Karate Kid, The: Ultimate Collection (4K UHD Review)

• Reviewed by: Bill Hunt
• Review Date: Aug 26, 2025
• Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

John G. Avildsen, Christopher Cain, Harald Zwart, Jonathan Entwistle

Release Date(s)

1984-2025 (August 26, 2025)

Studio(s)

Columbia Pictures/Jerry Weintraub Productions/Delphi/China Film/Overbrook/Sunswept (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

• Film/Program Grade: See Below
• Video Grade: See Below
• Audio Grade: See Below
• Extras Grade: B
• Overall Grade: B+

Review

[Editor’s Note: This is an Amazon-exclusive 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray box set.]

Though far from a blockbuster in terms of its box office returns, Robert Mark Kamen’s Karate Kid franchise has nevertheless become a fan-favorite and has inspired generations of young viewers with its tale of new kids in town overcoming challenges (including bullying) and finding their place through the personal pursuit and competitive sport of karate. Encompassing six films and a Netflix streaming series, the franchise has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years.

To coindide with the home video release of the series’ newest installment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has created The Karate Kid: Ultimate Collection, an Amazon-exclusive box set that includes 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray editions of The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid: Part II (1986), The Karate Kid: Part III (1989), The Next Karate Kid (1994), The Karate Kid (2010), and the new Karate Kid: Legends (2025), not to mention The Karate Kid: The Animated Series (1989) as a bonus. Let’s take a look at each film individually…

The Karate Kid (1984)

Seventeen-year-old Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio, The Outsiders) struggles to find his place as the new kid in town in Reseda, California, having just moved there with his mother from New Jersey. Things look up for Daniel briefly when he meets a high school cheerleader named Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue, Back to the Future Part II) at the beach, but this puts him in the crosshairs of her ex-boyfriend, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka, Cobra Kai), a black belt at the local Cobra Kai karate dojo and protégé of its ruthless sensei, John Kreese (Martin Kove, Cagney & Lacey).

While being bullied by Johnny and his Cobra Kai friends, Daniel is saved by his apartment building’s humble maintenance man, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita, Happy Days), who it seems is also a karate master. Seeing Daniel’s plight, Miyagi takes the young man under his wing, teaching him not just how to defend himself, but also a wiser and more philosophical approach to both martial arts and life in general. But when Kreese’s cruel Cobra Kai disciples refuse to leave Daniel alone, Miyagi encourages him to enter the Under 18 All-Valley Karate Championships, where he can at least face them on equal terms.

Directed by John G. Avildsen (Rocky), The Karate Kid (1984) has become a beloved classic for many reasons, not least of which is that the film transcends the typical underdog story. Its core strength lies in the genuine connection between Macchio and Morita, which translates directly to their on screen bond. This dynamic is more than just a sensei-student relationship; it’s a touching mentorship through which Daniel learns patience, discipline, and inner strength—not just the physical variety. The film’s iconic “wax on, wax off” scene cleverly subverts expectations, revealing that true mastery comes from building character and mastering fundamentals, not just flashy moves. What’s more, its themes of overcoming bullying and the wisdom of peace over aggression resonate deeply with audiences—particular in today’s toxic political and social media age—lending the film an enduring and universal appeal.

Despite the fact that Macchio plays a 16-year-old high school student here, he was actually 22 at the time of filming. And though it’s less appreciated by viewers today, Pat Morita was a well-known comedic actor at the time, but was nearly passed over for the role of Mr. Miyagi because the film’s producers felt he was too closely associated with his character Arnold from TV’s Happy Days (1974-84). Yet Morita’s raw and emotional performance ultimately earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Avildsen’s deft direction certainly helps to elevate the film, as does the fact that he recruited a pair of Rocky collaborators, including cinematographer James Crabe (Night Shift, The China Syndrome) and composer Bill Conti. The latter also recruited a name familiar to TV viewers in the 1970s and 80s to play the score’s solos… Gheorge Zamfir, dubbed the “Master of the Pan Flute” in ubiquitous commercials for his albums.

