The Karate Kid
A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita), whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self, mind, and body and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi's guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film.
The Karate Kid: Part II
The price of honor. The power of friendship. The Karate Kid, Part II. Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita re-create the roles that brought them international acclaim in The Karate Kid. Karate student, Daniel Larusso (Macchio), accompanies his wise and whimsical teacher, Mr. Miyagi (Morita), to his ancestral home in Okinawa. For the boy, it's a journey to an exotic new world offering new clues to his mentor's secret past. For Miyagi, it's an opportunity to see his father one last time and to rekindle a romance with his childhood sweetheart (Nobu McCarthy). But Miyagi's return also re-ignites a bitter feud with long-time enemy, Sato (Danny Kamekona) - a feud that involves young Daniel in a brilliant collision of cultures and combat. Now, far away from the tournaments, the cheering crowds and the safety of home, Daniel will face his greatest challenge ever when teacher becomes student and the price of honor is life itself.
The Karate Kid: Part III
Karate Kid, Daniel Larusso, risks losing it all when he places pride before principle in this dramatic film that reunites stars Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita. When Daniel (Macchio) decides not to compete in the upcoming karate championship, he becomes the target of vicious Cobra Kai student, Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan), who's determined to win the title back. Standing firm, Daniel's mentor and trainer, Mr. Miyagi (Morita), instructs him to ignore Mike's threats - and stay away from the tournament. But when Mike's relentless abuse escalates into blackmail, Daniel finds himself forced into competition - and at serious odds with Miyagi, the one person he cherishes most. Desperate, Daniel turns to another karate instructor, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), whose violent combat techniques are directly opposed to Miyagi's wise instruction. But when Daniel realizes that Terry and Mike are allied with Mr Miyagi's old nemesis, Kreese (Martin Kove), in an elaborate set-up for revenge, he also knows he has alienated the only person who can help him. A riveting story of independence, inner strength and self-enlightenment, The Karate Kid, Part III is a powerful new chapter in this popular series of films.
The Next Karate Kid
Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita and Acacemy Award winner Hilary Swank co-star in this story of a rebellious teen, Julie, who blossoms with a little help from her friends - in this case, the wise Mr. Miyagi and a trio of buddhist monks!
A sizable hit with both teen audiences and sports-themed movie enthusiasts, 1984's The Karate Kid had the right combination of heart and action to spawn three sequels of varying quality between 1986 and 1994; all four features have been packaged together in this three-disc set. Though plot elements varied from film to film, the core story (and the series' greatest strength) remained the same--the relationship between a wise Japanese martial arts teacher (skillfully underplayed by comedian Pat Morita) and his young American student (Ralph Macchio in the first three films, and future Oscar winner Hilary Swank in the final entry, The Next Karate Kid). The first of the Morita/Macchio matchups remains the best of the four features, with excellent performances from both leads and director John G. Avildsen (who also handled Rocky and the first two Kid sequels) expertly balancing the emotional moments with the pure excitement of the martial arts tournament that serves as its finale.
The subsequent sequels with Macchio seemed pulpier (especially The Karate Kid, Part II, with its rekindled wartime romance subplot), and the inevitable come-from-behind competitions lacking the impact of the original; 1994's The Next Karate Kid (directed by Christopher Cain) put a slight spin on the formula by replacing Macchio with belligerent teen Swank, but it too seems like a retread of the first film. Still, the messages inherent to each film--finding one's inner strength, trusting your heart--should ring true to new generations of younger viewers. Fans may find the Collection light on supplemental features--while all four films are presented in anamorphic widescreen format, only the original (which was previously released in pan-and-scan only) offers commentary by Avildsen, Macchio and Morita and several making-of featurettes; the three sequels, packed into two discs, offer no extras. --Paul Gaita

