They meet the sensei, John Kreese, an ex- Special Forces Vietnam veteran who callously dismisses the peace offering. He declines but agrees to accompany Daniel to Cobra Kai to resolve the conflict. Miyagi intervenes and easily defeats them.Īmazed, Daniel asks Mr. On Halloween, after Daniel sprays water on Johnny with a hose as payback, he and his gang pursue Daniel down the street and brutally beat him, until Mr. Johnny and his Cobra Kai gang continually bully Daniel.
Miyagi.Īt a beach party, Daniel befriends Ali Mills, a high school cheerleader, drawing the attention of her arrogant ex-boyfriend Johnny Lawrence, a black belt and the top student from the Cobra Kai dojo, which teaches an aggressive form of karate. Their apartment's handyman is an eccentric, but kind and humble Okinawan immigrant named Mr. In 1984, 17-year-old Daniel LaRusso and his mother Lucille move from Newark, New Jersey, to Reseda, Los Angeles, California. The film subsequently launched a media franchise and is credited for popularizing karate in the United States. The film revitalized the acting career of Morita, who was previously known mostly for comedic roles, and earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The film was also a commercial success, grossing over $130 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1984 and Hollywood's biggest sleeper hit of the year.
The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised the action sequences, writing, themes, performances, and music. The Karate Kid was theatrically released in the United States on June 22, 1984. The film was Macchio's second major film role following The Outsiders (1983). Principal photography began on October 31, 1983, in Los Angeles, and completed by December 16, 1983. Preparations for the film began immediately after the final edit of the script was complete, and casting took place between April and June 1983. As a result, he maintained strong opinions regarding cast, and petitioned heavily for Morita's inclusion. Kamen drew inspiration from his own life when writing the film. Kamen was approached by Columbia Pictures to compose a film similar to Avildsen's previous success Rocky (1976), after signing the director. Miyagi (Morita) to help defend himself and compete in a tournament against his bullies, one of whom is Johnny Lawrence (Zabka), the ex-boyfriend of his love interest Ali Mills (Shue). The Karate Kid follows Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), a teenager taught karate by Mr. It is the first installment in the Karate Kid franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue and William Zabka. It's possible that he was married to Tessie LaRusso, who was briefly mentioned in The Karate Kid and mentioned again in Strike First.The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. It may have been possible she had been married to Uncle Louie, and passed away prior to the events of the first film.Īlthough mentioned in Cobra Kai, it was strongly implied Uncle Louie was killed by emphysema prior to the debut of the show. The only time Daniel mentioned having an aunt was a woman named Tessie. Her goodbye was ended when Uncle Louie rang a bell. Miyagi ended the conversation saying it was his pleasure and asked her to take good care of Uncle Louie. Miyagi for allowing Daniel to stay with him. Lucille LaRusso has returned to New Jersey to help care for her late husband's brother, and speaking on the phone thanked Mr. He was seen onscreen in the third film when he is bedridden from emphysema. However, she did not know Uncle Louie as the "Louie" she spoke of was an unrelated man named Louis Fortini. He was first talked about in the first film, when a woman who lived in the South Seas apartment complex said to Daniel LaRusso she was a fellow New Jersey native from Parsippany. Uncle Louie lived in Parsippany, New Jersey.
He is the uncle-in-law of Amanda LaRusso. (born 1915), better know as Uncle Louie is a character who was mentioned in The Karate Kid and seen in The Karate Kid Part III.