The Karate Kid I & II (Collector's Edition) (1984)

Few films defined the 80's more than The Karate Kid. Like Star Wars before it, and very few after it, the film transcended beyond a mere teen flick and became part of popular culture. The crane, "wax on, wax off", and the seemingly millions of blue and white bandanas that appeared overnight simply became part of our lives. While the second film never captured the charm of the original, it was (as intended) wildly successful and gave us a more in-depth look at the character that lifted the first film to classic status: Mr. Myagi.

Like all the classic "sports" films out there, The Karate Kid is not about Karate. There is an underdog story at its core(something the director John G.Avildsen knows a thing or two about, having directed the original Rocky). The film works because the hero, Daniel is not the "wimp" we are so used to seeing in these films that suddenly become supermen. He is kind of cocky and has an attitude. His reaction to the new world he encounters in California gets him branded as a troublemaker. In fact, the transformation he endures at the hands of his friend and teacher Mr. Myagi is not about becoming a martial arts phenom but rather about maturing as a human being and dealing with his problems.

And speaking of his teacher, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita simply hijacks this film and refused to give it back. Morita did not earn an Oscar nomination for this role as some sort of token. Mr. Myagi is one of the most complete, flesh and blood characters in the history of cinema. With absolutely no offense to Ralph Macchio, who plays Daniel as if The Karate Kid was his own life story, Morita is the heart and soul of this film. Every scene he is in is memorable. From Daniel's first encounter with the weird handyman trying to catch flies with chopsticks, to the now iconic image of the Myagi smiling at his student with obvious pride at the end of the film. (An image they tried to recreate in the later films with diminishing effect) How big was Morita's role in the film. Take this into account: For the next film (Part II) the writers decided to focus on him instead of Daniel. In the sequel we travel to his home in Okinawa and Daniel's story revolves around Myagi's story arc.

And now these two films arrive on Blu, ready to be enjoyed by a new generation and bring warm, fuzzy memories to the previous one (myself included) Despite some flaws, these films deliver in HD.

The main problem with these HD transfers is consistency. There are moments in the film where the picture quality is downright glorious. Then there are others were I was screaming for the VHS version(almost!). What happened? It could be number of factors but it comes down to this: The scenes filmed at night look awful while the daytime scenes shine. The beach scene where Daniel sees Myagi doing the crane for the first time for example looks pristine and full of color and detail. The scene where Daniel shares an intimate moment with a drunk Myagi has so much grain it looks dirty. I'm for grain by the way, so long as it was the director's intent (Saving Private Ryan comes to mind) but here it's just noise. My main issue with this night/day thing is that most of the film's classic scenes take place at night or in the dark. The scene were Myagi taches Daniel how to trim a bonzai. The one were Myagi saves him from 5 Cobra Kai nearly killing him, the emotional center of the film where Daniel gets fed up with Myagi's "training" and nearly quits, the infamous kiss at Golf n, Stuff... All take place at night. All have picture quality issues. All this makes me think they simply couldv'e done better on this release but then I see the day scenes and think:they really did their job here. Scenes like the one on the lake where Myagi throws Daniel off the boat is a perfect example. It looks awsome. So does the one where Myagi teaches Daniel to punch among others. Looking at the film as a whole it may be a case of them not being able to fix it. At least, I hope that's it cause I would hate to double dip on another "improved" edition of the films.

However, in the end I must stress (as I often do in these reviews) that these flaws beccome evident when you are watching the film looking for them(to prepare for this review for example). The fact is these two films have never looked better. In fact, having seen these films at theaters in the 80's I can safely say they look better than they did back then. You will enjoy them all over again and will enjoy showing them to your kids. I highly recommend this one.

PS

The special features are awsome in that the first film has an amazing retrospecctive documentary on the making of the film that is worth the pricce alone. Great interviews with the director and main cast members.

No need for me to say much about these 2 movies, as everything has already been said by the millions of people that have seen the movies...

They are both Iconic movies of the 80's decade!

With the above being said, the blu ray editions of these movies are simply AWESOME...

Very crisp, clear, beautiful picture...

Sound is great & the special features are nice too...

Get this set, you will enjoy for years to come!

Thanks...

Buy The Karate Kid I & II (Collector's Edition) (1984) Now

I knew as soon as Karate Kid 1 & 2 was announced for Blu-ray! They would be mine.

My wife and I watched them back to back on a relaxing Sunday evening and they really impressed me how well they hold up as popcorn entertainment.

I should point out that the scores are given based on BOTH films. In my opinion Karate Kid is a 4.5-5star movie and the video/audio package are better in this blu-ray collection.

The movies themselves...

Karate Kid is the 'Rocky story' told from the teenage perspective. The story was original at it's time but showing it to your teenage son would seem old hat and done before. That being said Karate Kid really pushes the envelope with a great cast, situations and soundtrack. It is these three variables that make this an enjoyable movie now 26 years later.

Mr. Miyagi steals the show in every scene from humour, sadness and confident teacher. You understand everything clearly and there are so many wonderful lines describing the way people should be it really makes someone think how bad society has gone over the years.

The second film continues right where the first ends and right away answers the question of how the 'evil' sensei handles the loss. I didn't remember as a child not having that conclusion after watching part 1. What I do remember however is how it turned out in an iconic and comical conclusion.

The scenery in part 2 should be more memorable and the little village Miyagi is from should have impressed more but I thought the camera views in part 2 just didn't capture what it really should have. I also feel due to the clothing and atmosphere part 2 doesn't hold up as well as part 1 and it really does feel '80's'.

The other thing that bugged me in party two that I never remembered is the conclusion. I am not going to spoil it for you but it all felt rushed and a few questions unanswered that really make it for a frustrating finish. All-in-all it was still an enjoyable movie but as my wife said 'The first one was a lot better'(it was her first time watching either movie).

Karate Kid 5/5

Karate Kid II 3/5

Picture Quality -

The first movie shines in a very nice rendition of the movie I remember. Facial detail, blacks and color are represented very well for such a catalog release. There isn't the 'pop' you would see in a newer movie however there wasn't that pop when it was watched in theaters either. I don't see this movie looking much better than it does. One key scene when the KK is training by himself with the ocean and sunrise really make for impressive visuals. I also found it really interesting to see a young Elisabeth Shue in such clarity. She really looks great in her breakout role(I am sure better in Adventures in Babysitting though).

The second movie wasn't as stellar. I am not sure if i had expected more due to the locale or if I was just used to how it was all looking from watching the first. I mean the detail is still there as I could see dirt detail on the ground and facial blemishes quite clearly but it just didn't have that 'pop' I was hoping for. I know I just mentioned not expecting a pop but with the locale, the higher budget and focus on surroundings really should have faired slightly better.

Karate Kid 4/5

Karate Kid II 3.5/5

Audio Quality -

There isn't much to say about audio as really these aren't movies that would blow you away in the soundscape. The dialogue is crisp and clear in both films. I will say however that Karate Kid soundtrack is FAR superiour to the 2nd part. Cruel Summer, You're the best and others are so clear and resonate as they should in the key scenes. I didn't get that moment of satisfaction in KK2.

Karate Kid 4/5

Karate Kid 2 3/5

Extras -

I only took a brief look in this area and I must say I am excited to take the time and go through it all. I think the package comes with enough to satisfy fans of the film.

Overall -

I can't deny that Karate Kid is much better than the 2nd although overall they are both enjoyable.

Karate Kid 4.5/5

Karate Kid 2 3.5/5

Read Best Reviews of The Karate Kid I & II (Collector's Edition) (1984) Here

I know what you're thinking. How can an 80's movie look great just because it's on Blu Ray? It wasn't shot using digital photography techniques, so it can only be cleaned up so much right? Wrong. I have NEVER seen an 80's movie look as good as this set does. The images are so crystal clear they look like they were shot with a handicam. The audio is superb and has had the levels balanced much better than the dvd release in which the music tracks were overpowering the dialogue most of the time.

If you are a fan of the series or of 80's movies in general, this is a must have. You'll feel like you are seeing these movies for the first time because even if you saw them in the theater during their original release, you've NEVER seen them like this I guarantee it!

Want The Karate Kid I & II (Collector's Edition) (1984) Discount?

These are the best of the trilogy, IMHO. The picture is sharp and the sound is 5.1 DTS! It is better than the regular DVD which is only 2.0 stereo. The story line is wonderful and the acting is great. I highly recommend this duo. I purchased this combo at Target for $19.99 on 6 September 2010.

Save 28% Off