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5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I Like All Of The Karate Kid Movies, But The 2010 One Is My Favorite. Here's Why
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. When I ranked all five Karate Kid movies, I put the original at number one because, you know, I like to give the people what they want. Even though The Karate Kid Part II and III each have their fans, and The Next Karate Kid…is a film that exists, I know that everybody loves the original. Inversely, I also know that pretty much nobody thinks the 2010 The Karate Kid, starring Jaden Smith, is the best movie in the franchise. But, do you want to know a little secret that the above headline kind of already spoiled? I think it's the best. And, with the upcoming Karate Kid Legends (which looked awesome at CinemaCon) bridging the gap between the old Karate Kid, and the more recent one, I thought that now was as good a time as any to sing the 2010 movie's praises. We once ranked the most vicious villains of The Karate Kid franchise, and many of the characters that you might expect made the list, such as John Kreese, Johnny Lawrence, and Terry Silver. However, while I'm not completely on board with the whole 'Daniel LaRusso is the REAL villain theory' that's been floating around the internet for awhile, what I will say is that Daniel isn't the most likeable protagonist. For example, in The Karate Kid Part II, he asks mentor,Mr. Miyagi why he doesn't just kill John Kreese when given the chance. I'll repeat that. Daniel asks his mentor, who is a man of peace, why he doesn't KILL another human being. So, yeah. I'm not sure if Daniel has the best motives when it comes to the fine art of karate. That said, do you know what character doesn't have murderous intent? Dre Parker, played by Castle headpiece-wearing aficionado Jaden Smith. You see, Dre, just like Daniel, finds himself being a stranger in a strange land (But this time, in China rather than California). And, like Daniel, Dre finds himself in trouble because he likes a girl. That said, Dre's worst behavior in the movie involves throwing dirty water on some punks, and convincing the girl he likes to play hooky from school for one day. He doesn't throw the first punch when facing his bully, nor does he seem like the kind of person who can't accept that people can change in the future. In truth, Dre seems like the kind of kid who avoids seeking out trouble, but is willing to stand his ground if it finds him, and I really like that about him. I'm not sure if I can say the same for Daniel-san, however. Jackie Chan is a legend. Everybody knows that. In fact, I grew up watching all of the best Jackie Chan movies when I was little, and I share a lot of those movies with my own children. Like I said, the man's a legend. So, it's been interesting to watch one of the greatest action heroes of all time transition into becoming the wise old man character. And, no offense to Pat Morita, as he carried all four of those Karate Kid movies, but I just don't see him as being the kind of guy who could kick everybody's butt in a room if he had the opportunity. But Jackie Chan? Well, I've seen him do it. In other movies, sure, but that's how I know him. Plus, I just like Jackie Chan's performance as Mr. Han better than Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi. Both Miyagi and Han have a dark past, and both of them act as father figures to Daniel and Dre, respectively. However, I just have more of a connection with Jackie Chan, given my history watching so many of his movies. It's almost like, similar to Dre, I grew up with Jackie Chan as well, so I just like him better. It's a personal thing, I know, but this is a personal article. I kind of brought this up with the first entry on why I prefer Dre over Daniel, but Daniel seems like he causes a lot of his own problems. Yes, he shouldn't be bullied by the members of Cobra Kai, but he should also kind of mind his own business, especially when moving to a new area. Daniel is also a teenager, and even turns 18 in the movie. So, in a lot of ways, I feel like Daniel could possibly make better decisions, or at least know not to spray water at Johnny as payback. Because in a lot of ways, I kind of don't feel bad when Daniel gets the snot beaten out of him in the first movie. He kind of deserves it. I don't feel that way about Dre though. For one thing, Dre is only 12, so I'm more okay with him making bad decisions (like throwing dirty water on his bully). I also feel like Dre has more to deal with in his life, what with moving to a different continent, and the fact that his mentor, Mr. Han has a lot of trauma, as exhibited by the part where he's wrecking the car that he killed his wife and child in, and that's a lot for a 12-year-old to witness. Finally, I think the tournament itself seems more important for Dre, even though the set-up is similar to the