Transcript
Speaker: Try to be best cause you're only a man and a man's got to learn to take it Try to believe though the going gets rough that you gotta hang tough to make it History repeats itself, try and you succeed Never doubt that you're the one and you can have your dream You're the best around, nothing's gonna ever keep you down You're the best around
Speaker: Hello, welcome to another Every Nation Commentary. It's our commentary for May 2025. I'm your host, Zach. I'm your co-host, k Chris. And this this month we are watching the original Karate Kid because we obviously have, actually if you're hearing this when it when when it goes up, we have the colliding worlds. have the the Jackie Chan Karate Kid universe smashing into the OG Karate Kid universe with the Karate Kid Legends in theaters.
Speaker: And obviously, I think ah and also earlier this year, Cobra Kai wrapped up. So it's... Karate Kid has never been hotter this year. So when we're going back to where it all began 1984. Yeah,
Speaker: yeah it's it's such a, like, nostalgic trip because this movie started a whole franchise and... a ah like a karate blitz in America that like just has not gone away.
Speaker: it was It was like this and like ninjas in the eighties. It was like all every kid eighties wanted to be like a karate master. But in the realistic depictions, I think Karate Kid does a job of what it is to take like, like, like California karate, actual karate to class. yeah That and like,
Speaker: ah like the structure of a tournament. It's like a sports movie. You know, it's not just like, okay, they're doing like back alley karate tournament fighting or something. This is like sort of like what if karate was like insanely popular in this one town?
Speaker: Yeah, and was it Reseda? It's like Reseda and what was it? Encino? Yeah. The Valley.
Speaker: It's the Valley Karate.
Speaker: That apparently apparently, like, three years later it becomes, like, the epicenter of, like, global karate.
Speaker: Eco-Brakai.
Speaker: Hey, man. It all it took with someone doing, like, kicks during, a like, ah a street fight. And now, uh... now you get like different dojos but we don't really see that i think this is also kind of like this insane world where like uh the like the only dojo was just cobra kai yeah it's it's it's very humble beginnings there's like there's one dojo well i guess i guess the term is other ones we don't really know anything about we don't know where they're from i think they're all like maybe from the california like city but i have no idea like why couldn't danny go to one of those schools
Speaker: But yeah, we we'll we'll get we'll jump into all that as we watch the movie. So we are, what just you'll grab a copy of Karate Kid. I'm sure you have it on like Blu-ray or 4K It's a little hard to stream right now. It's on like Fubo and Philo are the two main places stream now.
Speaker: um But however ever you have it, we are paused right before the Columbia Pictures logo pops up. So get your copy right to there.
Speaker: And then going to give a countdown. We'll get started here. So five, four, three, two, one play.
Speaker: Yeah. I think, so I think Sony owns all the Karate Kid stuff because they own Columbia.
Speaker: right kid ends in new jersey beautiful Beautiful New Jersey. Industry. think this is filmed on location?
Speaker: This is what like, Chris, right? Sort of. I mean, parts of New York are like this. I didn't really go here.
Speaker: Ah, the brisk drive from New York, New new York, New Jersey to like Encino, California. Yep.
Speaker: and of that I think that's like a 28 hour drive.
Speaker: I mean, it's it's it's about as like far from coast to coast as you possibly get.
Speaker: Wasn't, like,
Speaker: Ralph Macchio, like 20? twenty i think he was 22. it Randy Heller plays his mom. He's only 14 years older than him. And then um william William Zepka's the only actual teenager. He's 18 years old.
Speaker: Everyone else is like in their twenty s
Speaker: So when's the karate happening? Is it just karate? It's like Oregon Trail right now. Yeah.
Speaker: Knowing where the series goes, it's weird that they do more establishing landscape shots than you think, because they stopped doing this by the third movie.
Speaker: Wow, how how did they make it across the country?
Speaker: If you have like, pop your clutch to get the car going.
Speaker: See, that sounds like you've never driven, like, a a crap car, a family car before. I had a at a crappy truck.
Speaker: But you didn't a push start.
Speaker: Also thinking back in the this is 70, no, this is 82. 84. 84. Yeah, car safeties wasn't a thing yet. Nope. eighty four yeah car safetyties wasn't a thing yeah no
Speaker: I think they mention it soon, but I think think they mentioned the the mom moved across to California because she had a computer job, but then she never does it. She doesn't do it?
Speaker: She says... like Yeah, I feel like whatever job she says she moves across country for, like she just becomes like a waitress diner. definitely remember that.
Speaker: I kind of thought that's what it was.
Speaker: But it's that you wouldn't move across the country to be a like a waitress. Yeah. Not unless you did something bad in Newark. They had to flee the mob.
Speaker: Do we even see Freddy again? Like, I just... I'm trying to remember. I don't think... i'm trying to remember if he shows up a Cobra guy, because, like, pretty much everyone who possibly shows up is a Cobra guy.
Speaker: I feel like Freddy's not, like, a karate guy, so i don't think he should he wouldn't show up.
