Hey Hollywood...
Out of context: Reply #39
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- harlequino0
My recent, mildly drunk, rant on why the original Karate Kid rules.
See, here is my whole thing about why Karate Kid i so great. I think it's the best "mentor/student" genre flick ever made, for many many reasons. Not sure why it took this long, but I only recently realized the genius and beauty of the final kick.
Notice that Miyagi never taught him that kick, in fact he kinda discouraged it. Daniel had to go and learn it for himself. The entire movie, Miyagi isn't just teaching Daniel karate, he is as much a surrogate father to Daniel, as Daniel is a surrogate son to Miyagi (remember - Miyagi's wife and kid died in an internment camp during WW2, even though Miyagi fought as a US soldier - sick burn). Miyagi is teaching him how to be his own man, and 'balance' is the central key to it.
So on the surface of the story, Daniel trusts his sensei, and overcomes the social hump of being bullied at school. But the real victory and subtext is that he has come into his own and found balance, not just with his sensei's teachings, but with something he had to discover for himself. He takes real ownership of his life's direction.
Even though Karate Kid 2 is not nearly as good as the first film, I still really like how in the final fight, he tries the kick again. Doesn't work. Not because he is any less of a man than his opponent, but it's a new journey, and requires a new "move" as a symbol. In the first film, Daniel learns his path, but in the second he must walk it. Fuck yeah.