Ralph Macchio Reveals His Most Cherished Memory from Making 1984's “The” “Karate Kid ”(Exclusive)

Ralph Macchio has fond memories of his 1984 deed film The Karate Kid.

Speaking to PEOPLE connected nan reddish carpet astatine nan May 27 premiere of Karate Kid: Legends successful New York City, Macchio, 63, said he has "tons of favourite memories" from filming his breakout domiciled arsenic Daniel LaRusso — and galore revolve astir moving pinch his erstwhile costar, Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi.

"From nan original, each time moving pinch Pat Morita, it was a blessed business and it still resonates," Macchio said. Morita died successful 2005 astatine 73 years old.

He added that nan Legends movie — which costars Jackie Chan — expands connected nan broader Karate Kid saga.

"The logic I'm successful this movie is to salary that bequest forward. Shedding a small portion of Miyagi forward," Macchio continued. "It's ne'er nan incorrect point to do successful Daniel LaRusso's eyes and successful Ralph Macchio's eyes."

Macchio appeared arsenic LaRusso successful nan 1984 film, reprising nan domiciled successful The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989), nan caller Legends movie and in the Netflix bid Cobra Kai.

But Legends, he explained to PEOPLE, is different.

"This movie has much of for illustration an early Jackie Chan movie style, a Hong Kong style," he said astatine nan premiere. "The fight, nan cameras are really wide lenses wrong nan fights. There's joke laced passim and location was ever joke successful the Karate Kid films, but nan original movie was benignant of cinema magic — very romantic, wide, agelong takes, speech scenes that breathe."

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He continued: "This is quicker gait for this generation, but laced pinch humor, excitement, adjacent level martial arts and Ben Wang [the young character who plays Li Fong successful nan film] is simply a stone prima successful nan movie."

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Director Jonathan Entwistle earlier told PEOPLE location is an important equilibrium betwixt nan films and nan tv series. "They are some portion of the Karate Kid universe — without Karate Kid, there would beryllium no Cobra Kai," Entwistle said.

"Our movie is group aft nan sixth and last play of Cobra Kai and takes the Karate Kid mythology successful a caller guidance pinch a caller group of characters," he explained.

Karate Kid: Legends is successful theaters May 30.