Speaker: I kind of remember, like, Danny, like, having no friends. That's why he always becomes friends with Miyagi. It's weird that they introduced like this guy who... like Also like a Jersey guy.
Speaker: yep they move It's like the Jersey apartment building.
Speaker: See? Look at this. yeah it's like everyone It's like, you have Jersey, you live here.
Speaker: This is a waterfall. It's nice, but then it's like, this is the crap hole? But then the pool of the pool is like a shithole.
Speaker: glad I'm glad she got her creepy cloud up first. It's like one of the first things she set up. yeah Over by the previous owner. but It's like, they moved in was like, oh creepy cloud, that's good.
Speaker: Now imagine you didn't really do a lot of research on this movie and you went to go see it, right? And you start watching it and you go like, wait, the guy from Happy Days is in this? Yeah, Arnold.
Speaker: And he's playing way more of a Japanese character than like he's been betrayed? Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Well, I guess I was reading trivia, apparently like Toshiro Mifune auditioned for it. Oh my god. And it put it in like, Apparently he nailed it, but they're like he's he's a little too serious. We've got to need like a lighter touch for Miyagi.
Speaker: Because I think Jishiro Mifuno was basically like playing like a samurai. It would be way more about like blood honor if he was in it.
Speaker: Is this actually the Beach Boys, or is this a fake knockoff Beach Boys? Yeah.
Speaker: I feel like it's a fake T-Boy song.
Speaker: Alright, you can move now, Danny. It's kind of creepy. Yeah, hey
Speaker: I played some hacky sack. Well, they saw that guy got hit in the face. Yeah.
Speaker: You know, this could have been its own version of West Side Story.
Speaker: In a way, it is, but yeah they really don't comment so much on the the, like, Rich People Valley. and Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: I mean, there's a little bit of it, but not in the way you think of it. And by the second movie, it totally drops that.
Speaker: and It's like a Gap catalog fell on these people.
Speaker: did Did everyone in this posse come from Jersey?
Speaker: There was like a mass exodus from Jersey in the 80s. It's like, we got to get out of here. She puts in the fire, like the soccer ball.
Speaker: Here comes the Lost Boys.
Speaker: That's a great place to put your bike. Like in this puddle.
Speaker: Johnny's got, like, very hopeful dreams. He's like, oh, man, it's gonna be a new year, new me.
Speaker: But then this snaps. This this happened really quick. and Things will work out for him in 30 years.
Speaker: Also, like, it's their senior year? Like, school starts tomorrow? I guess, yeah. Yeah, because because it's it's it's crazy because like you you think like you know it's because it's you know it's California weather, but this is like September to like October. is when this movie takes place. Because
Speaker: cause Halloween obviously shows up later. um forget that.
Speaker: Yeah, cause it's not like East Coast like fall. It's like just like California. The weather's the same.
Speaker: ah yeah I guess William Zekka still owns that jacket. Does he wear it again in the Cobra Kai show? I think it's in his closet maybe something or comes back. I think he also he also had like no karate experiments before this movie. He was like a wrestler where he had do a little bit of wrestling.
Speaker: And then after this movie, he's like, oh yeah, karate's cool.
Speaker: It became like ah greet like a second degree greed belt.
Speaker: You made me bleed my own blood.
Speaker: I wonder now, if you go to high school, like, i' been a karate bandana, like, you still, like, the cool kids? There's, like, karate gangs?
Speaker: Oh, that's that's that's why i know those guys are in the Cobra Kai's house. It's abandoned him. Like, he's a loser. Yeah, like, they didn't do anything to help. He least tried to fight.
Speaker: Why does the music turn into, like, Scarface? Like, push to the limits?
Speaker: Wow. Everyone just abandoned, like, Daniels, like, immediately.
Speaker: They're just like, man, the new kid, he ruined this beach party.
Speaker: By daring to stand up against Johnny. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Are you a crack?
Speaker: On the first day?
Speaker: So can they can afford Banana Rambo, but they can't afford the Beach Boys.
Speaker: Wasn't this like a popular hit in 1994? I feel like it was, yeah. 1984, yeah, yeah.
Speaker: why Why are we focusing on like the school motto? This plays the no effect.
Speaker: That's the name of the movie!
Speaker: Wow, they all just like flocked away.
Speaker: But I forgot that that's what they, ah that's the title. like, oh, because you did bad karate, you're now the karate kid as a ah erotic ironic name. Yeah.
Speaker: It's weird how ah all like how much soccer factors in the beginning of this movie.
Speaker: Like, that's Daniel's skill the beginning movie, is soccer. Like, isn't the kick ability, I guess?
Speaker: This could have been the soccer kid. On paper, this is like a soccer movie.
Speaker: It's like, if anything, he should have challenged the Billy Zepka, like Johnny, to like a a soccer match. Mm-hmm. it's it's It's like the big green instead of the karate kid. Yeah.
Speaker: Russo, you're expelled on your first day at school.
