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New York Post
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Boring, sex-hating Gen Z has killed the teen movie
A college professor recently told me that every time he shows a movie in class, the kids rip it to shreds. They declare all sex scenes gratuitous. With the surgical coldness of an audit, they scrutinize the characters' power dynamics (say, a boss hooking up with an employee) and deem them wildly inappropriate. 4 Gen Z could never stomach a teen classic like 'The Breakfast Club.' ©Universal/courtesy Everett / Everett Collection These little Debbie Downers are offended by absolutely everything. So, it's no wonder that the teen movie is dead — Generation Buzzkill has murdered it. From the 1960s until just a few years ago, a ton of films were made specifically for the high school and college age cohort — from 'Gidget' to 'The Breakfast Club' to 'American Pie' to 'Superbad.' They were so common, they got their own spoof in 2001: 'Not Another Teen Movie.' The components were summer, sex, hormones, underdogs, drugs, cafeteria stereotypes, cars, fights, comedy and coming of age in various combos. Some wound up classics, some are garbage. But the genre was a frivolous and occasionally naughty escape for all us non-pearl-clutchers. Those films have abruptly ceased to exist. This summer, what used to be a staple is almost entirely absent from the release calendar. The closest, 'Karate Kid: Legends,' which hit theaters this weekend, is a throwback to a more innocent one of them. But the terrible 2025-set reboot also brings to mind the old Hollywood Production Code, which once policed cinematic morality. 4 'Karate Kid: Legends' is no 'Karate Kid.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Next to 1984's 'Karate Kid,' which had edge, the cherubic sequel is a sanitized episode of 'Leave It To Beaver.' And, since its selling point is the nostalgic return of Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, 'Legends' is barely even aimed at young people. It's for their parents. Real teen movies have been banished to the streaming morgue. We arrive, click 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off,' and tearily say, 'Yeah, that's him.' What happened? Can a person no longer belligerently don a toga or shout the dirty lyrics of 'Scotty Doesn't Know'? Apparently not. Now that Gen Z (those aged 13 to 28) have money to spend, their well-known nun-like traits are finally being reflected onscreen. A chill just went up my spine. 4 Movies like 'American Pie' with Jason Biggs were so common they got a spoof called 'Not Another Teen Movie.' Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Some of the prudes' biggest dislikes are sex and booze. 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' would send 'em into therapy. A 2023 UCLA study found that 40% of participants ranging from 13 to 24 want less hanky panky and more platonic relationships at the movies. And surveys consistently show that Gen Z drinks far less than their elders. Sex, drugs and rock & roll? More like hugs, mocktails and Billie Eilish. Even friendships without benefits in retro teen flicks will be totally unrecognizable to Gen Z, who enjoy cult-like androgynous outfits and giving admonishing lectures. Hanging out in parking lots? Backyard keggers while the parents are away? Deader than Latin. These homebodies, on average, stare at their phones for more than seven hours a day. 4 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' would send Gen Z into therapy. Courtesy Everett Collection Perhaps the greatest death knell — a Gallup poll discovered that 93% of teens enjoy spending time with their parents. Characters in John Hughes' movies barely even had parents. Obviously teen tales are still around in some form. They have mostly made the leap to TV, meeting their audience where they live. They are not, however, 'American Graffiti.' The shows tend to either be tearjerker explorations of identity ('Heartstopper,' 'Love, Victor') or frightening peeks into their problems ('Adolescence' and 'Euphoria'). Lighthearted rebellion and some filthy, un-PC jokes are no longer an acceptable option. Another survey said Gen Z wants superheroes, violence and sweet friends. 'Minecraft,' I guess. Well, what I want is another offensive, objectionable, no-holds-barred teen movie. Too bad. Hollywood is singin' bye, bye 'American Pie.'
