‘The Karate Kid’ Collection Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Set Blu-Ray Review

Karate Kid

“Wax on, wax off.” We’ve all heard the phrase and probably say it from time to time. If not, well, then shame on you. You need some pop culture!

In recent years YouTube and then Netflix has brought Karate Kid back to the forefront with the wildly popular Cobra Kai series. But to fully appreciate that series, you need to go back to where it all started – the original Karate Kid films.

The Original Karate Kid series had three movies that centered around Daniel LaRusso, a Jersey kid that moves to California and quickly makes enemies with a gang of karate students. They handily beat him up at every turn.

He then meets Mr. Miyagi, the Japanese immigrant handyman at his apartment who displays an advanced skill in karate and takes Daniel under his wing to teach him lessons about not only karate but also life. In the second film, Daniel accompanies Mr. Miyagi to Okinawa to see his ailing father and face Mr. Miyagi’s former best friend who vowed a fight to the death over the love of a woman and is the reason that Mr. Miyagi left Okinawa as a young man.

In the third film, Daniel has decided not to defend his title and is goaded and repeatedly attacked by individuals that want him to enter and lose in order to reestablish the Cobra Kai Karate School chain.

What I Liked About the ‘The Karate Kid’ Collection Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Set

I must say, these films are remastered from the original negatives and it shows. It’s amazing from the very first scene.

As somebody who has seen this film dozens of times, I have never seen it like this. It’s quite impressive. The images pop and everything is crystal clear. The films are also just great movies. They are wholesome and can be enjoyed by the entire family and they have great lessons in them.

What really makes them great, though, are the characters. This is why a show like Cobra Kai can be so successful. The characters are so richly created and once that is firmly created you can insert them at any point in time and bring that reality.

There is a reason Pat Morita got an Oscar nomination for Mr. Miyagi – the character work was just that strong.

What I Didn’t Like About the ‘The Karate Kid’ Collection Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Set

There’s not much not to like here. If I were to make one criticism, it’s that Karate Kid III has very little in the way of extras. While arguably the weakest of the three films, it’s still a very good movie. And the first I ever saw in theaters as a child. I just think it deserves equal bonus treatment as the other films.

What’s Included

This set is very impressive. It includes a very nice dust cover for each film, which are all held in a larger box that has great artwork featuring key scenes and characters from all three of the films.

DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS

THE KARATE KID – 4K ULTRA HD DISC

  • Mastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative, with Dolby Vision
  • English Dolby Atmos audio + 5.1 + theatrical stereo audio
  • NEW: Deleted Scenes
  • “Remembering The Karate Kid”– A reflective look back with stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and Martin Kove
  • Theatrical Trailer

BLU-RAY DISC™

  • Feature presented in high definition
  • English 5.1 
  • Blu-Pop™ Pop-Up Track
  • Commentary with Director John G. Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita
  • “The Way ofThe Karake Kid” Multi-Part Making-Of Featurette
  • “Beyond the Form” Featurette
  • “East Meets West: A Composer’s Notebook”
  • “Life of Bonsai” Featurette

THE KARATE KID PART II – 4K ULTRA HD DISC

  • Mastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative, with Dolby Vision
  • English Dolby Atmos audio + 5.1 + theatrical stereo audio
  • NEW: Deleted Scenes
  • “Remembering The Karate Kid”– A reflective look back with stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and Martin Kove
  • Theatrical Trailer

BLU-RAY DISC™

  • Feature presented in high definition
  • English 5.1
  • Blu-Pop™ Pop-Up Track
  • Commentary with Director John G. Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita
  • “The Way of The Karate Kid” Multi-Part Making-Of Featurette
  • “Beyond the Form” Featurette
  • “East Meets West: A Composer’s Notebook”
  • “Life of Bonsai” Featurette

THE KARATE KID PART III – 4K ULTRA HD DISC

  • Newly remastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative, with Dolby Vision
  • English Dolby Atmos audio + 5.1 + theatrical stereo audio
  • Theatrical Trailer

BLU-RAY DISC

  • Feature presented in high definition
  • English 5.1

Overall Thoughts

This is a great set with the best upgrade to the original negatives I have ever seen. It looks amazing and is great fun for the whole family regardless of age.

The Karate Kid Collection Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Set is currently available from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

The Karate Kid Collection Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Set Review:

Grade: A+

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *