New Jersey teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) isn’t happy to be moving cross-country to the San Fernando Valley with his mother (Randee Heller), but at first thinks don’t look like they’re going to turn out to be that bad. He immediately makes friends at his apartment complex, and gets invited to a beach party. There, he catches the eye of beautiful blonde Ali (Elisabeth Shue), and the two start to hit it off. But things start to change when her ex-boyfriend Johnny (William Zabka) arrives and sees Daniel with his ex. Johnny and his friends are part of Cobra Kai, an elite karate dojo led by a former POW Kreese (Martin Kove), who teaches an aggressive offensive style of fighting, with a mantra of “Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy.” And the Cobra Kais plan to do just that, showing Daniel no mercy. They constantly harass and bully Daniel whenever they get a chance, and especially when they see him with Ali.
Daniel grows tired of the beatings and tells his mother he wants to go back home to New Jersey. The handyman at the apartment complex—a wise old man from Okinawa named Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita)—overhears this, and decides to take Daniel under his wing, and teach him how to fight, defensively. Miyagi gets Kreese to agree to a truce, having his Cobra Kais leave Daniel alone while he trains him for the All-Valley Under-18 Karate Championship, where the teens will face off. Daniel is eager to learn karate, but it seems like Mr. Miyagi is just having him do chores, such as washing/waxing his cars, sanding the deck, and painting the fence. However, Daniel will soon discover that there is a method to Mr. Miyagi’s madness, as he teaches him the skills he will need to put these bullies in their place.
It’s hard to believe that The Karate Kid is 40 years old! As a kid, I was more invested in rooting for Daniel to get his revenge on those Cobra Kai bullies, and primarily remember the training montages, and the events of the film’s big final karate face-off, but these are just a small part of this film. The film still holds up incredibly well decades later. The characters and relationships are really well fleshed out, and there is this deep father/son bond that forms between Daniel and Miyagi. It’s also been interesting seeing this again for the first time since I started watching the (excellent) follow-up series Cobra Kai. You start to see this film from another point of view, where maybe Daniel isn’t 100 percent the innocent god guy, and Johnny isn’t completely the villain. (Though, Kreese, he’s still all evil!) It’s been really fun to revisit the film in this new light.
I find it hard to believe that there’s anyone out there who has yet to see this film, but if you haven’t, you’re in for a real treat. There are many classic lines and sequences that really stand the test of time. There is this nice blend of teen/character drama, love story, father/son bonding and karate action, while also exploring themes of class and trauma. It can be surprisingly deep for a film about a kid learning karate. And the performances are great.
The 40th Anniversary 4K release is the third time Sony has released The Karate Kid on 4K disc. First in 2019 as a standalone release, and the second time as part of the The Karate Kid Collection in 2021, where it was upgraded to offer Dolby Vision color grading. This latest release improves even further upon the previous disc that was part of the trilogy collection, making it the best…around. This new standalone release includes collectible VHS-Style packaging, along with some new special features. The visual presentation is great, with excellent clarity and detail throughout, along with a natural looking level of film grain. The colors look rich and natural, and the Dolby Vision color grading really shines, such as in a scene where we see the orange glow of the sunset. The audio track is also really well done, providing clear dialogue throughout, as well as a very immersive experience—whether it’s the revving of the Cobra Kai’s motorcycles, the atmosphere at the Halloween party, or the thrill of the final tournament. The viewer always feels like they are in the middle of the karate action. The track also showcases the film’s excellent score by Bill Conti, and delightful and uplifting soundtrack.
This 40th Anniversary 4K release resides in a standard 4K keepcase, with a cardboard slipcover designed to look like the original VHS packaging. The 4K and Blu-ray discs are placed on the either side of the case, while an insert provides instructions for redeeming a 4K Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film. This latest release also includes some brand new bonus features, including over 30 minutes of raw dailies footage of scenes that didn’t make it into the movie, and an all new commentary track from the creators of the Cobra Kai follow-up series. The 4K disc also includes the deleted scenes, retrospective featurette, and trailer from the previous box set 4K release. The included Blu-ray disc is identical to the 2010 release, and contains a pop-up trivia track, an audio commentary track, and over an hour of behind-the-scenes/documentary featurettes.
