

The Karate Kid
He taught him the secret to karate lies in the mind and heart. Not in the hands.
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
TMDB
7.2/10
4,924 votes
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Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $8M
- Box office
- $91.1M
- Language
- English
- high school
- friendship
- martial arts
- fight
- painting
- karate
- bullying
- sensei
- bully
- teen movie
- los angeles, california
- martial arts master
Top billed cast















Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- TheatricalPG22 Jun 1984
- PhysicalPGVHS31 Dec 1985
- Theatrical (limited)PGRe-release10 May 2025
United KingdomGB
- TheatricalPG31 Aug 1984
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalPG27 Sept 1984
ArgentinaAR
- Theatrical4 Oct 1984
BrazilBR
- Theatrical105 Jul 1984
- TV1212 Aug 1990
FranceFR
- TheatricalU26 Sept 1984
- PhysicalDVD25 Oct 2001
- Digital / OTT10 Dec 2016
- Digital / OTTNetflix1 Apr 2021
- TVCanal+ Grand Écran10 Mar 2026
GermanyDE
- Theatrical129 Nov 1984
IrelandIE
- TheatricalPG31 Aug 1984
ItalyIT
- TheatricalT25 Oct 1984
JapanJP
- TheatricalG16 Feb 1985
MexicoMX
- TheatricalA1 Nov 1984
NetherlandsNL
- Theatrical1211 Oct 1984
Frequently asked questions
The Karate Kid was released on 22 June 1984.
Audience reviews
4- J8/10
John Chard
4/18/2015
The Karocky Kid. The Karate Kid is directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita (Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and Elisabeth Shue. Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) moves with his mother (Randee Heller) from Newark, New Jersey to Reseda, a neighbourhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Pretty much from the off Daniel…
- W9/10
Wuchak
3/3/2019
***Reverent and emotionally potent coming-of-age/sports flick*** A boy (Ralph Macchio) moves with his mother from New Jersey to Los Angeles, but isn’t welcomed by the Cobra Kai gang at school, led by bully Johnny (William Zabka). But Daniel (Macchio) finds a potential girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue) and a ‘golden connection’ with a Japanese American who’s willing to teach him the art of karate (Pat Morita). Everythi…
- R7/10
r96sk
2/23/2021
The start of <em>'The Karate Kid'</em>. Good viewing, this. I'd be lying if I didn't say I expected more from it, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it - because I did. Coming into this I had only seen the 2010 remake, therefore I did know what was coming in certain points. Still, the plot is interesting and holds a positive message. I would say the run time is longer than I would've chosen, I feel they could…
- F9/10
Filipe Manuel Neto
6/18/2022
**A landmark of the 80's** I'm not exactly a fan of fighting or martial arts movies. It's usually a type of movie I avoid because I find it boring and tiring. However, I was surrendered to this film, which is surely one of the most famous of the 80s, a film that even today, thirty years later, feels good to review. Perhaps because of this, it is a film that still retains its place on the grid of cinema TV channels…
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