A Third Degree Black Belt and a Cinephile discuss The Karate Kid - Media Obscura (Film Review)

Media Obscura returns* with a most triumphant re-run! Nick and the shows original co-host Mike (circa 2020) dive into the 1984 film, The Karate Kid as a tie in to the Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan starring Karate Kid: Legends, which is out in theaters now. Their conversation digs into the films many themes, as well as the history of karate and how the John G. Avildsen 80s sports film uses them to great effect. On top of that, they discuss the many ways in which Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi (the wise teacher to end all wise teachers, tbh) is the true protagonist of the story, and how his story reflects something profound that a lot of the rest of the movie doesn’t. Some of the other things discussed in this episode include: Whether or not Daniel is actually the bully. The morality of Cobra Kai’s mantra of “strike first, strike hard, no mercy.” The nuances of Mr. Miyagi’s portrayal and Pat Morita’s Oscar nod. How martial arts are (in)accurately portrayed in films Behind-the-scenes trivia, including Pat Morita’s casting and Dutch being played by Steve McQueen’s son How The Karate Kid compares to Rocky. #thekaratekid #moviepodcast #filmreview Support the channel: Patreon:   / nichecaesar   Channel Membership:    / @nichecaesar   Socials: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nichecaesar.... Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/nichecaesar Media Obscura and Glaring Admissions/Media Obscura (Podcasts): https://pod.link/themediaobscura