‘Karate Kid: Legends' knocked as ‘uninspired' and ‘unnecessary' by critics
When it comes to Karate Kid: Legends, critics are taking a page from Cobra Kai's book and showing no mercy. Reviews, which just went online, largely knock the sequel for hitting too many of the same beats as its predecessors.
Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter says, "While no one could begrudge the seemingly ageless Ralph Macchio and beloved action star Jackie Chan the opportunity to reprise their roles of Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han, respectively, this latest addition to an apparently unkillable franchise adds nothing original to the formula. It's a formula that works, to be sure, making for a pleasant enough time filler. But that's about it."
More from GoldDerby
'There's no skimming a Wes Anderson script': 'The Phoenician Scheme' cast on working with the director
'The worst has already happened, so now I have everything to gain': Meagan Good on love, loss, and empowering women in 'Forever'
'Eureka Day' playwright Jonathan Spector talks vaccine debates, vicious comment sections, and 'the failure of a utopia'
Joining Chan and Macchio is Ben Wang as Li Fong, the titular kid, and Ming-Na Wen as his mom. Li's journey brings together the two disparate branches of the film series, much like the character fuses the fighting styles of his teachers, kung-fu and karate.
But all of these connections to the franchise's past may have a draining effect on Legends, as IndieWire's Wilson Chapman argues. "In the pantheon of unnecessary legacy sequels — distant continuations that dig up decades of history to occasionally transcendent but mostly exasperating effect — it's hard to come up with a film that gains less from its connections to the work it's tied to than Karate Kid: Legends. Partly, there's a deep sense of redundancy: the iconic '80s Karate Kid martial arts franchise has already been the subject of a six-season sequel series Cobra Kai that just concluded a mere three months ago, which had flaws but nonetheless inspired affection for its cheeky reverence to the cheesy charms of the 1984 original film."
For Screen Crush's Matt Singer, it's Legends' lack of emotional character development that ultimately cuts it down. "The reason the original Karate Kid resonated so strongly with audiences was not the fight scenes; it was because Daniel and Mr. Miyagi were fully realized characters," he writes. "They spent long scenes talking to one another, learning from one another. The audience didn't cheer at the All-Valley Tournament because it was a well-choreographed fight scene. They cheered because they cared about Daniel."
And while Variety's Owen Gleiberman saw many of the same flaws in the film, he argues that they coalesce to make for a breezy watch. "The film dunks us in a storyline so simple, so unironic, so cheesy-sincere, so analog that you may feel it transporting you right back to the 'innocence' of the '80s," he writes. "And that's actually the best thing about Karate Kid: Legends. It's a film that's unapologetically basic and wholesome and, at 94 minutes, refreshingly stripped down. In its formulaic way, it works as an antidote to the bloat and clutter of your average 'high-powered' teenage/kiddie flick."
Karate Kid: Legends opens in theaters on Friday.
Best of GoldDerby
Marilyn Monroe movies: 15 greatest films ranked worst to best
Clint Eastwood movies: 20 greatest films ranked worst to best
Morgan Freeman movies: 15 greatest films ranked worst to best
Click here to read the full article.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shreveport wanted suspect assaults male in convenience store
DISCLAIMER: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Authorities are searching for a white male involved in an assault at a convenience store located in the 1400 block of Hollywood Avenue in Shreveport. The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office reported that a white male attacked a Hispanic male at a local convenience store. The suspect approached the victim from behind and punched him once while he was on the phone. Ark-La-Tex most wanted Investigators said that the suspect may have fled the scene in a dark-colored SUV. The Hispanic male sustained severe facial trauma and was transported to the LSU Health Science Center. If anyone recognizes the suspect in the video, please call the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Investigator, Sgt. Daniel at 318-681-0700 or Caddo/Shreveport Crime Stoppers at 318-673-7373. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Diddy Trial Sees Heckler Disrupt Court as Judge Learns Anonymous Witness' Name Leaked Online
Disturbances were abound at the federal criminal trial of Sean 'Diddy Combs' on Tuesday, as a woman viewing the rap mogul's sex trafficking and racketeering trial from the gallery shouted out in the middle of open court about the defendant, disrupting ongoing testimony in the fifth week of proceedings, and the trial's judge discovered that the name of 'Mia,' a pseudonymous witness, was leaked online. The heckler on Tuesday is a woman named Jacqueline 'Candor' Williams, who has been a regular inside and outside of the courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan. She has been a fixture there, speaking to a smartphone in the front of the courthouse where members of the press await the departure of Combs' mother and sons each day; she's also been present in the court's overflow room where press and members of the public watch the untelevised trial on medium-sized closed circuit TV screens. On Tuesday, Williams secured a seat in the courtroom where the trial was being held. More from The Hollywood Reporter Gibson Launches a Search for The Iconic "Marty McFly" Guitar From 'Back to the Future' Tate McRae, Mariah Carey and Ed Sheeran Heading to Vegas for iHeartRadio Music Festival Taylor Swift's Old Album Streams More Than Double on Spotify After Catalog Deal 'These motherfuckers are laughing at you,' she yelled at Combs, after shouting his name and a few profanities. She then yelled, 'You're laughing at a Black man's legacy,' before adding, 'Pull your gun out, ninja, I dare you.' Combs remained calm as this all occurred, but as Williams and another witness inside the courtroom told reporter Emilie Hagan, the jailed mogul pivoted in his chair with his mouth open when he heard Williams mention a security guard's gun. Judge Arun Subramanian quickly ordered the woman removed from the courtroom. Williams said that she has been told not to return to the trial room but that she is still allowed to view proceedings from the overflow room. