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The Karate Kid

1984 · directed by John G. Avildsen · 127 min
26,191 feet · Prominence
211st of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredThe 211st highest film on the mountain, and The Rewatchables has never done it.

How this film scores

Draw64

Lifetime worldwide gross $91m, re-releases included; about $289m in 2026 money.

Rank1,190 of 11,051In 19845 of 112

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise74

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics71 baseAwards19 signal → +3 lift

Oscars1 nominated Supporting Actor
Golden Globes1 nominated Supporting acting
How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy82

Judged directly: Wax on, crane kick, Cobra Kai revival.

Verdict82 of 100IMDb7.3 from 269kWikipedia1k views a monthAge42 years

On the listsNational Film Registryevidence, not an input to the score
Scored beside it · 108 of 4,039 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 64 praise 74 legacy 82averages 73, placing it at26,191 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

In these careers — elevation for this film

Ralph Macchio19,769 ftPat Morita19,701 ftElisabeth Shue18,374 ftWilliam Zabka18,056 ft