The Karate Kid was shot on 35 mm film (specifically Eastman 100T 5247 and 400T 5249 stock) using Panavision cameras and spherical lenses. It was finished in a traditional analog photochemical process and released to theaters at the 1.85:1 flat aspect ratio. For its initial release on Ultra HD in 2019, the original camera negative was scanned in 4K. The resulting image was then digitally remastered and graded for high dynamic range in HDR10 only. A Dolby Vision HDR grade was added for the film’s 4K re-release as part of a three-film collection in 2021, and Sony’s new box set includes that same version, which was encoded for a 100GB disc. Its overall image quality is excellent and a significant upgrade of the original 2010 Blu-ray, featuring impressive fine detail and texturing, a pleasing and natural looking palette, and lovely dynamic range that deepens the shadows while making the highlights appear truly bold. The film’s palette has always appeared a bit muted, but the colors are well saturated here and accurate. Grain is medium and organic throughout. This is a gorgeous 4K presentation and the best the film has ever looked on disc.

Sony’s Ultra HD also includes an English Dolby Atmos mix that respects the film’s original sonic character while widening the soundfield a bit across the front. The height channels are employed lightly for atmospheric immersion and to change the tonal quality of the mix for different environments (for example the beach, the high school gym during the dance, and the packed championship scene at the end). They also lend a bit of lift to the fight scenes. Panning in the surrounds is smooth and natural. A perfect example is the scene where Daniel enters the Cobra Kai dojo for the first time, and as he walks down the hall the sound of its students training moves from the left surround to the front left and finally across the entire front. Bass is ample, dialogue is clear at all times, and Conti’s score is presented in excellent fidelity, filtering in from all around the listener. Additional audio options include the previous English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mixes, as well as French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Sony’s 4K package is a 2-disc set that includes the film in 4K on UHD and also 1080p HD on Blu-ray (the same disc released previously, not remastered). The 4K disc includes the following special features:

• Audio Commentary with Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg
• Deleted Scenes Dailies (HD – 5 scenes – 30:28 in all)
  • Conversation with Mom (HD – 8:49)
  • Karate Waiver (HD – 6:59)
  • A Temporary Truce (HD – 7:03)
  • Mom Is Impressed (HD – 5:05)
  • Kreese Reaction (HD – 2:54)
• Deleted Scenes (HD – 4 scenes – 3:17 in all)
  • Accidents Happen (HD – 1:09)
  • Watch Where You Sit (HD – :52)
  • Disqualified (HD – 1:02)
  • Fight (HD – :29)
• Remembering The Karate Kid (4K – 10:22)
• Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:18)

To this, the Blu-ray adds:

• Blu-Pop Trivia & Interactive Track
• Audio Commentary with John G. Avildsen, Robert Mark Kamen, Ralph Macchio, and Pat Morita
• The Way of the Karate Kid: Part 1 (SD – 24:00)
• The Way of the Karate Kid: Part 2 (SD – 21:25)
• Beyond the Form (SD – 13:03)
• East Meets West: A Composer’s Notebook (SD – 8:17)
• Life of Bonsai (SD – 10:00)
• Previews

These are the same extras released previously, but the 4K in particular adds features that should please fans of the franchise, including a commentary with the creators of Cobra Kai, a lengthy collection of deleted scenes, and a solid retrospective, plus all of the legacy Blu-ray and DVD content.

Film Rating: A-
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A/B+/B+

The Karate Kid: Part II (1986)

After winning the All-Valley Karate Championships and settling up with John Kreese (Martin Kove), Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and his mentor find their lives disrupted by an unexpected tragedy that calls Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) back to his ancestral home in Okinawa. Daniel accompanies him, eager to learn more about his sensei’s past and the source of his wisdom. What they find upon arrival, however, is far from a peaceful homecoming. Miyagi is confronted by his old rival, Sato (Danny Kamekona), a man with whom he shares a deep and unresolved history rooted in broken friendship, lost love, and a question of family honor.

As Daniel explores the beautiful landscape of Okinawa, he finds himself drawn into a new rivalry, this time with Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), Sato’s arrogant and aggressive nephew. And when the feud between Miyagi and Sato reignites, Daniel must grapple with a different kind of challenge, in which the stakes are no longer just a trophy, but his relationship with Mr. Miyagi and fate of his sensei’s childhood village and its people.