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
How ‘Karate Kid: Legends' filmed climactic fight on NYC skyscraper: director
Wax on, wax off. The latest movie in the 'Karate Kid' franchise, 'Karate Kid: Legends,' ended with a dramatic fight — that included hundreds of background actors. 'We had 650 extras in there on the [sound] stage for that sequence, to really sell it,' director Jonathan Entwistle exclusively told The Post. Advertisement 11 Ben Wang as Li in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 11 Ming-Na Wen, Wyatt Oleff, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Jackie Chan, Sadie Stanley in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 11 Li (Ben Wang) and Connor (Aramis Knight) fighting on top of a skyscraper in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' Columbia Pictures Advertisement 'Karate Kid: Legends' follows a new character, Li (Ben Wang), who has trained in Kung Fu with martial arts master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who was friends with the late Mr. Miyagi (Nariyoshi Miyagi). When his mom moves him from China to New York, Li befriends local Pizzeria owner Victor (Joshua Jackson) and crushes on Victor's teen daughter, Mia (Sadie Stanley). Eventually, Li finds himself in a karate tournament, facing off against Mia's aggressive ex-boyfriend, Connor (Aramis Knight). Mr. Han comes to help Li train, since he knows Kung Fu but not karate, and also entreats original 'Karate Kid' Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) to help train Li. 11 Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan and Ben Wang attend the 'Karate Kid: Legends' Photocall at Trafalgar Square on May 20, 2025. Getty Images for Sony Pictures Advertisement 11 Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 11 Ralph Macchio in 1984's 'Karate Kid.' Li and Connor's climatic fight takes place on top of a fake New York City skyscraper — filmed on a soundstage. 'We filmed using the volume technology,' he explained, referring to the visual effects technology that's also been used on shows like 'The Mandalorian' and 'House of the Dragon.' Advertisement 'The whole skyscraper building with the elevator and all of those things – we built it for real on a stage. And then we built big 40-foot screens all the way around this set.' 11 Ben Wang on top of an NYC skyscraper for the final climactic fight in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' Columbia Pictures 11 Director Jonathan Entwistle talking to The Post for 'Karate Kid: Legends.' Page Six 11 Li (Ben Wang) during the fight on top of an NYC skyscraper. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection He said production then went to New York City, 'and we found the exact pinpoint position in Manhattan where we could take the camera and the drones all the way up – to get the exact skyline that we wanted at the exact same time of day.' Once they captured the New York City skyline footage they wanted, they filmed for over 24 hours to 'get all the sky versions.' Once they got the footage, 'we tweaked the sunset to get a most perfect sunset with the most perfect New York skyline to be able to work with that. Because it's very important for me that the movie felt like it was in New York.' 11 Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang and Jackie Chan in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement 11 Ben Wang (L) and Ralph Macchio promote the upcoming film 'Karate Kid: Legends' at the Sony Pictures Entertainment presentation during CinemaCon, the official convention of Cinema United, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images 'By New York, I mean Manhattan – kind of Flatiron [building] adjacent. That's New York for the vast majority of people in the world,' he explained to The Post. 'I was, like, 'let's make it feel like we were right in the middle there.'' The epic fight sequence took about two weeks to film. And because they were on a soundstage with 40 foot screens displaying their Manhattan skyline footage, production 'had a perpetual sunset.' 'Karate Kid: Legends' is in theaters now.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
'Karate Kid: Legends' director talks Johnny Lawrence cameo
Spoiler alert for 'Karate Kid: Legends.' Here's Johnny! The newest movie in the 'Karate Kid' franchise, 'Karate Kid: Legends,' initially seemed like it was leaving Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) by the wayside. Advertisement However, by the end of the movie, Zabka shows up for a cameo. 'It was really great fun shooting that scene,' director Jonathan Entwistle, 41, exclusively told The Post. 7 'Karate Kid: Legends' director Jonathan Entwistle in his interview with The Post. The New York Post Advertisement 7 William Zabka in 'Cobrai Kai' Season 6. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Karate Kid: Legends' (now in theaters) follows a new character, Li (Ben Wang), who has trained in Kung Fu with revered martial arts master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). When his mom moves him from China to New York, he befriends local Pizzeria owner Victor (Joshua Jackson) and crushes on Victor's teen daughter, Mia (Sadie Stanley). When Li finds himself in a karate tournament, facing off against Mia's aggressive ex-boyfriend Connor (Aramis Knight), Mr. Han comes to help, and also entreats original 'Karate Kid' Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) to help train Li. 7 William Zabka in 'The Karate Kid' in 1984. ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Ever Advertisement In the final scene, the movie catches up with Daniel, who returns home to California to the late Mr. Miyagi's old karate dojo. The camera pans out to show that Daniel's former bully and now friend, Johnny, is there too, dreaming up a business idea of opening a pizza restaurant together called Miyagi-Dough. When asked if Johnny riffing about the pizza restaurant was scripted or ad-libbed, Entwistle explained: 'It was a little bit of both.' 7 William Zabka and Lewis Tan in 'Cobra Kai.' ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement 7 Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'To have them both back together in that location was really, really fun,' he said of Zabka, 59, and Macchio, 63. 'They obviously have a rapport together from all of the years of working…we knew the concepts of what we wanted to do with the pizza and we just kind of let Billy go.' 'He loves that, he stepped right up into it.' Although Daniel and Johnny were enemies in the original 1984 movie, the Netflix series 'Cobra Kai' (which ran for six seasons from 2018 to 2025) revisited the characters as adults, redeemed Johnny, and ended with the two men as friends. 7 Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, and Ralph Macchio in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 7 Ralph Macchio in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Shooting that scene took 'maybe an afternoon' to film, Entwistle told The Post. 'We got to play around in the old Miyagi house and it was great.' Advertisement He clarified that they built a 'recreation' of the house from the original movies, since he said it burnt down. Zabka's 'Karate Kid: Legends' cameo was 'always planned,' he added. 'I think once we knew that 'Cobra Kai' was coming to an end, it was just a nice moment to round out that period for the fans. So it was just very nice to just give everybody a moment to round that out.' 'Karate Kid: Legends' is now in theaters.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Karate Kid: Legends' review: Awful Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan sequel KO'd my will to live
movie review KARATE KID: LEGENDS Running time: 94 minutes. PG-13 (martial arts violence and some language). In theaters May 30. 'Karate Kid: Legends' continues a grand old tradition. And I don't mean that of one generation handing down ancient martial arts skills to the next. No, 'Legends' is the latest in a long line of terrible 'Karate Kid' movies. A passing of the torch, such as it is, to the next inferior ripoff. None of the past five films can touch the 1984 original starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel and Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi — the perfect high-school summer flick set to the soothing sounds of Bananarama. All of them since, save for the feel-good TV show 'Cobra Kai,' have been: Wax on, turn off. That's especially true of the embarrassing 'Legends,' which tries and fails to futz with the established formula. 6 Ben Wang stars as Li Fong in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The first of many, many questionable choices: This time, the title teen begins as a formidable fighter. Guess we can all go home then! Li Fong (Ben Wang) has trained in Kung Fu for years with Mr. Han (Jackie Chan, back from the Jaden Smith one) in Beijing. But because of a past trauma, his mom demands that Li give up his passion. So she moves the family to New York City, a calm place that's completely free of violence. 6 Li trains Victor (Joshua Jackson), a local pizza shop owner. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection When they arrive in a neighborhood along the L train that looks conspicuously like Montreal, director Jonathan Entwistle and screenwriter Rob Lieber treat a metropolis of 8 million like it's Main Street, USA. Actors speak dialogue that was written in Crayola, and the events that unfold are unbearably hokey and fake. All the school kids, including throwaway villain Connor (a poor man's Johnny), absurdly still hang out at the local dojo. Within days of getting his passport stamped, Li is accosted by his new bullies on the subway, a transit system ridden by 3.6 million people a day. 6 The film's New York antics are hokey and fake. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection He wanders into a retro pizzeria, straight outta Peoria, that's owned by former boxer Victor (Joshua Jackson) and his daughter Mia (Sadie Stanley) — flat, silly characters broadly performed by the actors like they're mugging for the opening credits of 'Full House.' This restaurant, surely to save on prop costs, seemingly just serves pepperoni. Smitten with Li, Mia whisks him to cool New York youth's hottest spots: Times Square and the San Genaro Festival. Victor needs to pay back his debt to one of New York's many MMA street fighter gangs, so Li offers to teach him Kung Fu. That's another flip of the script that flops. The montage of swatting at pizza paddles and punching olive oil cans is dumb and free of 'Rocky'-type chills. Against strict mom's wishes, Li eventually enters a karate tournament called the 5 Boroughs to help earn Victor his cash. Since Li is already brilliant at Kung Fu, it only takes a week for Mr. Han and Daniel (Macchio, suffering from fatigue) to get him ready. Easy peasy. 'Legends' is tense as plain Jello. 6 Jackie Chan's Mr. Han trained Li in Kung Fu. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 6 Ralph Macchio was better used in the TV series 'Cobra Kai.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Wang, for what it's worth, is a charismatic and likable lead, who doesn't go overboard like all the ham sandwiches around him. He's not hilarious like Macchio was back in the day, but his smile is as powerful as his kicks. The 25-year-old newcomer is also actually proficient in martial arts, which lends reality to the fights. But the quick-cut way Entwistle depicts them doesn't take full advantage of Wang's abilities. They're not human enough; too 'Mortal Kombat.' Who, exactly, is this lazy, trotted-out exercise for? Macchio's dazed return would suggest it's nostalgia bait for older 'Karate Kid' fans, but 'Cobra Kai' already did that far better for six seasons. And it's hard to imagine the 'Euphoria' generation going gaga for a hackneyed teen movie that's, in fact, not nearly as edgy as the 1984 film was. Here there are less nunchucks, and more 'aww shucks.' 6 Wang is the best part of the film. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The 'Legends' are let downs. All the film's got going for it is Wang. To almost quote Mr. Miyagi, there's no such thing as a bad student, only a bad movie.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jackie Chan dislocated shoulder in 'Karate Kid: Legends' fight scene: director