Speaker: You know, for like... For like who's getting picked on, it it's sort of like... He's not like a nerd. You know? like He's just sort of like the new guy. That's all they're picking him for.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Ah, Karate by Magazine.
Speaker: He should've got a VHS. That would've been expensive back in 84.
Speaker: Mmm, yum. yeah
Speaker: Terrible. There's an airport.
Speaker: Does that make any sense? Would it be $5? Maybe she has like... Oh, but she has less? Maybe she has like one thing.
Speaker: Wait. Yeah, she's like working at like a restaurant. Maybe it's like secretary restaurant. Secretary of the restaurant. He's the computer programmer at the restaurant. I mean, that was a thing. That was like your accountant. Maybe.
Speaker: you know, like they didn't have someone at the time to do like spreadsheet. So they had hired one person to just do only that.
Speaker: I guess, was the logos on the wall were on the show, I guess? Because it's like the... In the Cobra Kai, it's got like the strike... Like all the logos on the wall. an evil karate league yet.
Speaker: Oh, so so she abandoned her job as a computer person because the restaurant job is good is better? Because it pays more? It gives you benefits? I mean, manager of a restaurant, that's better.
Speaker: Yeah, it's it's such a, like, it's such a like like nondescript karate place for Cobra Kai. Just karate. That's
Speaker: what I'm thinking, and like, before they realized how sinister they could be, before they did, like, the branding remake.
Speaker: Before Carrie Silver got all his marketing money into it.
Speaker: I think has a concussion.
Speaker: Because he's talking to himself, like, constantly. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Well, say he went on for longer than he needed to.
Speaker: They were just, like, Ralph Macchio's, like, improv. Just, like, improv how hot Elizabeth Shue is.
Speaker: What shortcut was this that he's going through? Like, like the abandoned, like, it's like the development.
Speaker: Daniel's like, I fell off my bike again, it actually is' really is time. Also thinking, maybe Danny should start wearing a helmet.
Speaker: Karate! It's been like one day, right? I think like two.
Speaker: ah gotta kill somebody! don't think boxing?
Speaker: I also feel like being attacked by a motorcycle gang, karate's not gonna solve that one. No, yeah, because they weren't using karate, they were using, like, motorcycle skills. They're just, like, straight up assault.
Speaker: Yeah. Karate's not gonna fix that. But you're like, karate like kicked them off a bike or something.
Speaker: What's all the commotion out here?
Speaker: What is the outfit? Camel pants and a flannel shirt. That was a look, man.
Speaker: i't A tucked-in flannel shirt into camel pants. No belt in the camel pants. No.
Speaker: don't think Susie ever comes back.
Speaker: Wow, this is a different era where the girl wants to take the boy out to an arcade. Yeah, Alias is an enigma. Like, she's a cheerleader, but she's also like a nerd.
Speaker: Well, she's like, yeah, even more strange than like the 80s era of a ah a high school nerd.
Speaker: And her getting shot down just wants Danny Moore. Yeah. He doesn't want me? Oh, man.
Speaker: We should go into business and sell these.
Speaker: It's weird that, like, I don't know, in his area, there wasn't, like, a little Tokyo or anything that he could just open up a shop.
Speaker: Especially because, like, in 3s, like, that's my dream, it was to open a Kabatai shop. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: You know, don't let Danny you fuck up this, like, really expensive bonsai the first time. feel like it should be... Like, if you don't know what you're doing, don't just start snipping.
Speaker: Ah, my finger!
Speaker: Yeah, you've still got like a gaping head wound.
Speaker: So apparently this is the only scene in the entire franchise where Mrs. LaRusso and Mr. Maggie are in the same scene. Oh my god, really? Yep.
Speaker: I like everyone else this apartment building has disappeared. like We never see them again. Because now it's it's it's only... Miyagi just focuses on the Lusos.
Speaker: and Doesn't Danny move in with Miyagi by like the third movie?
Speaker: I think... They're like they at be like the dojo slash Mr. Miyagi's house.
Speaker: It's already Halloween. So it's been like... They start school to September, it's been like a month already. and And... Daniel has not done karate yet.
Speaker: No.
Speaker: We're still in the first act of this movie. Yeah.
Speaker: you
Speaker: Get it? Funny joke.
Speaker: I think have the like it was just like a giant rocket.
Speaker: ah wonder these people like don't come back.
Speaker: Like Ellie's friends.
Speaker: For like a month.
Speaker: She always loves bringing up, like, Johnny. Yeah, his whole motivation to defeat Johnny is just for her now.
Speaker: Which is wild because, like, neither of them end with Ellie. Like, if you jump ahead to, like, Cobra Kai universe...
Speaker: Johnny was a chicken! just been like, just in the bathroom waiting.
Speaker: Weird that Johnny just like, listened to music while like, taking a shit.
Speaker: Have a shower. Johnny say he was going to be like really disciplined and like zen and stuff and now he's just doing like a joint at a Halloween dance?
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Is that Danny Glover from, like, Community? Where? No, it's the Spider-Man. Oh, the Spider-Man guy? Yeah.
