‘The Karate Kid Collection’ Is Must Have For ’80s Collectors (FILM REVIEW)

The wild and unexpected popularity of Cobra Kai—whose fourth season premieres on Netflix on December 31—has naturally led to a rise in interest in the films that birthed the surprise streaming hit. It was difficult to grow up in the 80s without idolizing Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi and now, parents ourselves, we can finally share the experience of The Karate Kid with our children.

Just in time to get reacquainted before the new season of Cobra Kai drops (and, of course, Christmas), the new 4K Ultra HD box set, The Karate Kid Collection, is a must have for all 80s kids of all ages. Packed with special features and newly remastered, it’s enough to inspire everyone who ever spent their afternoons practicing crane kicks on the playground with their friends to want to break out their gi and pretend once more to be a karate master.

It’s not difficult to get why the appeal of this series has lasted as long as it has (we’re getting dangerously close to the 40th anniversary of the first film’s release) and the new presentation ensures that the legacy of The Karate Kid will endure for another generation. It also gives us a chance to revisit and reevaluate the divisive third movie which, while still being the worst of the three, does serve bring a new angle to Daniel-san’s journey in addition to providing the context for the next season of Cobra Kai (which is slated to bring back Thomas Ian Griffin’s villainous Terry Silver).

Watching today, you’d expect for the films themselves to feel dated. After all, they were released to capitalize on the Karate trend that was taking the country by storm in the 1980s. Yet the screenplays from writer Robert Mark Kamen prove to remain strong even considering how much the world has changed since the first film was released in 1984. The language of adolescence remains constant and Kamen has crafted an enduring coming of age story that works as well today as it ever has.

That’s, of course, because Karate is merely the wrapping for what is, at its core, one of the best cinematic bildungsromans ever made. The films endure because Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and their relationship are so well-written that it’s almost impossible not to be drawn into their spiritual father and son story. Even as the film drop in quality, that core relationship is enough to inspire no matter what era the films are viewed in.

Loaded with special features, The Karate Kid Collection (which does not include the Hilary Swank starring The Next Karate Kid) offers plenty of behind the scenes and additional featurettes to take you deep inside the world of the story and provides new insights into the lasting legacy of the film. Perfect for the 80s man-child in your life, or just lovers of film in general, The Karate Kid Collection proves just how timeless this series actually is. The Karate Kid Collection is now available to own.

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