50 Best Sports Movies Ever

17. The Karate Kid

Year: 1984
Sport: Karate
Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, William Zabka
Director: John G. Avildsen

To this day, Ralph Macchio is recognized as Daniel from the eternally praised The Karate Kid. That’s a strong indication of how significant a film this was within the world of film and sports, and thus a factor in its appearance on this list.

Given mixed martial arts’ recent rise to global prominence, it’s more appropriate than ever to include The Karate Kid on this list.

To be clear, The Karate Kid is not a film about UFC-style fighting; it focuses on karate, which is a specific form of martial arts. The story is based around Daniel’s improbable development into a young master of his craft under the guidance of Mr. Miyagi.

There are a number of scenes that are referred to as the best of the film, but the epitome of Daniel’s character is his fearless decision to defend Ali.

This scene embodied who Daniel was as a character, serving as a beacon of good in a film with genuine villains in the Cobra Kai.

The Karate Kid remains one of the most popular films on this list, and it’s unlikely that it’ll ever fall out of favor. It has a cult following, to say the very least, and is the type of film that everyone sees at least once during their life span.

John G. Avildsen has brought a number of classic sports films into the public eye, and The Karate Kid ranks amongst the best of them.

Next: 16. Miracle