To the extent that The Karate Kid: Part II succeeds as a sequel, it’s because the film takes a more character-driven approach while still retaining the elements that made the original a hit. Shifting the story to Okinawa reveals more about Mr. Miyagi’s backstory even as it lends the film a visually stunning and culturally rich setting. It also presents Daniel with a new “fish out of water” scenario and it serves to deepen the themes of the original film, including the idea of breaking cycles of violence.

It helps that Avildsen continues to direct here, and that Crabe and Conti return as well. Fans may know that the film’s opening sequence, set in the parking lot immediately after the All-Valley Karate Championships, was originally written as the ending of the first film. Scenes set in Okinawa, Japan were actually filmed in Oahu, Hawaii, which the production team went to great lengths to redress, including the casting of dozens of Okinawa-born Hawaiian residents as extras. It’s also worth mentioning that though Peter Cetera’s song Glory of Love was written specifically for this soundtrack, it became a Number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Karate Kid: Part II was shot on 35 mm film (specifically Eastman 400T 5295 stock) using Panavision cameras and spherical lenses. It was finished in a traditional analog photochemical process and released to theaters at the 1.85:1 flat aspect ratio. For its initial release on Ultra HD as part of a three-film collection in 2021, the original camera negative was scanned in 4K. The resulting image was then digitally remastered and graded for high dynamic range in both Dolby Vision and HDR10. It’s been encoded for release on a 100GB disc. Sony’s new box set includes that same disc released in 2021.

Once again, the overall image quality is superb and a significant upgrade of the original 2010 Blu-ray, featuring impressive fine detail and texturing, a pleasing and natural looking palette, and lovely dynamic range that deepens the shadows while making the highlights appear truly bold. The palette this time is a little richer looking too, owing—at least in part—to the change of location. Colors are well saturated here and accurate, with medium and organic grain visible throughout. This is also a gorgeous 4K presentation and the best the film has ever looked at home.

Sony’s Ultra HD includes another terrific English Dolby Atmos mix, and the sound experience here is a bit more lively and engaging this time. The soundstage is big and wide across the front, with ample bass and excellent clarity. The height channels engage more often for atmospheric immersion during the dance scene, various fights, and settings both interior and exterior. The typhoon rescue late in the film is a perfect example, as is the final fight between Chozen and Daniel—at one point Chozen leaps into the air and sonically flies from right to left overhead. Conti’s score is again presented in excellent fidelity. Additional audio options include the previous English 5.1 and 2.0 mixes as well as Spanish 5.1, all in DTS-HD Master Audio format. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Sony’s 4K package is a 2-disc set that includes the film in 4K on UHD and also 1080p HD on Blu-ray (the same disc released previously, not remastered). The 4K disc includes the following special features:

• Audio Commentary with Ralph Macchio and Tamlyn Tomita
• Assembled Dailies (HD – 3 scenes – 4:42 in all)
  • Letter From Okinawa (HD – 1:36)
  • Farmer, Not Fighter (HD – 1:36)
  • Faith In Your Teacher (HD – 1:37)
• Deleted Scene (HD – :34)
• Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:28)

To this, the Blu-ray adds:

• Blu-Pop Trivia & Interactive Track
• The Sequel (SD – 6:18)

Once again, the 4K disc adds a collection of great newer features, including a commentary with Macchio and actress Tamlyn Tomita (who plays Kumiko in the film), as well as more unseen dailies. Meanwhile, the Blu-ray carries over its previous legacy features.

Film Rating: B-
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A/A/C+

The Karate Kid: Part III (1989)

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Daniel LaRusso and his mentor attempt to find balance in their lives. When Daniel uses his college fund to help Mr. Miyagi realize his dream of opening a bonsai tree shop, the pair becomes business partners. Daniel also begins dating Jessica Andrews (Robyn Lively), a girl whose aunt runs the shop across the street. But their new beginning is soon interrupted by John Kreese (Martin Kove), the disgraced leader of Cobra Kai, who’s now broke and determined to get his revenge. Enlisting the help of his wealthy and sadistic friend, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), Kreese recruits a new young fighter named Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan), vowing to destroy Daniel and Miyagi’s lives and to re-establish Cobra Kai as the dominant force in Southern California karate once and for all.