Speaker: Jesus.
Speaker: Ooh. There's two Spider-Men. Yeah, yeah. You like a high school block, it's very active of cars.
Speaker: It's like going full speed.
Speaker: i love how like on the nose the music is.
Speaker: There's no shelter. Get it? running out of time.
Speaker: careful about your skeleton gang watch out for skeletons that know karate
Speaker: got my hair wet nobody wet my hair
Speaker: kill him!
Speaker: just like, Ninja Miyagi. Yeah,
Speaker: that seemed like a death blow.
Speaker: Does Miyagi ever teach Danny how to take on multiple attackers at once?
Speaker: ah
Speaker: i guess like there's a lot Miyagi moves that are like you know defensive. like You can like block ahle maybe like multiple areas. Yeah, a lot of the moves are counter-attacks, but like he never teaches them any offensive moves.
Speaker: Well, technically the drums one is an offensive move, I guess. Yeah. Also, Danny like ran home. He's there, yeah. Holy crap. He almost made it, yeah. he I mean, yeah, he lives pretty close to school if he can run like that but back from school to there.
Speaker: It's Jimmy Agui, the guy dressed as Spider-Man. Yeah, they very similar. Yeah. That tan outfit that Spider-Man always wore.
Speaker: hug. Give Miyagi a hug.
Speaker: Drink this sake, you'll forget about your pain.
Speaker: He's not busting out like the the magic green like foam stuff, either.
Speaker: well surprised Mag is not showcasing his magic hands in this part yet. Yeah, they they like never foreshadowed that. just like you just does it later on. later on
Speaker: Just bring them all bonsai trees.
Speaker: Show them your sweet soccer moves. Yeah, I know.
Speaker: I don't want to kill all of Cobra Kai! I already destroyed many dojo.
Speaker: Does Miyagi sleep here? I mean, he's got his house.
Speaker: don't Don't listen to your guts. Don't listen to your kidneys. Yeah.
Speaker: Do we even see his house in this movie? Yeah, they go there. Because that's where all the wax on and wax off stuff happens. Oh, okay. It's like, yeah, come clean my house.
Speaker: You know what surprised they haven't done? was like a Miyagi origin story movie. i
Speaker: um'm sure I'm sure Netflix is like talking about it.
Speaker: California is like really lacks driving laws, right? Yeah. They're like, that's why chips was not invented.
Speaker: Oh, so the tournament's in December. Wow, this is only like a four month long movie. Of like, what happens. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Wait, so Danny pretty much picks up karate in November, let's just say, right? like This is this like the night this like the day after Halloween. and
Speaker: Both of you fight me. I'm gonna fight all of you. on guard like a French word?
Speaker: Is that, is that your story for like karate fights?
Speaker: Is that Turbo from Revenge of the Nerds? Oh! regularly let me hear so Let me hear some more of this. He's got some good points.
Speaker: Yeah, so Jerry is the African-American african-american guy in Cobra Kai, who was also later on in Iron Eagle.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: yeah Yeah, he was also Lamar. and Okay.
Speaker: All d these classics. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: The Under-18 all veil-y.
Speaker: That was like a pure, like, Terry Silver, like
Speaker: You got that, like, saying from Terry Silver. Yeah. I like that.
Speaker: We're gonna kill him.
Speaker: And to think, like, Kreese only gets more and more crazy as the series goes on.
Speaker: Like, he starts here, then it just gets even crazier. Well, like, does he ever get, like, a redemption, or does he just stay a bad guy for the whole time? I mean, it's it's definitely like a rollercoaster ride at Cobra Kai, where it's just like... Sometimes, like, it's like, oh, maybe he's changing, and then maybe he's not.
Speaker: Gotcha. Wait, how...
Speaker: wait how Why do we never see like the outside? Yeah, we almost the one column, and it's like oh, actually, it's like this giant banner.
Speaker: like how Miyagi dresses like an army mechanic.
Speaker: What's that classic a janitor like outfit?
Speaker: like, Daniel-san, do you know what montage is? We're to need one.
Speaker: Does Danny ever talk about his father? I don't think so.
Speaker: mean, I could live near, like, an oil refinery. Like, the oil derricks? Yeah. dere yeah
Speaker: take knife Take this knife and slit your hand open, DinoZone. We're going to make blood blood promise.
Speaker: This is very important for this franchise.
Speaker: Did Miyagi steal these from like a Fast and Furious thing? There's a secret like backstory to why has all these cars. I don't know if they ever explain why like where he gets all these cars from.
Speaker: These are like cars that like him and like Jackie Chan got or something. Because this is related to the Jackie Chan era of things.
Speaker: Like Mr. Wu, whatever Jackie Chan's character was called. Mr. Han. Mr. Han.
Speaker: Jack is like, I sold a bunch of cars! Gotta flip it.
Speaker: But they're all like 1930s cars? mom, like, know what he's up to?
Speaker: Is it school night? It was.
