Jonathan Tubo March 2, 2026 12 - Concepcion

The Karate Kid, written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John Avildsen is a story about growing up, finding confidence, and learning what real strength means. The film follows Daniel LaRusso, a teenager who was relocated from Detroit when his father dies and his mother lands the gig overseas. It was only a few minutes for Dre to find himself falling victim to a local judo thug and his equally bullying thugs. Although everything changed when he caught the eye of a building maintenance man. Mr. Han who was the iconic Jackie Chan. Mr Han saw Dre was full of bruises and thus treated him with ancient Chinese medicine methods. Dre asked if Mr. Han can teach him kung fu but was ultimately refused and was suggested to meet Cheng’s teacher, Master Li. Li then teachers Dre to show no mercy to their enemies and challenges Dre to a duel. They refused and Han starts begins training Dre but Dre was frustrated that Mr. Han was merely spend hours teaching how to take his jacket off, hanging it up, and dropping it and putting it on again. The famous “wax on, wax off” scenes compress time and make it seem like his progress happens quickly, but they also highlight that real improvement comes from repetition and discipline. After the training paid off, the tournament was coming up and the under-confident Dre begins beating his opponents and advances to the semifinals and so does Cheng who was more violent when finishing his opponents. During later rounds, Dre’s leg was intentionally injured and the next match was with Cheng which Mr. Han insist that he must mend his leg first but Dre insisted on fighting Chen. During the fight, Dre delivers impressive blows but was countered with Cheng with a strike to his injured leg. Dre was struggling to get up and attempts to use various techniques to manipulate Cheng while preparing his reflection technique which he was personally learned by the lady on the mountain. Cheng charges Dre, but Dre flips and catches Cheng with a kick to his head, winning the tournament earning respects to Cheng and his classmates.

Looking at the film through a Marxist lens, the conflict between Daniel and Johnny can represent class differences. Daniel comes from a working-class background and is raised by a single mother who works hard to support him. Johnny, on the other hand, appears to come from a wealthier family and trains at the Cobra Kai dojo, which promotes aggression and dominance. The film also uses temporal distortion, especially in the training montages, to show Daniel’s growth. The “no mercy” philosophy reflects a competitive, power-driven mindset that values winning at any cost. In contrast, Mr. Miyagi teaches balance, respect, and self-control, which can be seen as a criticism of harsh, win-at-all-costs systems. From a Feminist lens, Ali’s character shows some independence because she chooses who she wants to be with and does not let Johnny control her. However, the story still focuses mainly on the rivalry between the male characters, and her role is somewhat limited. 

One of the main themes in the movie is perseverance. Daniel does not naturally know how to fight, and he is not the strongest person in the room, but through patience and hard work, he slowly becomes stronger both physically and emotionally. There is also irony in Mr. Miyagi’s teaching methods. At first, Daniel thinks he is just being used to do chores like waxing cars and painting fences. It feels unfair and even pointless. Later, he realizes those movements were actually training him all along. This situational irony teaches the audience that lessons are not always obvious at first. Overall, The Karate Kid uses themes, irony, and cinematic techniques to explore identity, power, and personal growth, making it a meaningful coming-of-age story rather than just a sports film.