Movies like The Karate Kid 1984

If you like "The Karate Kid" you are looking for feel good, inspirational and sentimental movies about / with martial arts, teenager, karate, human spirit, teaching the ways of the world, underdog and teacher themes of Action, Drama and Family genre shot in USA.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps: 1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below). 2. Look for them in the presented list.
The Karate Kid (1984)
 7.3
 243K
The Karate Kid (1984)
Genre: Action, Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story: Hassled by the school bullies, Daniel LaRusso has his share of adolescent woes. Luckily, his apartment building houses a resident martial arts master: Kesuke Miyagi, who agrees to train Daniel ... and ends up teaching him much more than self-defense. Armed with newfound confidence, skill and wisdom, Daniel ultimately faces off against his tormentors in this hugely popular classic underdog tale.
Style: feel good, inspirational, sentimental, uplifting, touching, captivating, teen, epic, entertaining, saga ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, family friendly, pre-teens, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: martial arts, teenager, karate, human spirit, teaching the ways of the world, underdog, teacher, bullying, coming of age, high school, childhood, martial arts tournament, training, teachers and students, cheerleader, master apprentice relationship, self esteem, kung fu, kids and family, fight, child, fighter, ambition, opponent, children ...
Time: 80s, 20th century, 90s, year 1984
Place: los angeles, california, usa, canada, new jersey, united states of america
Keyword: sport, reboot, oldies, retrospective, fighting movie, challenge, change, flat, poster, buddy movie

Movie in categories

teenager movies
11008
karate movies
1091
feel good movies
13548
teens movies
9529
80s movies
80s
5694

Most similar movies to The Karate Kid

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, serious, inspirational and feel good films with plots about rivalry, ambition, contests and competitions, underdog, youth, hopes and power relations mostly in Sport, Drama and Action genres. Some movies like The Karate Kid: Cobra Kai (2018), Bloodsport (1988), Rocky (1976), Best of the Best (1989), Never Back Down (2008). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
Genre: Action, Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Kreese, his life in tatters after his karate school was defeated by Daniel and Mr. Miyagi, visits Terry, a friend from Vietnam. Terry is a ruthless business man and a martial arts expert, and he vows to help Kreese take revenge on Daniel and Mr. ...
Style: spiritual, saga, action packed, serious, realistic ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, family friendly, pre-teens ...
Plot: martial arts, bullying, teacher, karate, teenager, fight, ninja, children, childhood, fight scenes, underdog, teachers and students ...
Time: 80s, 20th century
Place: tahiti, usa, vietnam, los angeles
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
Genre: Action, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story: Mr. Miyagi and Daniel take a trip to Okinawa to visit Mr. Miyagi's dying father. After arriving Mr. Miyagi finds he still has feelings for an old love. This stirs up trouble with an old rival who he originally left Okinawa to avoid. In the mean ...
Style: sentimental, saga, slasher, action packed, uplifting ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, family friendly, pre-teens
Plot: martial arts, childhood, underdog, bullying, fight, teenager, teacher, kung fu, revenge, fight scenes, friends, coming of age ...
Time: 80s, 20th century, 90s
Place: japan, okinawa, asia, los angeles, okinawa japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 8.5
 203K
Cobra Kai (2018)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min.
TV show
Story: This Karate Kid sequel series picks up 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament and finds Johnny Lawrence on the hunt for redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. This reignites his old rivalry with the ...
Style: light, motivational, exciting, epic, captivating ...
Audience: teen drama
Plot: karate, martial arts, dojo, martial arts training, master apprentice relationship, fight, starting over, middle aged man, teenager, martial artist, father figure, father son relationship ...
Time: 2020s, 90s, 2010s
Place: los angeles, thailand, california, southern california
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 6.2
 204K
The Karate Kid (2010)
Genre: Action, Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA, China
Duration: 140 min.
Story: 12-year-old Dre Parker could have been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying but the cultural differences make such a friendship ...
Style: inspirational, uplifting, feel good, sentimental, sincere ...
Audience: teens, kids, girls' night, family friendly, chick flick ...
Plot: teachers and students, kung fu, martial arts, human spirit, boy, bullying, contests and competitions, perseverance, coach, underdog, coming of age, teacher ...
Time: 2010s, year 2010, 21st century
Place: china, beijing china, america, asia, michigan ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
65%
Movie in collections
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
Genre: Action, Drama, Family, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story: During a commemoration for Japanese soldiers fighting in the US Army during World War II, Mr. Miyagi meets the widow of his commanding officer. He gets to know her granddaughter Julie, an angry teenager who is still feeling the pain of losing both ...
Style: teen, motivational, action packed, cult classic, sentimental ...