Speaker: all right i'm just going walk home, Mr. Miyake. Bye. He's so mysterious.
Speaker: Don't push it, Daniel.
Speaker: you know the more I think about this relationship it's like kind of doomed is it doomed to like the start of the second movie well she like doesn't follow him right she's like yeah cause he's like I'm going to Akanau with Mr. Miyagi she's like oh okay bye they broke up at the end yeah was she in the second movie No, because because the second one was like, oh, he's like he falls for, like, Kimiko. Hmm.
Speaker: Yeah, they don't want to know about the Native Americans. No. no
Speaker: the neighbor is that Allie's mom? I don't know. I thought that was Johnny for a second because like the red coat. like, does Johnny live next door?
Speaker: you play squash? What is your portfolio investment looking like?
Speaker: What's your family's net worth?
Speaker: yeah I guess she hasn't gotten those benefits yet to afford a new car. That restaurant manager job.
Speaker: you know Golf and stuff still around three years later. It's Cobra Kai.
Speaker: That's kind of weird, like, there's just one water slide here. like a... Like, it's not a water park, it's like one water slide.
Speaker: but I guess it's like... cheap to get in
Speaker: Okay, so we're in a story structure of the second act... And Danny's only been washing cars. He's barely trained. that's That's why you have a montage.
Speaker: mean funny if this movie had a sci-fi element to it, and then, like, someone has to go back to the future, it changes? Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Daniel really is sabotaging this.
Speaker: I know. Daniel's like, oh, how dare you want to be with me?
Speaker: like It doesn't make sense. You're rich. You just go to the rich people. I'm trashed.
Speaker: It's a backyard.
Speaker: all about the circle. The Aikido is based entirely on circles.
Speaker: It's very like Aikido.
Speaker: Just like take take the like incoming blow and like transfer it. Yeah.
Speaker: May I get to take a big poop over there. You did a better job than my electric sander I have right over here
Speaker: What about school? This is your school now. So
Speaker: Danny just had one hell of a workout all day.
Speaker: So yeah I guess this fly was like ah like on like a fishing line, and it was just like, that's how they were moving it around. Like dangling front of them.
Speaker: You know nowadays this would have been a CGI i fly. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: We're done trading. You beat Miyagi, so now you're the master.
Speaker: yeah You gotta to give it to Miyagi though, because like he is getting free labor plus... and but it's also karate training. He's figuring out it's like the ultimate scam. Yeah. Might have been like one part where it's like, do my taxes.
Speaker: There's a bunch of forms. Good for brain.
Speaker: Pencil. Use right hand for pencil and left hand for eraser.
Speaker: I like how he's doing the like chores of Miyagi's house and not so much like the apartment building. think that have been the other scam if Miyagi thought Daniel could own apartment complex.
Speaker: you You come fix sink.
Speaker: go go Go fill pool.
Speaker: like how it takes Daniel like days to realize like what kind of scam.
Speaker: What does it have to do with karate? Karate? Oh, right. It's like the day before the tournament.
Speaker: It's like, are you teaching me karate? Uh-oh. You get me. I'm not a karate guy. Good luck, Daniel-san. I'm i' um leaving.
Speaker: i just thought inner city kids would cause a problem.
Speaker: Miyagi hit the to town.
Speaker: Do not wake up for Miyagi. Miyagi's hot like walking to his date? What's going on
Speaker: Yeah, because there's i mean there's nothing nearby. It's all oil derricks.
Speaker: i could go into like a oil field worker bar.
Speaker: Miyagi's like, he's got like super, he's like, Miyagi hung over. wrote this note for you.
Speaker: It's only been four days. been like a while.
Speaker: I guess they do foreshadow it. Okay. I forgot he does it this time. Oh, that's a sand floor thing, huh? No, like Miyagi's like magic hand thing. It's from sand floor.
Speaker: Oh, because Daniel's like, i I can't move my arm because I've been painting too much. I see.
Speaker: I like how Danny's basically wearing Miyagi's clothes.
Speaker: its could I couldn't find- I worked so hard, I couldn't find- I've been living here now. have to wear your old clothes.
Speaker: like all right you're ready for the tournament now
Speaker: You know, we're a little spoiled by modern, like, martial artists stuff, like, this would have been a badass sequence, but this is more realistic of what, like, someone throwing karate punches and stuff.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Also, like, what if Danny didn't have the reflexes? He just, like, punches him, like, the chest. Oh god, my solar plexus! You cracked my ribs!
Speaker: Now for some Rocky... some Rocky II, Rocky III beat straining.
Speaker: November California.
Speaker: Fight the ocean, Dino-san!
Speaker: Yeah, I don't know what this is supposed to prove, Loli. Waves suck? he's supposed to ba like He's supposed to kick the waves and balance himself?
Speaker: I don't think this is a valid move. Yeah. Miyagi Karate is, uh... This is just like a practical joke. He's like, ah that actually wasn't any the things. just wanted to see you get hit by waves.