What’s Included:
Film: (2:06:55)
- 2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Dolby Vision / HDR10
- Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
- 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Spanish (Commentary), Portuguese, Portuguese (Commentary)
- 4K Digital Copy, redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu
- Commentary with the Creators of Cobra Kai Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg (2:06:55)
New to this 40th anniversary release, Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg provide an entertaining commentary track throughout the film. They talk about being inspired to create the series while listening to an interview with William Zabka on the 20th anniversary DVD. The guys also discuss the film’s score and music, characters, filming locations, actors, and more. They often point out the references or moments they’ve revisited in the series, and enjoy poking fun various things in the film, such as Daniel’s awful camo pants outfit. - Deleted Scene Dailies (30:28)
New to this 40th anniversary release is raw footage/alternate takes from several unused scenes. Play All, or select from:- Conversation with Mom (8:49)
Lucille tells Daniel the story of how she got her new job as a Hostess. - Karate Waiver (6:59)
Daniel tries to get a sleepy Lucille to sign a tournament waiver. - A Temporary Truce (7:03)
Mr. Miyagi asks Kreese for a temporary truce so Daniel can train for the Karate Championship. - Mom Is Impressed (5:05)
After one of Daniel’s early matches at the Karate Championship, Lucille commends Mr. Miyagi for being a good teacher. - Kreese Reaction (2:54)
Kreese reacts to the applause for Daniel’s win.
- Conversation with Mom (8:49)
- Deleted Scenes (3:17)
Collection of 4 deleted scenes. Play All, or select from:- Accidents Happen (1:09)
Johnny gives Daniel the release to sign for the contest. - Watch Where You Sit (:52)
Johnny puts pie on Daniel’s seat in the cafeteria. - Disqualified (1:02)
After an injured Daniel is carried off, his opponent angrily throws his belt down at Kreese. - Fight (:29)
An injured Daniel fights another Cobra Kai.
- Accidents Happen (1:09)
- Remembering The Karate Kid Featurette (10:22)
From the set of Cobra Kai, the actors discuss their characters, and talk about what it was like working on this film. Includes archival behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with Ralph Macchio (“Daniel”), William Zabka (“Johnny”) & Martin Kove (“Kreese”). Originally created for the 2019 4K release. - Theatrical Trailer (2:18)
- Blu-Pop™ (2:06:54)
When enabled, during playback of the film, trivia facts and interview clips with stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka pop up on the screen. - Director, Writer and Cast Commentary (2:06:54)
Originally recorded for the 2005 DVD release, director John G. Avildsen, writer Robert Mark Kamen, and actors Ralph Macchio & Pat Morita provide an entertaining commentary throughout the film, sharing lots of fun and interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the production. - The Way of The Karate Kid
Originally created for the 2005 DVD release, this two-part featurette delves into the making of the film with the cast/crew. Includes clips, behind-the-scenes/audition footage, and interviews with writer Robert Mark Kamen, director John G. Avildsen, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita (“Mr. Miyagi”), William Zabka & Martin Kove. Select from:- The Way of the Karate Kid: Part 1 (24:00)
Topics include the idea for the film, casting the movie, the characters, themes, Miyagi’s training method, and more. - The Way of the Karate Kid: Part 2 (21:25)
Topics include working with the director, filming specific scenes such as the Mr. Miyagi drunk scene and the karate tournament, performing the crane kick, and more.
- The Way of the Karate Kid: Part 1 (24:00)
- Beyond the Form (13:03)
Martial Arts Master/Choreographer Pat E. Johnson talks about the origins of the word karate, starting in the industry on Enter the Dragon, and his work on The Karate Kid. He talks about the different ways he trained the various actors in order to give them different fighting styles. Includes behind-the-scenes footage. Originally created for the 2005 DVD release. - East Meets West: A Composer’s Notebook (8:17)
Composer Bill Conti discusses the three kinds of music in the film—dramatic underscore, source music, and production music—and finding the right tone for the music in the movie for various scenes. Also includes interviews with director John G. Avildsen. Originally created for the 2005 DVD release. - Life of Bonsai (10:00)
Bonsai Master Ben Oki shows off various types of trees, and discusses his process of designing tree. Originally created for the 2005 DVD release. - Previews
Select from trailers for Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, Extraordinary Measures, Facing the Giants, and The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep play back-to-back.
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4K UHD:
Blu-ray:
Digital (Limited time offer):
Extras:
The 4K disc adds some new bonus material to the previous 4K release (as noted below). The included Blu-ray disc is identical to the 2010 Blu-ray release.
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4K Disc:
Blu-ray Disc:
Final Thoughts:
The Karate Kid is just as entertaining as ever 40 years later, and Sony’s 40th Anniversary 4K release is the best it’s ever looked. This is the third time this film has been released on 4K disc, so those who own either of the previous versions will need to decide if it’s worth the double (or triple) dip. Those who own the original 35th anniversary standalone release will gain Dolby Vision, a Cobrai Kai creators commentary, and two sets of deleted scenes, while those who own the 4K trilogy collection will gain the commentary track and dailies deleted scenes. This is a 4K title that belongs in every collection…the film is truly one of the best…around!
The Karate Kid 40th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) [4K UHD]
29% Off $38.99 $27.27 (as of November 15, 2024 19:00 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
The Karate Kid
$12.99 (as of November 15, 2024 19:00 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