There's a new kid on the block. The 'Karate Kid' franchise has a new installment — 'Karate Kid: Legends.' 'Who doesn't know Daniel LaRusso?' director Jonathan Entwistle exclusively told The Post, referring to the original 'Karate Kid' Ralph Macchio's character. Advertisement 'One of the most indelible cultural concepts in the world is Mr. Miyagi and wax on, wax off. There are very few people over 30 who don't know that,' he went on. 'So it was fascinating to see not just the cast but the crew. They were very reverential and very respectful to these two people,' he said of Macchio and Jackie Chan, who co-stars. 10 Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, and Ralph Macchio in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement Premiering May 30, 'Karate Kid: Legends' follows a new character, teen Li Fong (Ben Wang), who has trained in Kung Fu with revered martial arts master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). When his mom moves him from China to New York, he befriends local Pizzeria owner Victor (Joshua Jackson) and crushes on Victor's teen daughter, Mia (Sadie Stanley). The 'kid' isn't the only one fighting, as Li initially trains Victor on how to fight. But, when Li finds himself in a karate tournament, facing off against Mia's aggressive ex-boyfriend Connor (Aramis Knight), Mr. Han comes to help and entreats original 'Karate Kid' LaRusso (Macchio) to help train Li. 10 Ben Wang in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'He comes in and he's like, 'Okay, I'm gonna do this,'' Entwistle recalled of when Chan, 71, came to set the first day for a fight scene. 'We roll, and he immediately dislocates his shoulder. Everyone's like, 'Oh my God!' and Jackie's like, 'No, it's nothing!' He puts it right back in, just carries on, like 'Here we go.'' Advertisement He added, 'That kept happening throughout the shoot.' The fights were choreographed, but Chan often had his own ideas for what to do. 'His ability to direct the stunts and direct the stunt team and the stunt actors was just incredible to watch,' Entwistle admired. Another actor who was surprisingly competent at fighting was the 'Dawson's Creek' alum, 46. Advertisement 10 Jackie Chan in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang and Jackie Chan in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Josh Jackson, when he arrived for his boxing sequence, Josh saw how amazing all the martial arts pieces were for this movie, and he watched the kids training. He was like, 'No, no no, I'm gonna do this myself too,'' Entwistle recalled to The Post. 'They were like, 'Are you sure?' And he was like, 'Let's go.' He put on the gloves. He had no stunt double.' 'He shot that entire sequence himself, taking every punch,' he continued. 'We knew that Josh could box. He'd boxed at a reasonably high level through his life. He was in great shape at the time, and he got in even better shape for the role. And so, when he worked with the choreographers, they felt comfortable that he could do it himself.' 10 Joshua Jackson and Ben Wang in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Ben Wang in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Ralph Macchio in the original 1984 'Karate Kid.' ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Ever Advertisement During another fight scene in an alleyway, Entwistle 'wanted the fight sequences to feel really heightened and really kind of in-your-face, in-camera action.' The scuffle included Li, Victor, and some evil henchmen. 'Large pieces of that set were turned into soft foam versions,' he explained. 'There are soft trash cans, soft dumpsters, soft walls, soft corners, soft windows – so that we could really throw the actors into all of these things. People could fall backward, and we could build a set to match the choreography.' Although Li lives on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the movie was filmed in a variety of locations, including Montreal and Los Angeles. But, they still shot some scenes in New York. Advertisement 10 'Karate Kid: Legends' director Jonathan Entwistle in his video interview with The New York Post. The New York Post 10 Ming-Na Wen, Wyatt Oleff, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Jackie Chan and Sadie Stanley in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'One of the things that we were able to do, which is something that you don't get to do often, is close down and get out early into Times Square and Columbus Circle,' Entwistle explained, adding that they filmed at about 5 a.m., so no New Yorkers were around to heckle them. 'The police gave us a very specific window with which we could go there.' The Big Apple scene included Li and Mia riding a scooter. Advertisement 'I wanted it to feel like 'movie New York.' So it was like the Lower East Side is a five-minute walk from Central Park, and Queens is just around the corner,' he explained. 'It's that comic book feel, like Peter Parker's New York. That's what I wanted it to feel like.' 'Karate Kid: Legends' hits theaters on Friday, May 30.