While director John Avildsen and Bill Conti return to complete their original trilogy, this time joined by cinematographer Steve Yaconelli, The Karate Kid: Part III is arguably the most divisive of the three films. Kreese and Silver deliver a cartoonish level of villainy that forshadows the more recent Cobra Kai Netflix original. But whereas the streaming series plays this with a knowing wink, here it’s just over over-the-top and unhinged. Part III also leans too heavily into recycled plot lines, including yet another karate championship showdown, and the producers chose to focus on a new romantic relationship for Daniel rather than inviting Elisabeth Shue to reprise her role. Making matters worse, Macchio was by this time 27 years old yet still playing a teenager. The result is that Part III does its best to go through the motions, but it lacks the heart and charm of the earlier films.

The Karate Kid: Part III was shot on 35 mm film by Yaconelli (The Blues Brothers, WarGames, Point Break) using Panavision cameras and spherical lenses. It was finished in a traditional analog photochemical process and released to theaters at the 1.85:1 flat aspect ratio. For its initial release on Ultra HD as part of a three-film collection in 2021, the original camera negative was scanned in 4K. The resulting image was then digitally remastered and graded for high dynamic range in both Dolby Vision and HDR10. It’s been encoded for release on a 100GB disc. Sony’s new box set includes that same disc released in 2021.

The overall image quality is very good here and a significant upgrade of the 2016 Collector’s Choice Blu-ray release, though it should be noted that on-set atmospherics appear to have been employed to a greater degree this time (think smoke, etc), which means the presentation is a little more uneven—fine detail and texturing aren’t quite as strong here in select scenes and the shadows tend to be a bit more gray. Nevertheless, the film’s palette is bold, with accurate and richly-saturated colors. Grain is light-medium, shadows are pleasing, and the highlights are more naturally bright. This is definitely the best the film has ever looked on disc before.

Sony’s Ultra HD includes another fine English Dolby Atmos mix, though sonically it isn’t quite as active as the mix for Part II. The soundstage is big and wide across the front, with ample bass and excellent clarity. But the height channels engage a bit less often here, and then mostly for atmospheric immersion. Rare exceptions include the scene in which Daniel and Jessica dig up a bonsai tree Miyagi planted at the base of a cliff near the ocean, another where the pair go dancing at a club, and of course the All-Valley Karate Championships. Panning is smooth if subtle, and bass is sufficient. The score is once again presented in excellent fidelity. Additional audio options include the previous English 5.1 and 2.0 mixes as well as Spanish Mono, all in DTS-HD Master Audio format. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Sony’s 4K package is a 2-disc set that includes the film in 4K on UHD and also 1080p HD on Blu-ray (the same disc released previously, not remastered). The 4K disc includes the following special features:

• Saying Goodbye Deleted Scene (HD – 1:25)
• Assembled Dailies (HD – 9 scenes – 18:38 in all)
  • Mrs. Milo (HD – 1:58)
  • Extreme Measures (HD – 3:22)
  • Negotiation (HD – 2:49)
  • Wimps Into Winners (HD – 1:04)
  • Mother Nature (HD – 1:18)
  • Karate’s Bad Boy (HD – :27)
  • Real Damage (HD – 2:25)
  • Miyagi’s Tree (HD – 4:33)
  • Enter Kreese (HD – 1:02)
• The Karate Kid: The Animated Series (SD – 13 episodes – 302:22 in all)
  • My Brother’s Keeper (SD – 23:17)
  • The Greatest Victory (SD – 23:18)
  • The Homecoming (SD – 23:18)
  • The Tomorrow Man (SD – 23:17)
  • The Paper Hero (SD – 23:16)
  • All the World His Stage (SD – 23:18)
  • Over the Rainbow (SD – 23:18)
  • The Return of the Shrine (SD – 22:48)
  • Walkabout (SD – 23:17)
  • East Meets West (SD – 23:18)
  • The Hunt (SD – 23:18)
  • The Gray Ghosts (SD – 23:18)
  • A Little World of His Own (SD – 23:16)
• Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:28)

Like The Karate Kid: Part II, the 4K disc here adds a collection of great newer features, including extensive dailies, a deleted scene, and the complete 13-episode The Karate Kid: The Animated Series in standard definition. Note that there are no special features on the Blu-ray.

