Television series The Karate Kid (1989) | Creator Robert Mark Kamen | |
 | ||
Films The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
The Karate Kid (2010) Video games The Karate Kid: Part II - The Computer Game (1986); The Karate Kid (1987) Characters Mr. Kesuke Miyagi, Daniel Larusso, John Kreese Directors Christopher Cain, John G. Avildsen Movies The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid Part II, The Karate Kid Part III, The Next Karate Kid Cast Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Hilary Swank | ||
The Karate Kid is an American martial arts drama multi-media franchise created by screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen. It began in 1984 with The Karate Kid, and was followed by three sequels and a remake: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), The Next Karate Kid (1994) and The Karate Kid (2010).
Contents
The first three films in the series follow Daniel LaRusso, who learns to harness karate for good through the eccentric mentorship of a janitor named Mr. Miyagi. In the fourth and final film of the original series, Mr. Miyagi becomes the caretaker of his friend's granddaughter in attempt to steer her away from trouble. The fifth film is a remake of the original film's premise without maintaining any of the original character names and replacing karate with kung fu.
While the first film garnered critical acclaim, critics were less enthusiastic about its sequels. Furthermore, the series has also had a lasting influence on both karate culture and teen film narratives in America.