Why did it take ‘The Karate Kid’ 30 years to fight again?
Where were you in the summer of 1984? It was a simple time for entertainment. If you are of a certain age range, you probably experienced “The Karate Kid” in a movie theater. The story of a bullied young kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) who finds a mentor in Mr. Myagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita) and balance through karate, gave us something that we needed. Whatever that something was, it stuck with many of us for the rest of our lives. The film is so prevalent in pop culture history that a mention of a “crane kick” can spark genuine emotion from most of Generation X.
“The Karate Kid” became a four-film franchise, a remake, an animated series, and over 30 years later, a widely popular Netflix series, “Cobra Kai.” So what does it mean to Macchio? What it means, how it happened and how the film earned a place in film history zeitgeist is the heart of the book “Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me.”
In Macchio’s own words, this isn’t “the crash-and-burn-redemption story many of these types of memoirs produce.” He managed to escape the ’80s without getting swept up in the hardpartying lifestyle that felled so many of his peers. Perhaps some of those Myagi teachings of balance bled over into real life.
“Waxing On” is fundamentally a love story as Macchio tells how he and his love met, parted ways and got back together. His love is the iconic role of “The Karate Kid.”
He reflects on just about every aspect of making the memorable film — his notso-confident audition, the vigorous training, his awe at working with “Rocky” director John Avildsen, even how he caught that fly with chopsticks.
The book chronicles Macchio’s relationships with his co-stars — William Zabka, Elisabeth Shue and Randee Heller — with love and admiration. But as you might expect, his bond with Morita was special, as real as Daniel’s bond with Mr. Myagi. From stories of their first script reading together to the thoughtful ways he
chooses to honor both Morita and Mr. Myagi after his death, you can feel the weight of “Ralphie” losing his “Unca Popzi.”
Being connected to a specific character can be both a blessing and a curse, the actor writes. At the same time he was trying to distance himself from Daniel, he was also sincerely protective of the character. Wanting to to keep “the legacy untouched,” he takes us on the journey of all of the ways he was pitched to reprise the role.
Macchio goes into depth about why it took almost 30 years for him to put the headband back on, but it was worth the wait. He is attracting a whole new generation to the Myagi-verse in the series “Cobra Kai.”
This memoir is a very honest look at how “The Karate Kid” represents a very specific time in our lives, Macchio included. He gives a peek behind the curtain of personal aspects of his life — becoming a father, lessons he’s learned, and missed opportunities. In fact, there is an entire chapter, “DoOvers,” dedicated to the advice he would give his younger self.
Despite the many hardearned life lessons, Macchio never comes across as jaded or bitter. He seems like just a humble guy who now understands that “life is not a dress rehearsal.”