Film Rating: C
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): B+/B+/B

The Next Karate Kid (1994)

At an event at Arlington National Cemetery commemorating the Japanese-American soldiers who fought in World War II, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) meets Louisa (Constance Towers, General Hospital), the widow of his old friend and former commanding officer. Visiting her home in Boston, Miyagi also meets the man’s granddaughter, Julie Pierce (Hilary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry), who’s reeling from the deaths of her parents in a car accident. Struggling with her anger and grief, Julie is a troubled teen who rebels against authority and has frequent run-ins with her peers. But when her grandmother expresses frustration over this, Miyagi offers to help by staying in Boston as Julie’s temporary guardian while Louisa takes a break, traveling to Los Angeles to keep his garden tended at home.

Julie’s school is a difficult environment, but she does have one place of solace there—she’s caring for an injured hawk that she keeps in an old pigeon coop on the roof. But when a member of the school’s aggressive “security” fraternity—the Alpha Elite, led by Colonel Dugan (Michael Ironside, Starship Troopers, Top Gun)—makes unwanted advances on her, Julie becomes a target for their wrath. Fortunately, Miyagi recognizes that the girl was trained in karate by her late father, who learned it from her grandfather... who it turns out was Miyagi’s student. So Miyagi takes Julie under his wing, completes her training, and helps the girl to face her demons, both physical and emotional.

Directed by Christopher Cain (Young Guns), The Next Karate Kid attempted to forge a new direction for the franchise by replacing one of its central characters, Daniel LaRusso, with a new protagonist played by Hilary Swank (in her first big-screen starring performance). But while it marks an admirable effort to explore themes of grief, self-discovery, and female empowerment, the film was roundly panned by critics and it became the lowest grossing film in the franchise. Swank nevertheless gave the role her all, training for five hours a day to perform her own stunts, and both she and Morita were praised for their work. Michael Ironside does his best with a poor script, but his character remains a cartoon villain (not unlike Kreese in the previous films). Sharp-eyed viewers may spot a young Walton Goggins (Justified) in one of his own early film appearances.

The Next Karate Kid was shot on 35 mm film by cinematographer László Kovács (Easy Rider, Ghostbusters) using Panavision cameras and spherical lenses. It was finished in a traditional analog photochemical process and released to theaters at the 1.85:1 flat aspect ratio. For its first ever release on Ultra HD as part of Sony’s new box set, the original camera negative was scanned in 4K. The image was then digitally remastered and graded for high dynamic range in both Dolby Vision and HDR10. It’s been encoded for release on a 100GB disc.

The quality is again very good here and a significant upgrade of the 2016 Collector’s Choice Blu-ray, though it’s not quite as refined looking as the previous three films. Once you get past the opening titles however, which exhibit the usual optically-printed generation loss, fine detail and texturing are impressive on the whole. Contrast is excellent, with detailed blacks and genuinely bold highlights. The palette is a little bit muted this time, but the colors are nuanced and accurate, with medium and organic grain visible throughout. This isn’t reference quality, but it’s a fine looking 4K presentation nonetheless and the best the film has ever appeared on disc.

Sony’s Ultra HD includes a fine English Dolby Atmos mix, though not a particularly blustery or dynamic one. The soundstage is nicely wide across the front, with ample bass and excellent clarity. The height channels engage a bit here and there for atmospheric immersion. Panning is smooth, if subtle, and the score is offered in excellent fidelity. Additional audio options include the previous English 5.1 mix and also Spanish 2.0, both in DTS-HD Master Audio format. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Sony’s 4K package is a 2-disc set that includes the film in 4K on UHD and also 1080p HD on Blu-ray (the same disc released previously, not remastered). The 4K disc includes the following special features:

• Hilary Swank Screen Test (HD – 1:52)
• Assembled Dailies (HD – 3 scenes – 2:29 in all)
  • You Know the Rules (HD – :40)
  • Follow the Plan (HD – :36)
  • Patience (HD – 1:19)
• Deleted Scenes (HD – 6 scenes – 10:01 in all)
  • Watch the Sunset (HD – 1:07)
  • Call the SWAT Team (HD – :38)
  • School’s Over Angel (HD – 3:07)
  • The Alpha Elite (HD – 1:07)
  • Medal of Honor (HD – 3:19)
  • Animal Shelter (HD – 1:00)

Newly-produced extras include some previously unreleased daily footage and deleted scenes, as well as Swank’s original screen test. Note that there are no special features on the Blu-ray.

