What is the iRankMovies score for The Karate Kid?

Name: The Karate Kid
Director: John G. Avildsen
Genre: action, drama, family
Released: 1984
Duration: 2 h 7 min
Rating: 7.3

The Karate Kid has an iRankMovies score of 72.6/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

The Karate Kid (1984)

He taught him the secret to karate lies in the mind and heart. Not in the hands.

Release:1984

Runtime:2h 7m

Country:United States

Director:John G. Avildsen

Language:English

Genre

ActionDramaFamily

See the best action movies →

Keywords

High School friendship Martial ArtsFightPaintingKarateBullyingSensei

iRank73

The Karate Kid rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.3/10· 269K votes

Rotten Tomatoes81%

Metacritic61%

TMDb7.221/10· 5K votes

With 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.3/10 on IMDb and 61/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About The Karate Kid

New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.

Cast of The Karate Kid

Ralph Macchio
as Daniel
Pat Morita
as Miyagi
Elisabeth Shue
as Ali
William Zabka
as Johnny
Martin Kove
as Kreese
Randee Heller
as Lucille
Ron Thomas
as Bobby
Rob Garrison
as Tommy
Chad McQueen
as Dutch
Tony O'Dell
as Jimmy
Israel Juarbe
as Freddy
William Bassett
as Mr. Mills

The Karate Kid facts

Budget: $8M
Box office: $91.1M
Collection: The Karate Kid Collection

Our take on The Karate Kid

John G. Avildsen's 1984 underdog story follows Daniel LaRusso, a New Jersey teenager who moves to Los Angeles and quickly becomes the target of bullies from the Cobra Kai dojo. His unlikely mentor is Mr. Miyagi, a quiet handyman who teaches him a patient, defensive brand of karate. Blending action, drama, and family warmth, the film is really about discipline, self-respect, and the bond between a lonely kid and an older man with hidden depths. Anyone drawn to sincere coming-of-age tales, martial-arts training montages, and a satisfying tournament climax will find plenty to like. Its earnestness feels dated to some viewers, but the emotional core still lands cleanly.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources