The Films
While Ralph Macchio has aged reasonably well, the same can't really be said for his signature franchise. The original The Karate Kid remains enjoyable, albeit a tad predictable and dare I say unbelievable. It is really hard to imagine that in less than two months even a master martial arts instructor could teach a near novice the skills required to compete in (let alone win) such a tournament - then again in the 1980s this was par for the course, as Luke Skywalker's training with Yoda is just as ridiculous.
And while the first film has the right mix of character development and excitement leading to a satisfying feel-good ending, the first sequel The Karate Kid II crosses into a sort of surreal world. Set six months after the first film on the Japanese island of Okinawa, where the locals all strangely speak slightly broken English, Daniel (Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) aren't facing mere bullies but villains that would like to see them dead. It isn't clear if Daniel's training has continued off-screen, but strangely he seems to have less fear than he did whilst facing the bullies in America, even if the threat is greater. In other words, the sequel offers much more but like too many 1980's sequels it doesn't make for a better picture. At least this collector's edition Blu-ray boxed set didn't include the truly awful follow-ups The Karate Kid III or The Next Karate Kid.
The Picture
You can't go home again, which Miyagi is reminded when he returns to Okinawa after leaving 45 years earlier. The same can be generally said of these two films on Blu-ray. While (to quote the campy montage song from the original) these are the "best around" as far as visuals you're likely to see, there is substantial grain throughout and a general haziness. The colors in the 1080p 1.85:1 presentations are decent, but the Blu-rays just don't deliver the spectacular visuals of the exotic islands or other settings. As a result the video is pretty dated, much like the hairstyles and clothes.
The Sound
The audio soundtrack also falls a tad bit flat. The center channel audio for dialog comes through quite well, but there is hardly anything in the way of ambient sounds. There is little in the way of true audio separation either, and while the film sounds good with reasonable levels for music and effects this is hardly one that benefits from its 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio treatment. On the plus side, the original The Karate Kid and its sequel benefit from a quite pleasant score from composer Bill Conti, and a limited use of 1980s synth-pop. Not that anything is wrong with synth-pop, but the score is probably one of the least dated elements in these films.
The Extras
Ever wonder about some key moments in the original film? Ralph Macchio pops up (literally) to provide some insight in the Blu-ray exclusive feature "Blu-Pop," which provides pop-up trivia and interviews. The film further includes commentary with director John G. Avildsen, writer Robert Mark Kamen and actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita - a hold-over from the DVD release as Morita has since passed away. The disc also includes a multi-part "The Way of The Karate Kid" featurette plus a "East Meets West: A Composer's Notebook" and "Life of Bonsai" featurettes.
The sequel however comes up short not only in story, but in extras. It offers just a Blu-Pop, along with a "The Sequel" featurette. Both discs are BD-Live-enabled.
Final Thoughts
These dated films may take you back, and I can only imagine that these will be more original than the remake coming this summer. But with cardboard characters, impossible situations and some truly over-the-top situations, along with lackluster sound and visuals you won't be saying, "here's looking at you, kid."
Product Details
Also available individually on Blu-ray Disc:
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