Skin Flute Symphony

OK...new game. Play by Play movie viewing

As you may have guessed by now, my work days, which are only on weekends, consist of twelve hours of me fobbing people off with their PC issues. As a result, I tend to have a large amount of spare time in which my activities range from playing tetris to blogging, to watching movies. Today is the first in what will hopefully be a series of play by play movie viewings in which I will make commentaries and statements regarding the movies being viewed and ever so occasionally, parrallels into my own life.
The catch is that these movies will tend not to be of greatest quality...in fact some would call them shite...but that to me is half the charm.

For our first installment, I give you, The Karate Kid Part I.



Before I begin, I should explain some things...back in 1985, my Mother hired this for me one night on VHS and it is probably the one thing that pushed me toward getting into martial arts as a young kid. I thought this film was awesome...jump forward almost 20 years, and I am in EzyDVD one day and I come across, in the bargain bin no less, Karate Kid episodes I, II, and III all in one pack for $12.99 . Too good a deal to turn down. I ran home and watched them all back to back and came to the realisation that as a 9 year old, I knew jack shit about anything.

Anyways, here goes...begin the viewing!

*Special Features in this movie...minimal and are crap...

The first few minutes is basically Daniel and his Mother moving from dingy, industrial Newark, new Jersey to sunny California...Mom seems really excited about the move, Daniel not so much...am sure this will be a sticking point later!
Side note, the LaRusso family truckster has some issues getting started at the Canyon Point motel...remember this later as it is sure to cause embarrassment for all!

Some interesting scenery of corn fields and the desert...America looks so appetising for a fly-drive holiday.


They get to where they are going to live and it turns out their apartment complex looks like the sort of place where you can normally see the Law and Order guys kicking in doors and questioning hookers about the drug lab found in apartment 7G. A nice place to call home.

Daniel meets some dude named Freddy Fernandez (seriously), by kicking a door open that knocks him over...Daniel talks up his Karate skills, which as we will see soon are non existent.

Daniels first meeting with the bizarre little Japanese guy Mr Miyagi occurs now...as he goes to tell him about a leaky tap in their apartment...it would appear Miyagi is a man of few words.

Jump to a beach party Daniel is at with his new buddy Freddy and a bunch of randoms who we don't really get introduced to...it is here that Daniel first meets Ali (with an I), a young Elizabeth Shue who although is a bit heavier than in later efforts, is still pretty cute in an attainable kind of way (although she is playing a 17-18 year old, and I am now 30, this is ok to think as this movie is 20 years old). They first gain each others attention as Daniel shows off with a soccer ball, then they get to talking over a campfire later...moving. He also comes across the protagonist of thr story, Johnny, played by William Zabka, who was also in the Rodney Dangerfield classic "Back to School". You know Johnny and his buddies are bad ass cause they ride dirt bikes and drink beers. they also all have matching Cobra Kai jackets...which will become more relevant later.

Ali and Johnny use to be a couple, he is having issues letting go. Of course Daniel being the whiny purveyor of social justice he is gets involved and gets a suitable ass kicking. His new friends desert him and aren't really seen again till much later. Thanks guys, cheques in the mail.

Needs to be said that Daniel looks like a 16-17 year old kid, while the others all look at least mid 20's...great casting.

Cut to the LaRusso kitchen the next morning and Daniel is wearing his sunglasses inside, which of course makes his Mother think he is on drugs, this of course being around the time of the Nacny Reagan inspired "Just say 'No'" movement. She is wise to be concerned...he could be on the pot! Of course he is hiding a decent shiner, which he explains as being a bike accident, which somehow she buys...much like those who believe a domestic violence victim when she says she walked into a door.

He is now at school...must say, it looks like a pretty good place...my school was nothing like this...I feel I missed out. Of course Daniel continues this chasing of Ali at soccer practice, a move which gets the attention of Johnny and his cronies..who of course conspire to get him in trouble...it works as Daniels short fuse, probably from his Italian heritage, comes to the fore.

2nd Miyagi appearance...Daniel just happens to be doing Karate from a book. Miyagi questions Daniels eye injury and makes the comment of how his hands aren't hurt...he is so wise!

Daniel checks out the Cobra Kai school, which is run by an ex Green Beret who runs the class like a boot camp. The kids resond loudly and there is a lot of aggression in the air...I must say, I am somewhat impressed. it is then that Daniel sees Johnny out the front and leaves...nbot before being seen by Johnny of course. This will end badly...

And it does, as he has another bike accident, which results in a massive fight between him and his mother about how he never wanted to move here etc etc whiny bitch. He also chucks his bike in a bin...which is seen by the wise one Miyagi.

Its safe to say we can fast forward a bit here as it basically becomes Daniel whingeing and getting beat up...Miyagi fixes his bike and introduces him to Bonsai trees, which Daniel jumps into...although he does go to a pretty cool place on a date with Ali. Golf and stuff looks pretty awesome...it has mini golf and....stuff. Adelaide had a spot like this called Magic Mountain...it was a big papier mache 'mountain' with water slides and stuff...although it never really looked like a mountain, more like a big papier mache turd. Every summer the urban myth about kids putting razor blades on the slides would circulate and it was always someone you knews cousin or neighbour or neighbours cousin that had their leg sliced open on a razor blade on the slide...suffice to say, I don't think this ever happened.

The final beating takes place after a big dance when Daniel just couldn't leave well enough alone and lets a hose loose on Johnny in the mens room (not as bad as it sounds)...it is then he is given a 'within an inch of his life thrashing', only to be saved by the old Japanese guy with the reflexes of a cat.
This of course brings us to the point where Daniel becomes Miyagi's pupil and he teaches him karate, in preparation for the All Valley under 18 tournament....

Unless you have lived under a rock, you would have no doubt heard the wax on: wax off philosophy and what not, but now let me speak on the teaching methods used.

My Principles of Teaching and Coaching lecturer would tear shreds off Miyagi's style which is seemingly directionless, authoritarian and too demanding for a high school kid (although it must be said, he never seems to be in any class...). His methods are cryptic (paint the fence, wash the car, sand the floor) and the learner feels as though he is being neglected initially. Miyagi does bring it all together eventually and Daniel's improvement is immeasurable. He even gets introduced to the crane technique atop some pilons at the beach...remember this for later kids!

Aside from an embarrassing spaghetti incident at Ali's rich families country club, things go pretty smoothly for Daniel in his training up to the big day of the tournament. Of course, at the tournament, he starts shakily, then it all comes together for him and accompanied by an awesome 80's montage...



At the culmination of this, daniel is against one of the Cobra Kai kids (Bobby) in the semi finals. The Cobra Kai boss (sensei Kreese) tells him to put LaRusso "Out of comission"...Bobby reluctantly does this...seemingly leaving Johnny to win the title by forfeit...but then this happened...



Needless to say, this movie always gives me slight goosebumps, indeed almost tears...gotta love an underdog!

To see the almost Hitler youth type movement of the Cobra Kai get beat by the 'little Italian kid that could' on a grand stage by a move as preposterous as a crane technique may well be corny, but you know what, I like corn...it is good for you.

Stay tuned for a similar play by play of KKII and KKIII!

posted by SkinFluteSymphony @ 9:36 AM