Film Rating: C
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): B+/B+/C+

The Karate Kid (2010)

Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is a 10-year-old whose life is turned upside down when his mother’s job forces them to relocate from Detroit to Beijing, China. In this new and unfamiliar world, Dre struggles to find his footing, facing a language barrier and cultural differences that make him feel like an outsider. Making matters worse, Dre becomes the target of a vicious bully, Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), a talented kung fu student from a local martial arts school, whose brutal attacks leave Dre feeling defeated and alone. But during one such attack, he’s rescued by his apartment building’s quiet maintenance man, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan, Supercop), who reveals a hidden mastery of kung fu.

After witnessing Dre’s relentless bullying, Mr. Han reluctantly agrees to teach him a different kind of kung fu—one that’s not about fighting, but rather balance, discipline, and inner peace. Han’s training is unconventional, focused on repetitive, everyday actions that Dre initially finds frustrating. Meanwhile, the animosity between Dre and Cheng’s dojo escalates, leading to an agreement that their conflict will be settled in a climactic kung fu tournament. So Dre must overcome his own fears and the odds stacked against him, as he and Mr. Han prepare for a final showdown that will test the boy’s courage… and everything he’s learned.

Given the box office failure of The Next Karate Kid (1994), it was probably only natural that the series’ producers would eventually reboot the original 1984 film for a new generation. The idea reportedly came in part from actor Will Smith, who was seeking a star vehicle for his son. But remake or not, that original formula still works. Directed by Harald Zwart (Agent Cody Banks), the film switches its location from the United States to China, breathing new life into the story with a fresh cultural setting, which means the film also doesn’t actually feature karate but rather kung fu. And if you’re going to make a kung fu film, who better to replace the late Pat Morita in the mentor role than martial arts legend Jackie Chan?

Interestingly—and for obvious reasons—the film was retitled The Kung Fu Kid for its release in China and Japan. And it was Chan who made it possible for the production to gain access to some of the most famous and restricted filming locations in China, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. (This was apparently the first film to shoot in the Forbidden City since Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor in 1987.) Not only does Chan deliver a terrific and nuanced performance, he has real chemistry with his young co-star, helping to elevate Jaden’s performance in a role that could easily have suffered from charges of nepotism. Against all odds, this modern remake of The Karate Kid was well received by audiences, earning the grudging approval of critics and a box office haul of $359 million worldwide (against a budget of just $40 million).

The Karate Kid remake was shot on 35 mm photochemical film (specifically Kodak Vision3 200T 5213 and Vision3 500T 5219 stock) in 3-perf Super 35 format by cinematographer Roger Pratt (Batman, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) using Arricam LT and Arriflex 435 cameras with Cooke S4 spherical lenses. The negative was then scanned in 4K and the film was finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39:1 scope aspect ratio. Sony’s new box set includes the film’s first ever release on Ultra HD, with high dynamic range grading compatible with both Dolby Vision and HDR10. It’s been encoded for release on a 100GB disc.

The image quality here is excellent, and a nice upgrade of the film’s original 2010 Blu-ray release. Overall detail and texturing are superb, with deep and detailed shadows, bold highlights, and very light and organic grain in evidence throughout. The grading is a little on the cool side, but the colors are richly saturated and accurate. In exterior scenes, it’s a bit surprising how much atmospheric haze (and likely smog) is visible, but it certainly lends depth to the image. All in all, this is a terrific 4K presentation that’s not quite reference quality, but it’s close.