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Williams via Instagram but did not immediately receive a reply. Her outburst caused a minor delay, and it occurred prior to the start of testimony from Eddy Garcia, a Los Angeles hotel security employee, when the 2016 incident occurred where Combs beat and dragged ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in L.A., all of which was caught on security footage. Garcia was a 33-year-old security guard at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. He testified about speaking with a nervous-sounding Combs and his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, about the footage of the rap mogul viciously beating then-girlfriend Ventura in a hallway there nearly a decade ago. He told the court he ultimately accepted $100,000 for what he believed was the only footage of the horrific incident. Garcia testified that he split the money with a manager and another staff member, another guard; however, he had filmed the footage to show to his wife, and video of Combs attacking Ventura eventually leaked to CNN. Garcia's testimony followed that of 'Mia,' a former personal assistant of Combs who used a pseudonym in court as part of her testimony, which included discussion of several alleged incidents where she says she was raped or sexually assaulted by Combs. On Tuesday, the identity of 'Mia' was leaked online by a YouTube streamer and posted on X (formerly Twitter) by another outlet. Prosecutor Maurene Comey raised the state's concerns about the leaked name after the YouTube streamer shared Mia's identity; the streamer has now been barred from the federal court and will no longer be able to cover court proceedings. Comey told the judge that a second outlet had posted the real name of 'Mia' on X and requested that the judge ensure the post was removed and the source who posted it online was barred from court. The state prosecutors have been asked to draft a possible court order for consideration. Combs was federally indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution in September and has been held in a Brooklyn federal jailhouse since then. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Where Did the $750 Million Go? Hollywood Incentive Bill Passes CA Senate Without Newsom's Pledge
Legislation aimed at modernizing and expanding California's program that provides subsidies to film and TV productions has passed the California Senate, though this version of the bill doesn't commit to increasing the cap from $330 million to $750 million a year. Tuesday's near unanimous vote was 34 to one, with the only dissent coming from Sen. Roger Niello (R-Sacramento). The bill, which now heads to the state Assembly for consideration, would vastly boost subsidies to shoot in the state to at least 35 percent while expanding the category of productions that qualify to include shorter TV shows, animated titles and certain types of unscripted projects. More from The Hollywood Reporter New Report Portrays California's Film and TV Production Environment as Uniquely Burdensome and Expensive Steven Paul, Architect of Trump Ambassador Plan to Hollywood, Buys Production Facility L.A. Mayor Vows to Cut Red Tape and Make It Easier to Shoot Movies and Shows In the City Its passage is a crucial victory for workers across Hollywood who've seen significantly less work as productions increasingly opt to shoot in other areas that offer more tax credits. It's the first step in revamping California's program amid a tit-for-tat race to host the entertainment industry. 'We need to do whatever we can to make sure California remains the number one entertainment capitol of the world,' said Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach). 'In order to do that, we need to be in the ballpark. We don't need to top other states, but we need to be in the ballpark.' If passed, Senate Bill 630 would bring the most significant changes to the program since its inception in 2009. The bill, SB 630, was spurred by a historic downturn in filming in the state. The 20 percent base credit offered by California is lower than most competitive film hubs, including New York, Georgia and the U.K. There was broad bipartisan support for the bill, with several lawmakers stressing the impact that the downturn in production has had on their districts in recent years. 'The domino effect is vast,' said Sen. Carolina Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley), whose district includes Burbank. 'This impacts dry cleaners and the people with small restaurants around these studios. They've noted a decreased amount of pedestrian traffic to their businesses because they're surrounded by studios and there's not a lot of work.' Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares(R-Santa Clarita) said that soundstages and postproduction houses in her district are suffering as productions opt to work with vendors in other states and countries. She pointed to the first season of Amazon's Fallout filming in New York despite the story taking place in a post-apocalyptic California (season two opted to shoot in California after receiving tax credits). 'We're losing significant ground,' she said. 'Other states have built entire industries luring production away from California.' Under the bill, productions could get 35 percent of their spend back for costs incurred in the states. An additional five percent credit would also be available for shooting in certain areas outside Los Angeles. And in a bid to keep up with other regions broadening the types of productions that can receive subsidies, TV shows consisting of two or more episodes of at least 20 minutes would qualify for the program, which currently only allows series with episodes of at least 40 minutes to qualify. Other productions that could get credits under the revisions to the bill include sitcoms, animated films, series or shorts and 'large-scale competition' shows, excluding reality, documentary programming and game or talk shows. They must have budgets of at least $1 million. The bill, however, doesn't contemplate allowing any portion of above-the-line costs, like salaries for actors, directors and producers, to qualify for subsidies. California is currently the only major film hub to maintain such a scheme. Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) said that the state wants to 'avoid a race to the bottom.' He added that the program is 'grounded in jobs creation and economic activity' unlike Georgia's. The legislation is expected to meet more resistance on Thursday at the state Assembly, where lawmakers could express concerns over increasing subsidies to film and TV productions as the state proposes major cuts to health care and universities. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
