20 Facts About the 'Karate Kid' Franchise (The Movies, 'Cobra Kai,' Everything)

The franchise that taught us to stand up for ourselves (and kick literal ass).
20 Facts About the 'Karate Kid' Franchise (The Movies, 'Cobra Kai,' Everything)
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We love The Karate Kid. Its current squeezing of nostalgia actually works, it even outpaced arguably more beloved franchises like Ghostbusters, and it ruined the modern world. God, we love The Karate Kid. Plus, we also know that it taught all you readers essential values like standing up for yourself, respecting your elders, and that when the hour is approaching to give it your best you’ve got to reach your prime – no, wait, those are just the lyrics for the “Montage” song in Team America. Anyway, The Karate Kid also taught us that!

In this Pictofact, we examine this entire universe: The original trilogy, the bland fourth movie, the nepotism-driven reboot, and of course, Cobra Kai. Hell, we even take a look at the animated show with the kickass intro in celebration of the current Karate Kid renaissance. Because for a while, the entire thing was the butt of jokes. Sure, the 1984 original has always been well regarded (even outside of the nostalgia goggles) and Pat Morita taught us invaluable lessons (on how to give alcohol to teenagers). However, most of what came after hurt the brand – until Cobra Kai brought it back to life with loving respect for the original and refreshing new ideas for a contemporary audience. So let’s bask on the entire franchise, enjoy!

The Karate Kid

CRACKED.COM THE KARATE KID THE MONTAGE SONG WAS INTENDED FOR ROCKY III. Joe Esposito's You're the Best, used in The Karate Kid's montage, was going to be used in Rocky III before they chose Eye of the Tiger instead. (Also, both songs are stuck in your head now.)

What Would the Studio Know?

THE KARATE KID THE STUDIO WANTED TO CUT DRUNK MIYAGI MOURNING HIS WIFE AND CHILD. Director John G. Avildsen fought to keep the scene, which he later thought was probably the reason Pat Morita was nominated for an Oscar. CRACKED.COM

Ralph Macchio

CRACKED.COM THE KARATE KID RALPH MACCHIO DIDN'T LIKE THE PRODUCT PLACEMENT. In one scene, he covered the Sprite logo with his hand as a form of protest. When told not to do that, he exposed the logo for as little time as he could.

And It Almost Was Much Worse

THE KARATE KID PART III RALPH MACCHIO NIXED THE ROMANCE ANGLE. Played by Robyn Lively, Jessica simply befriends Daniel, but in the original script they were supposed to be romantically involved. Macchio objected to this, because while his character was supposed to be 18, Macchio himself was 27 while Lively was 16, and he was not comfortable with the ickiness of it all. CRACKED.COM

The Next Karate Kid

THE NEXT KARATE KID THIS IS THE FIRST KARATE KID FILM NOT TO BE DIRECTED BY JOHN G. AVILDSEN. It's also the first not written by the original creator of the whole thing, Robert Mark Kamen. CRACKED.COM

IMDb

And They Carted Him Off in A Body Bag

COBRA KAI TOMMY DIED FOR REAL. In Season 2, we see Rob Garrison as Tommy, whom we last saw at the beginning of the 1986 sequel. Не gets to spend a final night with his buddies before dying. In real life, Garrison died a few months later. CRACKED.COM

‘The Karate Kid Part III’ Is Really, Really Awful

CRACKED.COM THE KARATE KID PART III RALPH MACCHIO DISLIKES THE MOVE AS MUCH AS EVERYONE. Macchio has denounced the script for having had too many rewrites and ultimately being slapdash. Director John G. Avildsen agrees, adding that it's a cheap imitation of the 1984 original, and that it just confuses those who never saw it and insults those

Kudos to ‘The Karate Kid Part II’

CRACKED.COM THE KARATE KID PART II IT'S THE FIRST MAJOR MOVIE TO ACKNOWLEDGE U.S. CAMPS FOR JAPANESE AMERICANS. While fighting in WWII, Miyagi's wife and newborn son died in the Manzanar camp. Ralph Macchio proudly argues that acknowledging this dark chapter of history is quite a feat for a popcorn movie.
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