Sony’s Ultra HD includes an excellent English Dolby Atmos mix, which really takes advantage of the height and surround channels for subtle environmental cues and ambience. The soundstage is wide up front and enveloping all around. The mix is lively indeed, though not blustery. Bass is strong, dialogue is clean and clear, and the film’s soundtrack—which includes both pop songs as well as a fine orchestral score by James Horner—are presented in excellent fidelity. Additional audio options include the previous English and Spanish 5.1 mixes in DTS-HD Master Audio format. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Sony’s 4K package is a 2-disc set that includes the film in 4K on UHD and also 1080p HD on Blu-ray (the same disc released previously, not remastered). The 4K disc includes the following special features:

• Blooper Reel (HD – 1:36)
  • Deleted Scenes (HD – 20 scenes – 22:52 in all)
  • Saturday (HD – :36)
  • Uniforms (HD – :48)
  • Me Neither (HD – :19)
  • Hi Baby (HD – :53)
  • Kick Rocks (HD – :54)
  • Taking the Train (HD – 1:55)
  • Learn the Difference (HD – :33)
  • Courage (HD – :56)
  • Steps (HD – :34)
  • Bamboo (HD – :40)
  • Apology (HD – :23)
  • Declined (HD – :27)
  • Good Speech (HD – :53)
  • Promises (HD – 1:23)
  • Car Ride (HD – 1:47)
  • Detroit Is in the House (HD – 3:26)
  • Worried (HD – :39)
  • Semi Final (HD – 1:12)
  • Bench Fight (HD – 3:16)
  • True or False (HD – 2:24)
• Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:59)

To this, the Blu-ray adds:

• On Location: The Karate Kid Interactive Map of China
• Alternate Ending (HD – 3:32)
• Production Dairies Hosted by Jackie Chan (HD – 9 segments – 29:44 in all)
  • Training Jaden (HD – 3:12)
  • Jaden Smith, A Day in the Life (HD – 3:50)
  • The Forbidden City (HD – 3:59)
  • From Jackie with Love (HD – 3:56)
  • The Great Wall (HD – 3:10)
  • Olympic Village (HD – 3:06)
  • Director Profile (HD – 2:19)
  • Taraji P. Henson Goes to China (HD – 2:19)
  • Wudang Mountains (HD – 2:40)
• Chinese Lessons Interactive Feature
• Justin Bieber with Jaden Smith: “Never Say Never” Music Video (HD – 3:49)
• Just for Kicks: The Making of The Karate Kid (HD – 20:09)

In terms of special features, the list above looks like a lot of content but it doesn’t actually add up to much. Nevertheless, the 4K disc—again released here for the first time—includes about 22 minutes’ worth of previously-unseen deleted scenes, along with a short blooper reel, and a trailer. This is in addition to the previously-released Blu-ray’s extras, which offer a short but entertaining production diary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, the music video, and some interactive content.

Film Rating: B
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A/A-/C+

Karate Kid: Legends (2025)

Li Fong (Ben Wang, American Born Chinese), a kung fu prodigy from Beijing, finds his life turned upside down when he and his mother (Ming-Na Wen, Agents of SHIELD) move to New York City in the wake of a family tragedy. But while he struggles to adapt to his new school there, Li finds a girlfriend named Mia (Sadie Stanley), whose father Victor (Joshua Jackson, Fringe), a former boxing champion, runs a pizza shop in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, Mia’s ex-boyfriend, Conor Day (Aramis Knight), is a local karate champion who begins to bully Li. And it turns out that Victor is in debt to a man named O’Shea, who owns the karate dojo where Conor trains.

When Victor decides to resume boxing to pay off his debts, O’Shea orders his opponent to send him to the hospital. But Li’s mother wants her son to leave martial arts behind, putting her son in a difficult position and unable to help. Things begin to change though when Li’s old teacher, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) arrives in New York to check in on the family. Han encourages Li to enter the local Five Boroughs Tournament to face Conor and help his new friends. Realizing that Li’s kung fu training will not be enough to win, however, he seeks the help of a karate expert, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), whose mentor Mr. Miyagi was an old Han family friend.

Directed by Jonathan Entwistle (Hello Tomorrow!), Karate Kid: Legends is the first film in the series not to be produced by Jerry Weintraub, who died in 2015. But it works well thanks to a largely solid cast and a story that bridges the series’ two beloved iterations, uniting the so-called “Miyagi-verse” with the 2010 remake. It also benefits greatly from the on-screen collaboration of Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, not to mention the recent popularity of Netflix’s Cobra Kai streaming series. Though most of this production happened in New York, scenes of Li Fong’s backstory were actually shot in Beijing for authenticity. The film also repurposes a flashback scene (featuring a young Macchio and Pat Morita) from The Karate Kid: Part II, and William Zabka has a cameo as a present day Johnny Lawrence, thus tying these events to Cobra Kai as well.

