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Home > Best Film Ever > Episode 287 - The Karate Kid
Podcast: Best Film Ever
Episode:

Episode 287 - The Karate Kid
Category: TV & Film
Duration: 03:15:43
Publish Date: 2025-07-15 00:00:00
Description:

“Wax on, wax off.” Join your favourite TransAtlantic podcasting crew – Ian, Liam, and the triumphant return of Megs (Kev’s still away… last seen jogging up a hill in a grey tracksuit muttering “No mercy”) – as we crane kick our way into our 287th episode, tackling the inspirational, emotional, and occasionally questionable The Karate Kid (1984). We’re trading crystal fortresses for dojo face-offs and dusty training montages as we discuss:

  • Does Daniel LaRusso bring most of his problems onto himself? We break down whether he’s the underdog—or the instigator.
  • What is the difference between a cute girl and a hot girl? And where does Elizabeth Shue’s Alli fall on the spectrum of '80s love interests?
  • Does Ralph Macchio wear one of the all-time worst Halloween costumes in movie history? (Spoiler: Yes. Yes, he does.)
  • Can you really learn black belt-level karate in just a few weeks? Or did Daniel unlock cheat codes under Mr. Miyagi’s tutelage?
  • Ian goes to war with the score—and one particular song that just doesn’t belong.
  • The film suggests America was batty about soccer in the '80s. Was that true… or just wishful screenwriting?
  • Why the studio was reluctant to cast Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi—and how he proved them all spectacularly wrong.
  • Ian finds a way to shave 10 minutes off the runtime—Miyagi would approve of the efficiency.
  • Why does Daniel’s mother uproot their entire life for a job that seems… deeply underwhelming?
  • Does Daniel deserve Alli in the end—or was she just too good for this drama-prone karate kid?
  • We wax (lyrically) on and off about themes, nostalgia, and tournament ethics.
  • And finally, whether The Karate Kid is the Best Film Ever.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE.

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

  • Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
  • Hermes Auslander
  • James DeGuzman
  • Synthia
  • Shai Bergerfroind
  • Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
  • Andy Dickson
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  • Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
  • Richard
  • Ryan Kuketz
  • Dirk Diggler
  • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
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  • John Humphrey's Right Foot
  • Timmy Tim Tim
  • Aashrey

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Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/.
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