If these two young Dine' girls, don't melt your heart with their smile and pride of what they are doing, then I feel sorry for you. Read their story and I hope you stop by the bakery (and buy something).~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~So far on this twelve day road trip we had tent camped at the City of Rocks and Echo Park in Dinosaur National Monument. The third night we stayed at a motel in Montrose, Colorado. The fourth and fifth nights we tent camped at Devil's Canyon campground, just south of Monticello, Utah.We were now ready to turn our attention to the upcoming backpacking trip at Keet Seel. We had thought about camping the night before our backpacking trip at either Canyon View (where I had camped before) or Sunset View near Betatakin in Navajo National Monument (close to Shonto, Arizona). We then could attend the orientation the next morning and begin our backpacking trip shortly afterwards. Our permit for backpacking Keet Seel was for the 6th & 7th of June (Wednesday & Thursday).After talking it over at our camp at Devil's Canyon we decided to get a motel room in Blanding for two nights; get up at 4 am; drive to Betatakin; attend our orientation; and then start our hike into Keet Seel. This would allow us to use the motel room to pack our backpacks the night before; take a nice hot shower the night before and morning of the hike; and sleep on a bed, the night before backpacking. So that is what we did.We checked into the Gateway Inn in Blanding, where we had stayed many times before around noon on Monday the 4th of June 2012. We headed immediately to the Laundromat to wash the five days of 'camping clothes'. At the Laundromat in Blanding, there was one older Navajo (Dine') woman, doing her laundry. She ended up giving us advice on the best washers and dryers to use and finally our conversations expanded and we got to know her pretty well. Her name was Daisy Cowboy and she was really a nice lady, one of the many nice people we would meet in Blanding as we rested up and organized for our Keet Seel backpacking trip.Daisy invited us to a 'fellowship meeting on the Navajo Reservation on Saturday but we told her we would be on our way back to the Pacific Northwest by then. A really nice lady.We drove to the local market to pick up some last minute food items for our backpacking trip and on the way back to the motel we saw the bakery in town was open. I had wanted to stop there on previous visits but it was always closed in the afternoons. So into the bakery we went. I had scones on my mind, both to snack on during our stay in Blanding and to take for Keet Seel.We were greeted by Elaine Borgen wearing a stylish red 'baker's hat'. She had two young Navajo girls working with her. Her husband Arlen sat at one of the two small round tables in the small bakery. Elaine told be that the chocolate scones in the glass case were the only scones she had. I knew those would melt on the trail so asked if she ever baked peach or cherry scones. 'What kind would you like and how many of them would you like' she replied. 'I will have them ready for you at 8 tomorrow morning. I liked that.So I ordered four cherry scones for the next morning and then ended up striking up a conversation with her husband Arlen. We talked Anasazi, cliff dwellings, pottery, and hiking, while Elaine told my wife the story of their bakery.Their story (short form): Arlen and Elaine came from Oregon seven years ago and opened the small bakery. Navajo kids came in often and soon began to ask for 'spare money' for the movies. There is a quaint small old movie house just down the street from the bakery in Blanding.To the Borgen's credit, they offered the Navajo kids a deal. They could become partners (not hired help) in the bakery and share in the profits of the business, and learn about running a business. They could then 'earn' some movie money. The kids took them up on it. I may not get all the details right but the kids came up with 'Lickity Split Chocolates' as their idea for what to sell at the bakery. They used Indian feathers and candy with tribal designs and stories attached. It worked.Their effort prospered and Utah state government became aware of the efforts, inviting the kids to present their story in Salt Lake City (which they did with a positive response from the attendees). The ultimate recognition though came from Washington D.C. where they went to the White House and got to meet President Bush and received an honor for their 'entrepreneurial efforts'. Not bad for a small bakery in Blanding, Utah eh?So some of the Navajo 'partners' have graduated and moved on but there are new young ones eagerly taking their place. Arlen and Elaine have hopes to spread the model to the Ute nation as well.Tuesday morning at 8 am sharp my wife and I strolled into the bakery. I smiled and asked Elaine 'By any chance would you have

L-R: oldmantravels; professor Jon Moris; one of the Sampson sisters and partner in the bakery business; Arlen and Elaine Borgen - - people with a heart and a smile. Photo credit: One of the young Sampson sisters, and partner in Lickity Split Chocolates.So far on this twelve day road trip we had tent camped at the City of Rocks and Echo Park in Dinosaur National Monument. The third night we stayed at a motel in Montrose, Colorado. The fourth and fifth nights we tent camped at Devil's Canyon campground, just south of Monticello, Utah.We were now ready to turn our attention to the upcoming backpacking trip at Keet Seel. We had thought about camping the night before our backpacking trip at either Canyon View (where I had camped before) or Sunset View near Betatakin in Navajo National Monument (close to Shonto, Arizona). We then could attend the orientation the next morning and begin our backpacking trip shortly afterwards. Our permit for backpacking Keet Seel was for the 6th & 7th of June (Wednesday & Thursday).After talking it over at our camp at Devil's Canyon we decided to get a motel room in Blanding for two nights; get up at 4 am; drive to Betatakin; attend our orientation; and then start our hike into Keet Seel. This would allow us to use the motel room to pack our backpacks the night before; take a nice hot shower the night before and morning of the hike; and