Things Only Adults Notice In The Karate Kid

We could all learn a thing or two from "The Karate Kid." Violence should only be used for defense, or at least in a last-resort case. There are no shortcuts in life –– doing the work is the best way to achieve long-term success. Find balance in your life. Never give up. There's more to this film than two people facing off in a karate match –– and there are, likewise, a plethora of elements that could go over the heads of younger audience members.

The 1984 martial arts drama follows Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), a teenager who moves to Los Angeles with his mom, Lucille LaRusso (Randee Heller), so she can pursue a better profession. As the new kid in town, Daniel is picked on for being different: He's a New Jersey native through and through and is less fortunate than some of his classmates. Daniel is, subsequently, picked on at school by a group of bullies who just so happen to know karate very well. Eventually, Daniel goes under Mr. Miyagi's (Pat Morita) mentorship and faces his fears, and bullies, in a karate tournament. Though "The Karate Kid" franchise is based on so much more than romance –– it is, after all, a drama/action film, not a romantic comedy –– Daniel and Johnny's rivalry started because they both liked the same girl. The ensuing events are much more complicated than that, but that occurrence kicked off this franchise, not to mention a spinoff series.

Ultimately, "The Karate Kid" is an everlasting film that's flooded with lifelong lessons –– and here are things only adults notice in this classic movie.

Ali and Daniel going to the same high school might seem perfectly fine for younger audience members, but it's not hard for more seasoned viewers to question this occurrence. Ali is from the Hills and Daniel lives in the Valley. The Hills are known as a more affluent part of Southern California –– and Ali appears to be raised by a family that questions their daughter hanging out with a lower-class member. Though that sounds harsh, the way they look at Daniel and his mother when they have to start their car by pushing it says it all. Yet adults will recall that wealth doesn't inherently make a person good, nor does not coming from means make a person bad.

One would assume Ali would go to a nicer high school given where she comes from, the way her family looks at less fortunate people, and the unfairly bad light that tends to be shined on public schools in the real world. That said, perhaps Ali and Daniel's high school has a good reputation. There's nothing wrong with saving money — private schools don't intrinsically create better students.

Though Mr. Miyagi saved Daniel from getting further bullied, he beat up a bunch of high school kids to the point of knocking them out. A degree of self-defense was warranted, and this scene is important to the story as it displays Mr. Miyagi's karate abilities. But it's harder for seasoned viewers not to question the fact that the karate master beat up a group of minors ... and then left the scene without making sure they were okay.

Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) is aware of Miyagi harming the kids, yet he doesn't tell anyone about it. This seems odd, considering John teaches his Cobra Kai students violence. They also evidently fight dirty, as John has one of his students injure Daniel on purpose in the karate tournament. 

For better or worse, Mr. Miyagi fighting with high school students is glossed over. And Miyagi takes it under his power to solve Daniel's bully issues by cutting a deal with John.

Speaking of parental supervision, Mr. Miyagi probably should have told Daniel's mom about his bullies. Though the film tends to gloss over head trauma, Daniel appeared to have a concussion, as he was dazed and confused after the Cobra Kai students jumped him on the night of the Halloween school dance. Surely, Miyagi could have told Daniel's mom off-screen, but he presumably takes the parenting duties into his own hands.

Miyagi then teaches Daniel the techniques of karate and makes a deal with a violent person –– all while not talking to Daniel's mom. It's evident that this universe is lacking parental supervision, and Daniel's mom is a single mother trying to balance a new life and career in California. But a conversation with Miyagi and Daniel's mom should have occurred at some point. In Miyagi's defense, Daniel is lacking a father figure and, Miyagi also realizes that the bullying won't stop until Daniel stands up for himself –– and a karate tournament is a seemingly safe environment to tackle the problem head-on.

Though he becomes a karate tournament champion, Daniel tends to get in his own way. He is, by all measures, his own worst enemy. Seasoned audience members will recall that, although Daniel was bullied, he handled many of the situations too aggressively. His temper and, at times, impatience play a role in his personal struggles. Similar to many young and eager teenagers, Daniel was initially restive and wanted to learn how to punch quickly. He wanted to skip over the technique, discipline, and work. It's not until Miyagi points out the lessons he's been teaching Daniel all along that Daniel realizes Miyagi was teaching him karate. Plus, whether being bullied or not, Daniel did retaliate. He did, after all, pull a prank on Johnny at the Halloween dance, proving once again that he kneecaps himself.

That said, this theme becomes more of a factor in subsequent movies, and plays a much larger part of the franchise's story, especially since the release of "Cobra Kai."