Speaker: This is the actual thing we're doing. I know, this is the actual, like, skill. The other one is just, like, if you're a kid trying to do karate in the ocean.
Speaker: Are crane kicks real? I mean, sure he could do it but like i know I know the thing that Johnny brings up in Cobra Kai lot is that it's like an illegal front kick to his face. that's what So it shouldn't have been the point.
Speaker: crane kick is not like a real thing. I mean, it's a style, but it really just comes from Karate Kid. Yeah, it feels it feels like there's so much... like it there's so much like like telegraphing of it.
Speaker: People would be like, oh, you're gonna do a crane kick? You're gonna do like the crane pose? Doing like a hop kick?
Speaker: He's like, he's like beach bums. He's like,
Speaker: I watch movie Bloodsports.
Speaker: Was that out yet? Not yet, I think. Bloodsports, like, That was, like, late 80s. That was, like, late eighty s those was like eighty Yeah,
Speaker: Alright, Dennis, to jump in, grab fish, put it on Miyagi's hook.
Speaker: Let me see you, What did this teach you? Give me dinner. Yeah, feed Miyagi.
Speaker: The mag you like. Training.
Speaker: Except for those, like, the Akinawan, like, death fights that we find out about. Where you go into, like, the pit.
Speaker: That's just, like a like, a regulated thing, that pit? Or do you think, um... It's like a ritual fight. Fighting ground. It's just like any time you got a blood feud, the pit forms.
Speaker: It be great the game just shows it soaking wet, just like, ah fell off a boat!
Speaker: Also, Miyake has way too much like weird fun as a mentor.
Speaker: That Jersey trash. Look, Johnny's already dancing with, like, Allie's mom. Yeah. Hey.
Speaker: Also, did Johnny come from money? Oh, yeah yes. That's like, you find the like his backstory, Cobra
Speaker: but He has a very, very rich stepdad. I see.
Speaker: It had to be spaghetti.
Speaker: Here we go. it's It's a... Pat Morita's Oscar nomination scene.
Speaker: Is it like December 4th? It's like... Like... Pearl Harbor Day?
Speaker: ah mr mr I'm years old This
Speaker: do you Do you smell spaghetti?
Speaker: What? What part of karate- What karate training is this?
Speaker: Drink in, drink out.
Speaker: And karate go- and Mr. Miyagi goes around like his house destroying shit, and then he's like, okay, Dan, you'll fix it.
Speaker: Miyagi has school tomorrow.
Speaker: like a dark part of the movie, right? It you it should be more darker than this.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, Mr. Raggy's backstory is, like, so tragic and horrible.
Speaker: I think his wife died in an internment camp. Yes, yeah like giving birth.
Speaker: kind of i forgot how messed up it was. he was in like Germany or like ah Europe. a photo of him in like Captain America.
Speaker: Was he the guy from Captain America's Howling Commandos? Yeah, he's one of them.
Speaker: You think that was like a producer note? You gotta have Daniel read the telegram because people are stupid. They won't understand what Miyagi was ranting about. I mean, yeah.
Speaker: This is like a movie for teens. and Honestly, they don't really talk about this in history class. Like all this.
Speaker: And we don't forget like Miyagi's like a vet. A Medal of Honor winner.
Speaker: I don't win Medal of Honor recipient. but Recipient, yeah.
Speaker: You think Daniel went to like by like stras like with dragons like um Mr. Mr. Miyagi hung over to Daniel's son. You have to go just go to the beach by yourself. Probably. Miyagi's lessons are very casual.
Speaker: See, Daniel's just training by himself now. Just like a drift in a boat.
Speaker: just like, oh shit, I'm like miles away from the ocean. Just pushed out to sea. I caught Riptide.
Speaker: you know it it it is it is weird, like, the montage song is like during the tournament, not the actual, like, training.
Speaker: I'm kind of gross.
Speaker: Is he like a good punching bag? like yeah Is he like a train dummy? Or like, you know, the karate, like the bamboo, like wooden, like, like train tool?
Speaker: Or sticks? Like karate sticks?
Speaker: Oh god, my rib!
Speaker: Yeah, it's weird that Lucille's not there, right? Mm-hmm. or Or like, you know... Sort of his girlfriend. Ally, or any- Yeah, it's like, I'm gonna go spend- I'm sending my birthday Mr. Miyagi.
Speaker: Also, is Daniel Shepard like, army surplus stores? He's wearing like and like a military sweater.
Speaker: you
Speaker: It's more chores. Yep.
Speaker: And Miyagi's like, no, no, no, choose another.
Speaker: You go for first card line? You lazy.
Speaker: right
Speaker: Is the tournament next day? So it's like like the day after Daniel's birthday is the tournament? Man, it sucks if he lost that, like, right after his birthday. it be worse if it Anna's birthday.
Speaker: I think it's fine to be best friends with an old man, but I feel like... That was like a weird 80s thing, because Doc and Marty, Mr. Maggie and Daniel-san.
Speaker: Shoot away? Like a really big nerd.