Unlike the previous films in this series, Karate Kid: Legends was captured digitally in the ARRIRAW codec (at 4.6K) by cinematographer Justin Brown (His Dark Materials) using Arri Alexa 35 cameras with Zeiss Master Prime spherical lenses. (Note that a bit of 35mm film footage is also incorporated here.) It was finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate at the 1.85:1 flat aspect ratio. For its release on Ultra HD, Sony has utilized that 4K DI source with additional grading for high dynamic range compatible with both Dolby Vision and HDR10. It’s been encoded for release on a 100GB disc.

This is essentially a reference quality image, with exceptional fine detail and texturing in evidence at all times. Shadows are deeply black and nicely detailed, while highlights are naturally bright looking. A very subtle grain texture has been added, but it appears organic looking and not artificial. The grading is slightly cool at times, not unlike the previous film, but the colors are bold, accurate, and highly nuanced. The depth of field is pleasing as well. All in all, this is a terrific 4K presentation.

Sony’s Ultra HD offers its primary audio in an excellent English Dolby Atmos mix that’s big, wide, and very immersive. The height channels engage lightly but often for subtle atmospheric cues (city sounds and the like) as well as overhead completion, while the panning is smooth and fluid. Dialogue is clean and clear, bass is robust, and composer Dominic Lewis’s score is offered in excellent fidelity. Additional audio options include English, French, Spanish, and Thai 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, plus English Descriptive Audio and French Audio Descriptive Service. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Thai.

Sony’s 4K package is a 2-disc set that includes the film in 4K on UHD and also 1080p HD on Blu-ray. There are no special features on the 4K disc itself, but the Blu-ray in the package includes the following:

• Becoming The Karate Kid (HD – 4:09)
• Two Masters, One Student (HD – 5:46)
• Honoring the Miyagi Legacy (HD – 3:59)
• Strength and Character: The Cast (HD – 5:10)
• Karate, Kung Fu, and the Art of Action (HD – 4:52)
• Gag Reel (HD – 2:26)
• Deleted Scenes (HD – 7 scenes – 12:10 in all)
  • If It Makes You Feel Better (HD – 2:06)
  • Wingman (HD – 1:02)
  • You Don’t Have a Shot (HD – 1:57)
  • I Have to Try (HD – 3:29)
  • Going to America (HD – :44)
  • Pay Me in Pizzas (HD – 1:06)
  • To Family (HD – 2:07)

These features are brief and of the more promotional/EPK variety rather than in-depth extras targeted to serious fans. They’re entertaining nonetheless, including the usual collection of short featurettes and deleted scenes. It’s too bad there isn’t a commentary with Macchio and Chan, but hey—the gag reel is cute.

Film Rating: B-
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A+/A/C

Sony’s 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray package includes all of the above in a beautiful hard case—not unlike those used for their Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection sets—that opens in the middle to reveal the discs, arranged three films on each side. Opening the package also reveals a “pop-up” diorama that recreates the famous “Crane Kick” scene in The Karate Kid (1984). All of the films come in 2-disc plastic Amaray cases, each with a slipcover. A button on the right side of the box activates a sound chip that plays audio samples from the film, while a box on the left side includes several swag items, among them a “reversable” Miyagi-Do headband (the other side has the logo on Daniel-san’s headband from the first film), a trio of patches (representing Miyagi-Do, Cobra Kai, and the Han School of Kung Fu), and a set of 11 character cards. You also get Movies Anywhere Digital codes for each film in the series on a paper insert. Here’s what it all looks like…

Thanks to the success of Cobra Kai, interest in the Karate Kid franchise has never been higher. So it’s only fitting that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has collected all of the series’ films into a single collection in 4K Ultra HD, fully remastered and with solid extra features and swag. This is a great box set—really the sole complaint is that it doesn’t include Cobra Kai as well. (The series is already available on DVD, but one can only hope that Sony’s deal with Netflix will allow it to be released on Blu-ray and 4K UHD at some point as well.) In any case, if you love these films, this Amazon-exclusive box is a must have for fans. Be sure to get it while it lasts!

- Bill Hunt

(You can follow Bill on social media on Twitter, BlueSky, and Facebook, and also here on Patreon)