THE KARATE KID is a film about a boy who moves to China with his mother and finds himself being bullied at school. Initially afraid, he makes friends with a local Caretaker who trains him in martial arts so he can conquer his fears and stand up for himself.

Violence

The film has various comic scenes and its moments of moderate violence take place within a clear sporting context. The violence also lacks significant detail. For example, in one scene at a martial arts contest, we see one boy punching another in the face. The blows are partially concealed, however, and a referee intervenes before any serious damage is done. Other scenes in which the boy is bullied in the street and the Caretaker comes to his defence exist outside the sporting context but show far milder violence.