Everything Action Commentary: The Karate Kid (1984)

For the latest Everything Action Commentary, Zach and Chris return to 1984 to watch The Karate Kid, just in time for Karate Kid: Legends hitting theaters. The movie that kicked off the entire "Miyagi-verse," which includes Cobra Kai and the original sequels, The Karate Kid, stars Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, who travels from Newark, New Jersey, to Los Angeles with his mother, Lucille (Randee Heller). Daniel catches the eye of cheerleader Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) but also Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who bullies and beats Daniel down with karate learned at the Cobra Kai dojo. Daniel gets help from his apartment building's handyman, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), who uses unorthodox training methods to help Daniel prepare for a karate tournament to face the Cobra Kai head-on. Martin Kove co-stars as the ruthless Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese. While revisiting the movie, Zach and Chris appreciate how Mr. Miyagi trains Daniel but also gets a bunch of housework done for free, why a restaurant manager job has better pay and benefits than an office computer job, the enigma of Ali being a popular cheerleader along with kind of a nerd, how it seems like there was a mass exodus from Jersey in the 80s and more. You can watch The Karate Kid streaming on Fubo or Philo, or find a copy elsewhere and watch along with Zach and Chris. We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to [email protected]. Also, let us know your suggestions for movies for us to discuss. Please subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. You can also find the podcast on YouTube. Check us out on Twitter (@evaction), Facebook (www.facebook.com/everything.action), and Instagram (@everything.action).