original The Karate Kid. Dre, being a foreigner, really only has this opportunity to find happiness in China, whereas I think Daniel would get by, even if he lost the tournament and continued to get bullied (I mean, he got a car, right? He could drive away from his troubles). So, in every way, I just think the stakes are higher for Dre, and I like that about the 2010 film. I prefer it, even. I've never been to China, and I don't see myself ever going there, unfortunately. So, that's where movies come in (Inversely, the Chinese audience seems to like our movies, too…though, some of the movies they like might be questionable). Since I won't travel there, I enjoy seeing characters go there, and that's where 2010's The Karate Kid takes place–Right in Beijing, China. This is a great setting, because again, Dre is a kid out of his element. He originally lived in Detroit, Michigan, but once the auto industry went belly up, his mother had to move them. And, I love this element about the film. In the original movie, Daniel moved from Newark (Whoop whoop. New Jersey, representing!) to Los Angeles, California. But, I'm sorry. As somebody who has been to both Newark and Los Angeles, I don't feel anything is exotic about either location. Daniel moving there changes the locale, sure, but not in a way like Detroit does to China. In fact, this adds to a lot of the conflict in 2010's The Karate Kid. Because while yes, The Karate Kid Part II takes place in Japan, Daniel is with Mr. Miyagi. But, Dre is all alone in China, for the most part, and trying to navigate this new setting while his mother's at work really adds to the tension. In that way, I think China is the most interesting setting this series has ever had. But, that also adds to another reason why this is my favorite 'The Karate Kid' movie. I put 'The Karate Kid' in quotes before because it's a complete misnomer, as this movie is not about karate, which is Japanese in origin (Which is why Part II takes place in Okinawa). Instead, it's about kung fu, which is from China. In fact, 2010's The Karate Kid wasn't even titled that in China. Instead, it was titled, Kung Fu Dream, which makes sense, since the 2010 movie was only called The Karate Kid in America since people already know the title, and it loosely followed the same events from the first film. But, I much prefer kung fu to karate. No disrespect to Japan (I mean, I LOVE Japan…and Godzilla), but I've always found karate to be kind of boring. In fact, I even find it boring in the original Karate Kid movies, as the actual fighting has always been the least interesting part to me about those first four films. However, the combat in the 2010 film is awesome. I love all of the fluid movements and martial arts that take place, and that alone makes this movie superior in my eyes, since I genuinely enjoy watching the fight scenes. I think they're all great. I think I've waxed on enough here, but what do you think? Does anyone else out there also love the 2010 film as much as I do? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karate Kid: Legends Review: Jackie Chan & Ralph Macchio Deliver Entertaining Action
Kung fu meets karate, and kids meet legends in the latest movie that crane-kicks its way into theaters. Karate Kid: Legends serves as a continuation of Daniel LaRusso's (Ralph Macchio) story that began in 1984 when Mr. Miyagi taught him karate and has continued for decades into the recently finished Netflix series Cobra Kai. Jackie Chan reprises his role as Mr. Han from the 2010 remake, merging him into a shared universe of martial arts. But at the center of this serviceably entertaining sequel is Ben Wang as Li Fong as the new kid who moves to a new place with his single mother, gets bullied, meets a girl, and faces off against his adversary in a martial arts tournament. This classic story is a formula that's stood the test of time. Daniel LaRusso went through this journey in 1984, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) finished it fifteen years ago, and now Li Fong takes the stage as our next karate kid (disclaimer: Hilary Swank didn't follow the formula the others did). Karate Kid: Legends knows the formula we're used to, plays into some of it, and changes things up a bit. The film starts with a flashback to The Karate Kid Part II, incorrectly labeled as being set in 1986 because it only takes place a few months after the first movie. We then catch up with Mr. Han, who has moved up from maintenance man to a revered shifu teaching at a kung fu school. We have our references to 'jacket on, jacket off,' and we find out one of his students is Li. Li's mother (played by the superb Ming-Na Wen) doesn't want Li fighting, and she moves them to New York City. Eagle-eyed New Yorkers like me may notice that while the film uses NYC b-roll, the majority of the film is definitely not filmed in the Big Apple. As he's a fish out of water in this new city, the movie leans into