Speaker: Shut up, friend number two.
Speaker: yeah You got covered in spaghetti.
Speaker: All latest videos at the arcade. is Is that what they called like arcade games back then? Videos? I think so. Like video screens that you can call it. Have you seen that new Pac-Man video?
Speaker: Guys the background is on the slide.
Speaker: It's a thing everyone town is talking about.
Speaker: I it does seem like it's like the only- it's like the biggest thing in this like entire valley.
Speaker: Girls can do stuff now, it's the eighty s It's not illegal anymore.
Speaker: She like T-bones the car and thought I'd come out of the parking lot. Oh no!
Speaker: Unverified black belt. Yep. That's good enough for me.
Speaker: you see my black belt? Why does the ref guy also carry black belt?
Speaker: Who's this guy? The ref guy? no. Just blonde hair, like Johnny number two. Did he come back in the series?
Speaker: Oh, Dutch? Yeah, Chad McQueen, who recently passed away. that's the guy. Okay.
Speaker: Yeah, mean, he looks like he's 30.
Speaker: Mr. Riyagi's like really using all those like con artists like abilities. He's stealing belts, he's faking out officials.
Speaker: It's like technically Danny's illegally in this tournament. Yup.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't think that brought up at all Cobra Kai ever, of like Daniel like lied about being a like ah any he sort of belt. It's an invalid like entry.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Who's this psycho? know, it's like, I'm very into Asian culture. like, give the ring, alright, fighting, go!
Speaker: Wait, who's cheering for him in the crowd?
Speaker: It's like, oh, someone got hurt. We're cheering.
Speaker: i like how you have to, trigger the, like, montage song. Yep. She said, you're the best, and it's like, oh, that's our that's our cue
Speaker: So think I think this song was written for Rocky 2 or 3.
Speaker: And then it got like switched over to Karate Kid. but but could go for either. Though it's hard to watch this movie without that song.
Speaker: Hey, Cobra Kai is falling like- dropping like flies. Honestly, dan Danny's fight style is just like shaking.
Speaker: And then it's like, ah they need counterattacks only. Mm-hmm. Because I don't think he ever like goes out in an assault, right? All his fighting is just waiting for the guy to throw the first punch.
Speaker: Yeah, because... Yeah, Miyagi knows that about offense.
Speaker: He's also, like, on his tiptoes. Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's very, like, fancy, shaky...
Speaker: I feel like Dutch like stored like a ton of cocaine in France fights.
Speaker: I need my fight powder. In the 80s, this is just what you did.
Speaker: Run the piggy bat now. They're going have more space to fight.
Speaker: like I love all the... The off-screen yelling is the best this movie.
Speaker: Everyone's hyped up for, like, people that aren't, like, you know, cheering Is he like Capoeira now?
Speaker: He got too fancy.
Speaker: We gotta sacrifice the pawns!
Speaker: That's the, like, key word for cheating. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: He has 15 minutes to repair his broken leg.
Speaker: it's like i like Thank you, doctor. Oh, I'm not a doctor. I'm a veterinarian.
Speaker: you imagine if this is how ended? It's like a moral... It'd be like the Rocky I ending where it's like, well, at least he tried. Yeah, he just went the distance.
Speaker: Tenyo-san, your leg is shattered in three places. No amount like, massaging is gonna fix this. Friction under your my hands.
Speaker: right Get ready, Daniel. This is going to hurt.
Speaker: What?
Speaker: Yeah, that guy looks like he, like, knows karate. Like this. think he's like the announcer guy. Yeah.
Speaker: He's like Texas-looking guy. He looks like he runs, like, the local, like, car dealership. Yeah, yeah. He's like, I sponsor i sponsor this footness tournament.
Speaker: it's um It's weird to hear someone called Johnny John.
Speaker: so have you ever been to karate tournament, Zach? No. I went to one in like the 90s. It was like a family friend. And it's a lot of waiting. It's a lot of resetting positions.
Speaker: And then they don't fight with like no, they fight with gear on, you know, like headgear, like foot gear, shoulder pads.
Speaker: So thinking it was like, oh, cool. I'll go to like a karate tournament and I'm watching this and I'm just like, it's not the same.
Speaker: Are you not allowed to sweep the leg in a karate match? I think it's like injure his leg even further so then he's like totally out. I
Speaker: feel like all the Koma Kras did cocaine before this fight.
Speaker: See if Miyagi taught him like, I don't know, an offensive punch? Yeah. He was punching him like the day before the tournament.
Speaker: Alright, Daniel. Remember, pour the drink. Pour the whiskey. yeah
Speaker: Punch the chest.
Speaker: There we go. so that's what I was like, do we use body bag? Get him a body bag!
Speaker: Oh my god.
Speaker: so did did, like, did they practice the crane kick? I mean, he was, like, doing, like, the you balancing on the boat the beach stump.
Speaker: ah like how all the friends who abandoned Freddy were like, oh, you're cool now, Daniel! You won!
