The breakdown for Daniel’s motivation’s and behavior is something i’d never considered. It does give the movie a new perspective to me, which i definitely appreciate and enjoy. However i think a case can be made in the defense of Daniel, though i think both kids were in the wrong. The bully in the movie does not need to threaten Daniel with physical violence because of his social standing and abilities, so he can be passively menacing. And oftentimes he and his friends resort to verbal and psychological threats, if you don’t think this is a big deal then ask a current high schooler that gets bullied about it.
However, Daniel is also a reckless and aggressive kid. And that’s actually the point of the movie which isn’t my interpretation, That’s the central theme of the movie. He eventually learns to manage his ego and recklessness, as good as a high schooler can.
I think the one flaw this movie might have is that the bully isn’t given much of an arc or motivation beyond being there to be menacing. Yeah he’s an asshole, but why exactly? He doesn’t need to be sympathetic to the viewer, but it’s not like he’s a serial killer. He’s just a kid that doesn’t know any better than to be a dick. Some people grow out of that sort of stuff after they go on from High School.
Verbal diarrhea. Sorry. I love Karate Kid [:
