his often dark-themed portrayals of neurotic characters, gave life to the Joker on film versus Michael Keaton’s Batman. Nicholson’s portrayal was great and effective. Although the character’s origin was changed it was closer the comics when it comes to appearance and use of the Joker’s signature poison “Smilex”.

Heath Ledger, 2008

This time Ledger’s version was describe by Christian Bale as “It’s a much more anarchic, punk rock, almost junkie version of it… He’s that kind of psycho kid that just will do anything and has absolutely no conscience and morals” Wow! This version I think will be one sick puppy. I just hope they don’t kill him off.

The Dark Knight is scheduled to be released on July 18, 2008. But the Philippines release date is on the 17th! Yehey!!!!!

See you at the movies!