The Highest Rated Karate Kid Movie According To IMDb

With "Cobra Kai" proving to be a genuine success on Netflix, there's no denying that the love for "The Karate Kid" world is thriving like never before. In hindsight, how could it not? Following a legacy that spans over three decades, there has always been a lot of love for Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and his mentor, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), in pop culture. Before the hit Netflix series, "The Karate Kid" spawned three sequels and even an attempted reboot in 2010 starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. The film also earned Morita an Oscar nomination for his performance as the legendary teacher who was all about waxing, both on and off.

Among these cinematic chapters, though, only one can be triumphant. So, which entry swept the legs of the other installments of the classic franchise? Which delighted fans more with its inspirational montages, aggressive school bullies, and wise words from a seasoned mentor? Well, according to IMDb, there is indeed one movie that stands above all the rest. 

Hardly being met with any competition from the films that followed, the 1984 crane-kicking classic "The Karate Kid" beats every other big-screen outing of the franchise. Earning a score of 7.3/10 among voters on IMDb, John G. Avildsen's teen "Rocky" of its time is followed up by the 2010 reboot, which boasts a score of 6.2/10, and then by the sequel to the original film, "The Karate Kid Part II," with a 6.1/10. Trailing behind is "The Karate Kid Part III" with 5.2/10, followed by "The Next Karate Kid," starring Oscar-winner Hilary Swank, with a measly 4.5/10.

Considering it was the cultural hit that kicked the "Karate Kid" franchise off, it's not surprising to see the first film in the series taking the top spot. Regardless of which ones score lower, though, it's great that the creators behind "Cobra Kai" have made an effort to integrate characters from even the least popular entries into the series — just look at the dastardly deeds played out by "The Karate Kid III" villain Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), who has now returned in Season 4 of the Netflix sequel series. In the end, though, the results merely confirm what we've always known: "The Karate Kid" is still the best around, and it looks like nothing is ever going to bring it down.