Audience: kids, teens, family friendly, family outing, pre-teens
Plot: karate, martial arts, high school, teenage girl, high school student, bullying, teacher, hawk, teen angst, bully, female protagonist, showdown ...
Time: year 1994, 90s, 20th century
Place: boston, los angeles, massachusetts, usa, california
⇓ similarity ⇓
60%
 6.8
 93K
Bloodsport (1988)
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story: Frank Dux has entered the "kumite", an illegal underground martial-arts competition where serious injury and even death are not unknown. Chong Li, a particularly ruthless and vicious fighter is the favorite, but then again Dux has not ...
Style: exciting, grindhouse, cult classic, intense, serious ...
Audience: manly, teens, boys' night
Plot: martial arts, mixed martial arts, heroes, martial arts tournament, kung fu, tournament, underdog, master warrior, revenge, hand to hand combat, karate, underground fighting ...
Time: 80s, 20th century
Place: hong kong, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
80%
 8.1
 624K
Rocky (1976)
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story: When world heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed wants to give an unknown fighter a shot at the title as a publicity stunt, his handlers choose palooka Rocky Balboa, an uneducated collector for a Philadelphia loan shark. Rocky teams up with ...
Style: inspirational, uplifting, touching, motivational, cult classic ...
Audience: boys' night, manly, kids, family outing, teens
Plot: boxing, fight, underdog, boxer, self esteem, rocky, character study, training, love story, pride and honor, violence, fistfight ...
Time: 70s, year 1976, 20th century, year 1975
Place: philadelphia, pennsylvania, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
63%
Best of the Best (1989)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story: A team from the United States is going to compete against Korea in a Tae Kwon Do tournament. The team consists of fighters from all over the country--can they overcome their rivalry and work together to win?
Style: inspirational, emotional, exciting, serious, suspenseful ...
Audience: boys' night, family friendly, teens
Plot: martial arts, martial artist, martial arts tournament, underdog, culture clash, redemption, vengeance, taekwondo, violence, kung fu, fight scenes, fight ...
Time: 80s, year 1989
Place: seoul, asia, korea
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
 6.5
 106K
Never Back Down (2008)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story: Rebellious Jake Tyler is lured into an ultimate underground fight Scene at his new high school, after receiving threats to the safety of his friends and family Jake decides to seek the mentoring of a veteran fighter who trains him for one final ...
Style: inspirational, serious, exciting, intense, entertaining ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, boys' night, teen drama
Plot: martial arts, high school, athlete and trainer, youth, fight, teenager, boxing, rivalry, teenage life, streetfighting, lesbian sex, contests and competitions ...
Time: 2000s, year 2008, 21st century
Place: florida, usa, orlando florida, brazil
⇓ similarity ⇓
75%
 6.6
 10K
Vision Quest (1985)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story: High school wrestler Louden Swain is a man obsessed , trying to shed 23 pounds in a dangerously short time and take on Shute, the undefeated, tough-as-nails 168-pound champion who's the best wrestler in the state. Matthew Modine stars as the ...
Style: inspirational, melancholic, serious, sentimental, realistic ...
Audience: teens, teen drama, adult
Plot: coming of age, high school, teenager, wrestling, underdog, cheerleader, rivalry, adolescence, unlikely friendships, teenage boy, high school life, training ...
Time: 80s, year 1985
Place: washington state, washington d.c.
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 8.1
 495K
Warrior (2011)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 140 min.
Story: The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother, an ex-marine ...
Style: emotional, rough, serious, inspirational, touching ...
Audience: boys' night, manly, teens
Plot: martial arts, mixed martial arts, boxing, courage, brother brother relationship, fight scenes, underdog, muscleman, teacher, brothers, estrangement, father son relationship ...
Time: 2010s, year 2011, 21st century
Place: pittsburgh, usa, iraq, atlantic city new jersey, el paso texas ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story: Set in the world of drone technology and fifth generation fighters, this sequel will explore the end of the era of dogfighting.
Style: realistic, entertaining, saga, uplifting, twisted ...
Audience: teens, adult
Plot: fighter pilot, fighter plane, warplane, u.s. navy, u.s. military, aerial combat, aircraft carrier, test pilot, fighter jet, sniper, aviation, leadership ...
Time: 2020s, year 1969, year 1986, 80s, 21st century
Place: usa, los angeles, mojave desert, california, san diego california
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 5.2
 10K
Sidekicks (1992)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story: Barry is an asthmatic kid having trouble in life. He lives with his father, a computer programmer, in Texas. Barry is struggling to get by in life, dealing with his rough school life, bullies, as well as his health. Barry's only source of ...
Style: humorous, suspense, epic, sentimental, cult classic ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, teen drama
Plot: asthmatic, karate, childhood, martial arts, school, youth, bully, asthma, mentor, bike, martial arts tournament, coming of age ...
