The Karate Kid is a 1984 coming of age-drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen, starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue. It is a martial arts film and an underdog story in the mold of a previous Avildsen success, the 1976 boxing film Rocky. It was a commercial success upon first release. It had favorable critical attention, earning Pat Morita an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
| Directed by | John G. Avildsen |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Jerry Weintraub |
| Written by | Robert Mark Kamen |
| Starring | Ralph Macchio Pat Morita Elisabeth Shue |
| Music by | Bill Conti |
| Cinematography | James Crabe |
| Editing by | John G. Avildsen Walt Mulconery Bud S. Smith |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | United States May 11, 2010 (on blu-ray disc) United States/Canada June 22, 1984 United Kingdom August 31, 1984 Australia September 27, 1984 Japan February 16, 1985 |
| Running time | 126 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Japanese |
| Gross revenue | $90,815,558 |
| Followed by | The Karate Kid, Part II |