by Beegee
“Karate Kid.” We watched this tonight. Well, most of it. It’s LONG.
Of course, I love Gar’s take on it, but here’s mine: They moved to Reseda, California, (which is probably like the Covinas) from Newark, New Jersey, so the mom could work at a job, which I’m not totally clear on, but Daniel-san says the words “rockets” and “computers.”
They drive out there in a station wagon, which doesn’t look like it’s carrying any cargo except two things: a bike, which is strapped to the roof with ONE bungee cord, and a single empty laundry basket in an open cardboard box.
The minute (I mean the literal minute) they arrive at their apartment complex, Daniel-san meets a kid who invites him to a beach party that night. They go. Mapping that online, it seems to be about an hour each way. Feels improbable.
Daniel-san starts his new school THE NEXT DAY and bikes there, like he’s been going his whole life. He never checks in at the office. Nothing. One could argue he did this in advance of the first day of school. But he literally (yes, literally) arrived the day before.
Ok. So he realizes he goes to school with Billy Zabka and Elizabeth Shue, who he met at the beach. Later we find out they live in Encino. Now, I’m no expert on school zoning lines in Southern California, but I would venture a guess that there is no way they are in the same public school. (And at some point they refer to the girlfriend as being from “the Hills.” Is Encino “the Hills”? I think of “the Hills” as the Hollywood Hills. And that ain’t no Reseda-adjacent.)
I would also venture that Billy and Elizabeth don’t even go to public school, since they belong to a country club and have parents who are basically calling each other Buffy and Biff while carrying tennis racquet bags.
Also, in one scene we see Daniel-san at his mom’s place of employ. And it’s a restaurant called the Orient Express.
1. Daniel is eating a hamburger there. Is that on the menu?
2. She says, “They’re talking about moving me to a management position. There is no way I could get these kind of benefits working in COMPUTERS!” I don’t even know what to say about this.
Also, Mr. Miyagi works as the super at their crappy apartment building. But he ALSO has a huge Japanese garden with a fleet of antique cars? And once he starts training Daniel-san, he never shows up at the apartment complex again. Does he own the building? Is he a slumlord?
So.
Many.
Questions.
Tolpa Sisters 