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People love a great underdog story, and The Karate Kid is an indeniable traditional on this style. Even earlier than Cobra Kai reinvigorated the franchise, it was a stone-cold traditional. When it got here out in 1984, it grew to become the largest sleeper hit of the 12 months, incomes an astounding $100 million on a mere $8 million funds. It made its star, Ralph Macchio, one of many greatest heartthrobs of the eighties, and Pat Morita, a standup comic, earned an Oscar nomination for his iconic function as Mr. Miyagi. The movie was directed by John G. Avildsen, who additionally directed the unique Rocky, and definitely knew a factor or two about making a traditional underdog, feel-good film.
Yet, what’s most astounding concerning the movie is how nicely it’s held up through the years, and the way a lot its legacy has endured. Sure, there have been the sequels, with the second simply as massive of a success as the primary (though the third and Macchio-less fourth had been flops), and even a quasi-remake with the Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith-led Karate Kid (which actually ought to have been known as The Kung-Fu Kid). But, it was Cobra Kai, which began life as a low-budget collection for YouTube Red (earlier than going over to Netflix) that actually introduced the franchise again into the zeitgeist, with it returning to the traditional characters from the unique (together with William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence) and given them a brand new dimension nobody may have ever anticipated (right here’s Macchio and Zabka themselves on why they assume they franchise has endured).
With one more new installment of the franchise, Karate Kid: Legends, popping out this week, we have a look again on the unique 1984 movie and dig into what, for many people, is a necessary half of popular culture and a timeless traditional that has by no means misplaced its relevance or enchantment.