Speaker: Johnny's instantly his friend. He's like, you're alright, man. yeah Yeah. I feel like this definitely is like a retcon that Cobra Kai made of this. like Johnny seems cool with it here, but then like he was stewing about it for 30 years. Cobra Kai.
Speaker: I also love that it just ends. It just ends up, Miyagi's like, good job, we won, that's it. Like, thank god there's no post-smatch, like, urine test to see what way I injected you.
Speaker: To get you, like, to fight.
Speaker: Also, like, Danny needs to go to a hospital. um Yeah, his, his, I'm shocked that, like, he could walk normally. Like, like, years later.
Speaker: I feel like this song definitely gets like, uh, forgotten compared like, You're the Best.
Speaker: But it's also weird that this is Survivor who did of the Tiger.
Speaker: but Wait, who sung You're the Best? that Survivor 2? Uh, Joe Esposito. okay.
Speaker: oh socc soccer instructor and a bike riding instructor well i guess the bike riding was oh and Ralph Macchio and Petmario were trained by body by Jake I guess it was for that scene where where Miyagi's just wearing like a tank top
Speaker: yeah guess had the ah was like the bow flex up yet or just like weights bow flex is probably like the end of this Like the Nordic track came out. The Nordic track, yeah.
Speaker: Okay, to be honest, I did not think that the Karate Kid was going to have more than this. If you just showed this and it's like complete and you've got like a good picture.
Speaker: But... Yeah, yeah it didn't seem like it was going to be like ah ah like a decade spanning like multimedia franchise. A cartoon series that happens like after the second movie.
Speaker: A game, ah like TV show, a spin-off movie, a remake movie.
Speaker: I'm surprised they haven't done a Cobra Kai school. Oh, so this credit, I looked this up, like, so the Karate Kid has been used with the consent of DC Comics. Why? There's a character, there's superhero called the Karate Kid that DC had.
Speaker: So they had to go to DC and be like, hey, use the title Karate Kid? And they're like, sure, yeah. Wow. Did not know that.
Speaker: It's like a character from like the like the Legion of Superheroes.
Speaker: yeah because i I saw, I was scrolling through this, our copy of the of movie before, I was watching, was like, wait, DC, they have to pay DC Comics for like, the rights to Karate Kid?
Speaker: wonder if they still have to, or they just kind of, like, enough time has passed where it's, like, generic. like It's like Karate Kid, like, showed up recently in, like, ah DC Comics. They have to, like, renew it, or else it just loses to the copyright claim.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: There was not a lot of karate in this movie.
Speaker: what I mean, it's crazy like how long it takes to for Daniel really start training. By training, doing hustle chores. There's not really a training montage, like we were saying. Yeah, the montage is like we have to blow through all these fights and tournaments.
Speaker: Well, he's doing more kata, where it's just him doing the movement, but not necessarily him training with Miyagi to... deal with like a duel or don't know anything that's more yeah he's he doesn't he doesn't get any sort of like fighting or training would like prepare for like a tournament that's why he's like he's like immediately freaked out he like rang out the ring when he's like fighting some of the first time yeah he's just like oh shit like i really i realized i didn't do
Speaker: I just punched him in the chest where he was wearing like like a catcher's baseball catcher's like pads.
Speaker: But I mean it still holds up as a good drama. Yeah. also think that Pat Morati definitely carries Pat Morita. Pat Morita. he He carries the movie.
Speaker: I mean some people like it for Danny Russo but don't You know, it's definitely something that when you watch it in the respect that with the Miyagi, like, mythos of him, like, he gets kind of get more, he gets more and more ridiculous as, like, the series goes on.
Speaker: and And then they're like, I won't spoil anything, they reveal stuff in Cobra Kai about his backstory, too, where it's just wait, that's a Mr. Raghu sub-tude, too?
Speaker: i yeah i See, I'll watch Cobra Kai to kind of get aboard it. Yeah. talking about
Speaker: And it it is it it is fun to go back to where Johnny was just a shit-up asshole, too. I guess instead of like a lovable asshole, he was just an asshole.
Speaker: Because now, like yeah after all the Cobra Kai stuff, it's like, well, Jai is the best character in the entire franchise. Yeah.
Speaker: But yeah, that was that was fun going back to watch that and then we'll have to see what gets brought back up or what happens in the Karate Kid Legends when when the worlds collide, when the Jackie Chan universe merges with the Miyagi-Do universe.
Speaker: Yeah. Can't wait. So, yeah, that'll do it for this month's commentary. We'll be back next month with another commentary. Head over to the site, we got all of our usual, we got our regular podcast, reviews, trailers, all kinds stuff over at everythingaction.com.
Speaker: So head over check all that stuff out. And yes, for this time, Zach, and we will see you next time. For more for everything action, head to www.everythingaction.com. You can also find us on Facebook at facebook.com slash everything.action and follow us on X at EVAction.
Speaker: We're also on Instagram and threads at everything.action. Find more episodes the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your at podcast app of choice and be sure to rate and subscribe.