Time: 90s
Place: austin texas, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
50%
D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story: The Ducks are offered scholarships at Eden Hall Academy but struggle with their new coach's methods and come under pressure from the board to retain their scholarships before their big game against the Varsity team.
Style: epic, realistic, semi serious, feel good, humorous ...
Audience: kids, teens, family friendly, family outing, pre-teens ...
Plot: ice hockey, hockey, competition, high school, olympics, childhood, college, school, coming of age, underdog, winter, happy ending ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1996
Place: minnesota, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%
 7.4
 42K
McFarland, USA (2015)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story: A track coach in a small California town transforms a team of athletes into championship contenders.
Style: inspirational, touching, uplifting, feel good, exciting ...
Audience: teens, family outing, boys' night, kids
Plot: teacher, underdog, coach, track and field, high school, athlete and trainer, human spirit, mentor, teenager, school, competition, dedicated educator ...
Time: 80s, 20th century
Place: california, usa, palo alto california
⇓ similarity ⇓
50%
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min.
Story: A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.
Style: inspirational, uplifting, touching, feel good, intelligent ...
Audience: family outing, kids, teen drama
Plot: chess, child prodigy, prodigy, mentor, genius, tournament, children, teacher, competition, coming of age, childhood, obsession ...
Time: year 1993, 90s, 20th century
Place: usa, new york
⇓ similarity ⇓
26%
 6.1
 16K
The Wizard (1989)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: Corey (Fred Savage) refuses to let his emotionally disturbed younger brother Jimmy (Luke Edwards) be institutionalized, and the two run away together. They soon join forces with a resourceful girl (Jenny Lewis), who notices that Jimmy has a special ...
Style: road movie, touching, melancholic, intense, sentimental ...
Audience: kids, teens, family outing, teen drama
Plot: childhood, video game, competition, on the road, child, children, teenager, kids and family, underdog, computer game, family relations, siblings relations ...
Time: 80s, year 1989, 20th century
Place: california, nevada, utah, usa, reno nevada
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 118 min.
Story: A small, turbulent town in Texas obsesses over their high school football team to an unhealthy degree. When the star tailback, Boobie Miles, is seriously injured during the first game of the season, all hope is lost, and the town's dormant ...
Style: inspirational, intense, serious, captivating, sincere ...
Audience: teens, kids, boys' night
Plot: football, high school, american football, sport team, coach, underdog, youth, high school football, championship, athlete's life, career, small town ...
Time: 80s, year 2004, 20th century
Place: texas, usa, austin texas, midwest, houston texas
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
Movie in collections
 5.3
 23K
3 Ninjas (1992)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min.
Story: Each year, three brothers Samuel, Jeffrey and Michael Douglas visits their Japanese grandfather, Mori Shintaro whom the boys affectionately refer to as Grandpa, for the summer. Mori is a highly skilled in the fields of Martial arts and Ninjutsu, and ...
Style: humorous, light, entertaining, semi serious, sentimental ...
Audience: kids, family outing, teens, pre-teens, teen drama
Plot: ninja, young heroes, childhood, martial arts, rescue, youth, rivalry, escapades, heroic mission, danger, brothers, vengeance ...
Time: 90s, 20th century
Place: usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
50%
 6.4
 3K
First Match (2018)
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story: Hardened by years in foster care, a teenage girl from Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood decides that wrestling boys is the only way back to her estranged father.
Style: inspirational, realistic, uplifting, touching, serious ...
Audience: teens
Plot: human spirit, martial arts, coming of age, fight, black, teenager, rivalry, perseverance, contests and competitions, ambition, mentor, friendship ...
Place: brooklyn new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story: After reckless young lawyer Gordon Bombay gets arrested for drunk driving, he must coach a kids hockey team for his community service. Gordon has experience on the ice, but isn't eager to return to hockey, a point hit home by his tense dealings ...
Style: inspirational, humorous, sweet, light, sentimental ...
Audience: kids, teens, family friendly, family outing, pre-teens ...
Plot: hockey, ice hockey, sport team, happy ending, childhood, athlete and trainer, competition, underdog, foe turned friend, youth, redemption, self discovery ...
Time: 90s, 20th century
Place: minnesota, minneapolis minnesota
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
 7.7
 25K
Breaking Away (1979)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story: Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his 3 friends, The comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys racing bikes and hopes to race the Italians one ...
Style: touching, realistic, inspirational, witty, talky ...
Audience: teens, kids, family outing, teen drama
Plot: coming of age, working class, cycling, underdog, bicycle, friendship, small town, teenage life, bicycle race, father son relationship, childhood, teenage boy ...
