The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid
”A bullied teen finds hope in a karate master's teachings.”
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Why watch this film?
One of the most beloved classics of Hollywood cinema from the 80s, 'The Karate Kid' is a movie that impressed its audience of the time with its sensitive portrayal of an adolescent who lives in loneliness and abuse at school, but perseveres thanks to the friendship of a small conventional mentor. By 21st century standards, the fight may seem a bit rough and unbelievable, but action is not the main concern of this film, which made Ralph Macchio an instant icon and gave Noriyuki "Pat" Morita of 'Happy Days' the role of his career, with a subsequent Oscar nomination for his work.
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Plot summary
A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.
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From the same director
The Karate Kid Part II
The Karate Kid Part II marked the beginning of the decline in quality and popularity of the 'Karate Kid' saga since its first sequel, but it was undoubtedly the best of all the films due to its originality. The great success of The Karate Kid Part II was to move the action away from California and Okinawa, which allowed for a greater emphasis on Mr. Miyagi's personal story and provided a glimpse of traditional Japanese culture (although it was actually filmed in Hawaii) without falling into blatant exoticism - although it is corny. It is an acceptable martial arts drama, more recommended for fans of the first part who want to see how the story continues.
The Karate Kid Part III
The decline in quality of the 'Karate Kid' saga was pronounced with its second sequel. After its predecessor tried something relatively new, 'The Karate Kid Part III' puts the characters back in California, once again against Cobra Kai with the goal of facing them in a tournament. With a vaguely developed romance subplot and a bit more violence, the movie ended up being very repetitive and marked the end of the franchise with Ralph Macchio in command (at least until the premiere of the YouTube Red spin-off series 'Cobra Kai' almost three decades later).
Rocky
Few movies represent such a spectacular turnaround in the life of an actor and filmmaker as 'Rocky'. Sylvester Stallone, already disenchanted with his career and having acted in soft porns, conceived in the room he lived in a script about the story of Rocky Balboa's overcoming, a boxer as disenchanted as the screenwriter himself, but who finally saw luck smile on him. Inspired by boxing legends such as Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, Stallone wrote it all in just three and a half days and sold the script to United Artists. The studio initially wanted names like Robert Redford and Burt Reynolds for the title role, but Sly convinced the producers to put himself as the protagonist. The budget was low even for the time, precisely because of the cast, and composer Bill Conti had a budget of $25 to compose the entire soundtrack of the movie - and from there he took the theme 'Gonna Fly Now', now a classic and that was number one on the Billboard chart. I don't need to say: 'Rocky' became a huge and surprising success, being nominated for ten Oscars - including Original Screenplay and Actor for Stallone, who didn't take it. In any case, the production won in three categories, including Best Picture and Best Director. Cinema and Sylvester Stallone were never the same again. Recommended to all who enjoy stories of overcoming, cinema legends and, above all, who want to understand a little more about the transformations of Hollywood in the second half of the 1970s. A curiosity and also a spoiler: the final fight, in the original audio, ends with a victory in points for Apollo Creed, but the classic Brazilian dubbing changed the result for a draw, something extremely rare in boxing. All for a happier ending.
Rocky V
'Rocky V' is certainly the lowest point of the Rocky Balboa franchise, the Italian Stallion. Directed by John G. Avildsen (the same as 'Rocky: A Fighter') and once again with a screenplay by Sylvester Stallone, the film takes the title character out of combat due to health problems caused by the climax of 'Rocky IV', placing him as the coach of Tommy Gunn, a rebellious boxing talent. There is a lack of connection in the attempt to "return to the origins" in Philadelphia, it is almost impossible for the viewer to sympathize with Tommy and seeing Stallone almost as a supporting actor does not help. In addition, the climax of the feature film is a street fight between the two. Unfortunately, the failure of the production put the franchise in a limbo, from which it would take a long time to come out. Indicated only for those who are fans of boxing films and who, mainly, are marathoning the entire franchise - although little of this story is used in what will come later.
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