With the newest season of Cobra Kai just around the corner, many fans are reminiscing about The Karate Kid franchise. Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi has gathered quite the fan following over the years and even Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han is quite admired amongst the fans. From intense fight scenes to humorous moments, here are some of the best moments from The Karate Kid franchise.
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5 A Strong Female Lead - The Next Karate Kid (1994)
Columbia Pictures
Directed by Christopher Cain and written by Mark Lee, The Next Karate Kid is the fourth installment in The Karate Kid franchise. Hilary Swank stars as Julie Pierce in her first starring role, while Pat Morita took on the role of Mr. Miyagi. Perhaps the best thing about The Next Karate Kid is that it’s the only movie in the entire franchise to have a female lead. A fan-favorite moment from the movie is when Julia kicks the butt of a dude who sexually harasses her. Unlike most movies, where the female lead is often saved by another male character, it’s quite refreshing to see Julia not only defend herself, but also properly kick butt. Another scene that held the potential to be the best moment was the beat down from Mr. Miyagi to Colonel Dugan (Michael Ironside). However, in comparison to the other Mr. Miyagi showdowns, this was a bit lacking. The overall movie is fairly decent. Both Hilary Swank and Pat Morita do a pretty decent job at portraying their own characters; however, the movie is lacking in terms of the originality of the storyline.
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4 Mr. Miyagi vs John Kreese - The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
Directed by John Avildsen, who directed the whole trilogy, The Karate Kid Part III brings the audience back to where it all began. The basic narrative is similar, but with slight variations. The Karate Kid Part III is a revenge story as John Kreese (Martin Kove), the Cobra Kai instructor, tries to get back at Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) for defeating him and leaving Cobra Kai in shambles. Mr. Miyagi facing off against John Kreese and two members of the Cobra Kai club, is perhaps one of the most memorable scenes in The Karate Kid franchise. It’s an unfair face-off from the beginning, as it’s a three vs one; however, fans of the trilogy know that there’s no doubting Mr. Miyagi’s skill level. Mr. Miyagi has no trouble defeating the Cobra Kai members. His face off against John Kreese is perhaps the most amusing, as he defeats the other instructor with ease. The scene is rather amusing, as the final kick lands Kreese against a mirror, which shatters and causes a bucket of paint to fall on top of him. There are aspects of the movie that feel a bit ridiculous, but it still shares similar themes with the previous installments and feels familiar.
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3 No Mercy - The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
Also directed by John Avildsen, The Karate Kid Part II takes the audience to Mr. Miyagi’s homeland in Okinawa, Japan. Perhaps, it’s the change in environment and culture that makes the sequel all the more interesting. Many fans also really enjoyed this movie more as it gives Mr. Miyagi more character. In all the other installments, he’s mostly seen as an extension of Daniel’s character. He’s Daniel’s mentor, and everything he does is in relation to Daniel. In The Karate Kid Part II the audience gets a glimpse into Mr. Miyagi’s past, which gives his character more depth. It’s also rather amusing seeing Daniel as the odd one out and then adjusting to a different culture.
Perhaps one of the best moments in the film is the “no mercy” scene. Mr. Miyagi and Daniel are leaving after a tournament, when a fight breaks out between Johnny and Kreese. The other Cobra Kai members try to stop Kreese from attacking Johnny, but to no avail. Mr. Miyagi steps in, asking Kreese to stop. However, instead of listening, Kreese starts fighting Mr. Miyagi, who easily dodges the punches thrown at him. The fight scene builds up in intensity when Mr. Miyagi says that the “enemy deserves no mercy”. Mr. Miyagi genuinely looks angry and Kreese looks fearful for his life. Just as Mr. Miyagi is about to land the final blow, he stops and simply pinches Kreese’s nose. The intense build-up is let go with a rather comedic scene. Mr. Miyagi ends the fight with a cute wink in Daniel’s direction. Interestingly, many fans believe that the sequence of the trilogy should be flipped in such a manner that The Karate Kid Part II is the last film. Given the narrative of the film, it would definitely be a better conclusion for the series.
2 Characters and The Message - The Karate Kid (2010)
Sony Pictures Motion Picture GroupEDKO
The Karate Kid (2010), or the more apt Chinese title, Kung Fu Dream, stars Jaden Smith as Dre and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han. The movie follows Dre, who has moved to China with his mother and is being bullied. He learns Kung Fu from Mr. Han, who is a maintenance man, so he can defend himself. The best thing about this film is that it gives individual characters depth. The wider arch where the lead has to face off against an opponent using the skills taught by the mentor is still very much present. However, The Karate Kid also gives the audience moments where they get a better glimpse of the characters, their struggles, and their personality.
In addition, the presence of Jackie Chan as Mr. Han, really makes this film rank higher in the franchise. The audience really gets a chance to see Jackie Chan’s acting and fighting skills. The initial scene where Mr. Han comes to rescue Dre from the bullies is definitely a favorite. The audience gets to see Mr. Han’s skills first hand. Although, there’s another scene that is perhaps tied to this scene. It’s the moment that Mr. Han reveals to Dre that Kung Fu is in everything. The twelve-year-old is frustrated with constantly learning how to take his jacket off and the put it back on. When he voices his frustration, Mr. Han shows him what exactly the boy has been learning. The audience, along with Dre, realizes that the boy has actually been learning Kung Fu all along. Another great thing about this particular film is how it showcases Chinese culture properly, instead of hiding it in the guise of ancient temples. It’s rather refreshing.
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1 The Tournament Showdown - The Karate Kid (1984)
It’s not really a shocker for many to see a scene from the very first The Karate Kid ranked the highest. The original movie is definitely the best in the whole franchise. The movie follows Daniel, a hotheaded teenager, who moves to a new town and is bullied by martial artists. He then meets Mr. Miyagi, a repairman, who helps him learn Karate. The movie charms its audience by portraying the perfect underdog story. Everyone is really rooting for Daniel and Mr. Miyagi, as the two face-off against the Cobra Kai club with their brutal training methods.
The tournament showdown has got to be one of the best scenes in the franchise. Not only does the audience finally get to see Daniel put all his training to the test, but the tournament montage also contains the best songs in the whole franchise, “You’re the Best Around” by Joe Esposito. The scene that takes all the cake is the final fight between Johnny and Daniel. As per the orders of his mentor, Johnny sweeps Daniel’s leg, which makes it difficult for him to fight. The whole scene is rather intense, as Daniel stumbles around. However, in the final moments of the match he uses the crane kick to knock his opponent down and emerges victorious.