Time: 70s, year 1979, 20th century
Place: indiana, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
 6.5
 10K
Gladiator (1992)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story: A story of two teenagers trapped in the world of illegal underground boxing. One is fighting to save his fathers life and using the money pay off gambling debts accumulated by his father. The second is fighting for the money to get out of the ...
Style: serious, realistic, rough, harsh, hood ...
Audience: teens, boys' night
Plot: boxing, friendship, underdog, contests and competitions, urban ghetto life, against the odds, human spirit, hopes, athlete and trainer, unlikely friendships, ambition, boxer ...
Time: 90s, year 1992
Place: chicago, cuba, british columbia, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
Movie in collections
 6.9
 7K
Brink! (1998)
Genre: Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Andy "Brink" Brinker and his in-line skating crew--Peter, Jordy, and Gabriella--who call themselves "Soul-Skaters" (which means they skate for the fun of it, and not for the money), clash with a group of sponsored skaters, Team ...
Style: captivating, feel good, semi serious, exciting, epic ...
Audience: kids, family outing, teen drama
Plot: friendship, rivalry, underdog, rise to the top, teenage life, dishonesty, rising to stardom, betrayal, hopes, ambition, moral dilemma, youth ...
Time: 90s, 20th century
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005)
Genre: Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story: Ben Crane believes that a severely injured racehorse deserves another chance. He and his daughter Cale adopt the horse (in fact is a mare)and save it of being sacrificed by the owner.
Style: inspirational, touching, sentimental, feel good, serious ...
Audience: family outing, kids, family friendly, teens
Plot: horse, horse race, redemption, animal, animal training, children, girl horse relationship, secrets, betrayal, racehorse, hopes, human spirit ...
Time: year 2005, 21st century
Place: kentucky, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
Angels in the Outfield (1994)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story: Roger is a foster child whose irresponsible father promises to get his act together when Roger's favourite baseball team, the California Angels, wins the pennant. The problem is that the Angels are in last place, so Roger prays for help to turn ...
Style: inspirational, touching, entertaining, emotional, sweet ...
Audience: kids, family friendly, pre-teens, family outing, teen drama
Plot: angel, baseball, childhood, coach, magic, parents and children, hopes, ambition, wish come true, rivalry, kids and family, underdog ...
Time: 90s, 20th century
Place: california, usa, los angeles
⇓ similarity ⇓
24%
 5.8
 1K
Underdogs (2013)
Genre: Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story: Set in rural Ohio, the birthplace of football, UNDERDOGS is the story of a small-town high school football team destined to play their cross-town rival, a perennial powerhouse, while standing up for an entire community.
Style: feel good, realistic, touching, captivating, light ...
Audience: family outing, family friendly, teens
Plot: american football, cheerleader, high school football, high school, underdog, sport team, ambition, human spirit, athlete and trainer, rivalry, youth, follow your dream ...
Time: 21st century
Place: ohio, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
24%
 6.9
 225K
Rocky IV (1985)
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story: After iron man Drago, a highly intimidating 6-foot-5, 261-pound Soviet athlete, kills Apollo Creed in an exhibition match, Rocky comes to the heart of Russia for 15 pile-driving boxing rounds of revenge.
Style: inspirational, tense, suspenseful, action packed, entertaining ...
Audience: manly, family outing, boys' night, teens
Plot: boxing, boxer, training, underdog, christmas, victory, rocky, tough heroes, endurance, workout, machismo, martial arts ...
Time: 80s, 20th century, year 1985
Place: philadelphia, las vegas, pennsylvania, nevada, moscow russia ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
24%
 7.4
 51K
Hoosiers (1986)
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 114 min.
Story: High school basketball is king in small-town Indiana, and the 1954 Hickory Huskers are all hope and no talent. But their new coach -- abrasive, unlikable Norman Dale -- whips the team into shape ... while also inciting controversy.
Style: inspirational, realistic, exciting, sincere, captivating ...
Audience: teens, kids, boys' night, adult
Plot: basketball, high school, small town, underdog, alcoholic, high school basketball, father son relationship, championship, basketball coach, coach, athlete and trainer, redemption ...
Time: 1950s, 20th century, year 1986, 50s
Place: indiana, usa, indianapolis indiana
⇓ similarity ⇓
24%
 7.0
 53K
Soul Surfer (2011)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.Bethany ...
Style: christian film, touching, uplifting, sentimental, motivational ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, kids, family outing, girls' night ...
Plot: surfing, christian, disability, human spirit, shark, teenager, against the odds, surfer, shark attack, survivor, volunteer, lifestyle ...
Time: year 2011, 20th century, 2000s, 21st century
Place: hawaii, usa, thailand
⇓ similarity ⇓
24%
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie