User:Stephenfisher2001/sandbox/TKK

NOTE: This is a revamp.

The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts drama film produced by Jerry Weintraub, directed by John G. Avildsen, written by Robert Mark Kamen, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue. It is an underdog story in the mold of a previous success with Rocky (1976), which Avildsen also directed. The film would receive three sequels: 1986's The Karate Kid Part II, 1989's The Karate Kid Part III, and 1994's The Next Karate Kid, an animated TV series in 1989, a remake in 2010, and a live-action TV series in 2018 entitled Cobra Kai.

Summary
A martial arts master, Mr. Miyagi, agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager, Daniel LaRusso.

Critical response
The film received an approval rating of 89% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 44 reviews, its consensus reads: "Utterly predictable and wholly of its time, but warm, sincere, and difficult to resist, due in large part to Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio's relaxed chemistry."

On its release, Roger Ebert called the film one of the year's best, gave it four stars out of four, and described it as an "exciting, sweet-tempered, heart-warming story with one of the most interesting friendships in a long time." Janet Maslin of The New York Times also gave a positive review.

Upon release of the 2010 remake, Dana Stevens wrote, "The 1984 original... may have seemed like a standard-issue inspirational sports picture at the time, but (as with another box-office hit of the same year, The Terminator) a generation of remove reveals what a well-crafted movie it actually was. Rewatched today, the original Kid, directed by Rocky's John G. Avildsen, feels smart and fresh, with a wealth of small character details and a leisurely middle section that explores the boy's developing respect for his teacher."