that formula, but also brings in the series's first Asian lead. It's a smart choice because it's a franchise that's always leaned into Asian martial arts, so seeing him as the new kid allows a new perspective, while also painting a new protagonist who already has a background in kung fu. But knowing kung fu isn't enough because he soon meets a girl named Mia (Sadie Stanley) and her psycho martial artist ex-boyfriend Connor (Aramis Knight). Connor is our new Johnny, and as he gets jealous of Li and Mia hanging out, he picks a fight that doesn't end well for Li. Like all the movies in this series, it showcases how strong our villain is compared to our hero, and we have to root for the hero to learn more and become better in order to eventually face off against the villain and (hopefully) win. Wang gives quite a good performance here. He's not overdoing anything, and he genuinely feels like a kid who means well. He forms a genuine relationship with Mia with the potential of romance, and he's funny, while also being an incredible physical performer. Many of the martial arts stunts in this movie are performed by him, and you really get the sense that he could be the next Jackie Chan if he picks his projects right. He's already lined up for another high-profile supporting role in the next Hunger Games movie, and I'm excited to see what he does next. His work here is wonderful and the script allows him the chance to shine. The film also makes him a bit more layered than the previous Karate Kids. Daniel and Dre were mainly upset as they moved into unfamiliar territory where they got bullied, so it was easy to pity them. Julie was acting out because her parents died, and even though Swank did a good job of portraying it, the script didn't give her enough there. Here, Li is grieving the death of his older brother, who was killed after a martial arts match. He feels guilty for freezing and being unable to help him. He's an interesting character who's been traumatized by the incident, and when he's put in a similar situation again, he makes the same mistake. Unfortunately, the script never really gives him a chance to fix his error. The first hour subverts everything in an interesting way by having Li train Mia's father Victor (Joshua Jackson) in kung fu so that Victor can go back to fighting matches and pay off some debts. While this is a fun subversion and it's never boring, it feels so different from the rest of the movie, which is what was advertised. The main story here surrounds Li needing to get kung fu training from Mr. Han and karate training from Daniel LaRusso to fight Connor. But the film spends so much time on this subplot with training Victor, which ultimately leads nowhere and is so distant from the rest of the film. It's strange to have Victor be such a prominent character during the first hour, and then once the real story kicks in with Li, Han, and Daniel, he's barely in the film at all anymore. It's also funny to see Ralph Macchio billed so prominently here. While he's just coming off of his lead role in Cobra Kai, Daniel doesn't show up until about an hour into the movie. The last half hour is where Karate Kid: Legends picks up quite a bit. We have a lot of fights, and director Jonathan Entwistle throws in some style we haven't seen before from this series, with slow-mo, freeze-frames, and comic book-style graphics. It was a fun style that won't work for everyone, but I enjoyed it. As far as legacy sequels go, Karate Kid: Legends is no Top Gun: Maverick. The tournament idea is less interesting this time around and feels like it's thrown in there because Karate Kid movies almost always have one. Chan's performance in the 2010 Karate Kid movie had some of his best dramatic work he's ever put to celluloid, and while it's always fun to see him on the big screen, he's leaning more comfortably into his persona here. Macchio is just as good as Daniel as he always is. Stanley provides a wonderful amount of humanity to her role. Knight does a good job as the villain. He doesn't have too much screen time, but he gets us to root against him. Wyatt Olef plays Li's tutor, who's written to be a humorous fan favorite, but his performance hits a double instead of a home run. Overall, this movie may not be as good as the original Karate Kid from 1984 or its 2010 remake, but it is certainly the best Karate Kid sequel ever made. You'll have a good time, especially if you're a sucker for those feel-good underdog stories where a kid moves to a new place and becomes the best around. As ComingSoon's review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to 'Good.' A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone. Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Karate Kid: Legends review. It is out in US theaters on Friday. The post Karate Kid: Legends Review: Jackie Chan & Ralph Macchio Deliver Entertaining Action appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