sleep on a bed, the night before backpacking. So that is what we did.We checked into the Gateway Inn in Blanding, where we had stayed many times before around noon on Monday the 4th of June 2012. We headed immediately to the Laundromat to wash the five days of 'camping clothes'. At the Laundromat in Blanding, there was one older Navajo (Dine') woman, doing her laundry. She ended up giving us advice on the best washers and dryers to use and finally our conversations expanded and we got to know her pretty well. Her name was Daisy Cowboy and she was really a nice lady, one of the many nice people we would meet in Blanding as we rested up and organized for our Keet Seel backpacking trip.Daisy invited us to a 'fellowship meeting on the Navajo Reservation on Saturday but we told her we would be on our way back to the Pacific Northwest by then. A really nice lady.We drove to the local market to pick up some last minute food items for our backpacking trip and on the way back to the motel we saw the bakery in town was open. I had wanted to stop there on previous visits but it was always closed in the afternoons. So into the bakery we went. I had scones on my mind, both to snack on during our stay in Blanding and to take for Keet Seel.We were greeted by Elaine Borgen wearing a stylish red 'baker's hat'. She had two young Navajo girls working with her. Her husband Arlen sat at one of the two small round tables in the small bakery. Elaine told be that the chocolate scones in the glass case were the only scones she had. I knew those would melt on the trail so asked if she ever baked peach or cherry scones. 'What kind would you like and how many of them would you like' she replied. 'I will have them ready for you at 8 tomorrow morning. I liked that.So I ordered four cherry scones for the next morning and then ended up striking up a conversation with her husband Arlen. We talked Anasazi, cliff dwellings, pottery, and hiking, while Elaine told my wife the story of their bakery.Their story (short form): Arlen and Elaine came from Oregon seven years ago and opened the small bakery. Navajo kids came in often and soon began to ask for 'spare money' for the movies. There is a quaint small old movie house just down the street from the bakery in Blanding.To the Borgen's credit, they offered the Navajo kids a deal. They could become partners (not hired help) in the bakery and share in the profits of the business, and learn about running a business. They could then 'earn' some movie money. The kids took them up on it. I may not get all the details right but the kids came up with 'Lickity Split Chocolates' as their idea for what to sell at the bakery. They used Indian feathers and candy with tribal designs and stories attached. It worked.Their effort prospered and Utah state government became aware of the efforts, inviting the kids to present their story in Salt Lake City (which they did with a positive response from the attendees). The ultimate recognition though came from Washington D.C. where they went to the White House and got to meet President Bush and received an honor for their 'entrepreneurial efforts'. Not bad for a small bakery in Blanding, Utah eh?So some of the Navajo 'partners' have graduated and moved on but there are new young ones eagerly taking their place. Arlen and Elaine have hopes to spread the model to the Ute nation as well.Tuesday morning at 8 am sharp my wife and I strolled into the bakery. I smiled and asked Elaine 'By a

Karate Kid I From Academy Award®-winning director John G. Avildsen (1976, Rocky) comes the highly entertaining, coming-of-age classic that will have you cheering! Starring Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki “Pat” Morita in his Academy Award®-nominated performance (Best Supporting Actor, 1984) as Mr. Miyagi.
Karate Kid II Returning with Daniel (Ralph Macchio) to his Okinawa home for the first time in 45 years, Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita) encounters Yukie (Nobu McCarthy), the woman he left behind when he immigrated to America.
The Karate Kid John G. Avildsen not only directed Rocky, he tried remaking it over the years in a dozen different ways. One of them was this popular 1984 drama about a new kid (Ralph Macchio) in town targeted by karate-wielding bullies until he gets a new mentor: the handyman (Pat Morita) from his apartment building, who teaches him self-confidence and fighting skills. The screen partnership of Macchio's motor-mouth character and Morita's reserved father figure works well, and the script allows for the younger man to develop sympathy for the painful memories of his teacher. But the film's real engine, as with Rocky, is the fighting, and there's plenty of that. Elisabeth Shue is on board as the girl the klutzy Macchio dreams of winning. --Tom Keogh
The Karate Kid, Part II Literally picking up about five minutes after the conclusion of the 1984 The Karate Kid, this 1986 sequel, also directed by John G. Avildsen, sends Ralph Macchio's and Pat Morita's characters to the latter's home turf in Japan, where the older man is confronted by an old rival, and Macchio's newly confident fighter gets a tougher challenge than the punks back home. Sillier than its predecessor, this follow-up at least has some distracting soap opera elements in Morita's coming to terms with an old flame, while Macchio woos a lovely local girl. Ironically, it's the action that evokes laughter, particularly a climactic fight that gets over the top quickly. --Tom Keogh