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CBC
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Karate Kid: Legends is about the fights, not the storytelling
Social Sharing Karate Kid: Legends is the sixth Karate Kid movie — and it shows. The film isn't afraid to fall into the formula you might expect for a late-franchise sequel. It delivers on some spectacular action sequences, and even brings back the original karate kid Ralph Macchio and martial arts legend Jackie Chan for some short, memorable scenes. But at the same time, the movie doesn't seem to concern itself too much with the plot that connects all these moments together. Today on Commotion, Vulture's Alison Willmore, Inverse's Hoai-Tran Bui and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival's Aram Siu Wai Collier join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss Karate Kid: Legends, and what they are most excited to see in theatres this summer. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Elamin: Hoai-Tran, talk to me about Karate Kid: Legends. What is this new movie about? Hoai-Tran: Karate Kid: Legends follows Ben Wang's Li Fong, who moves from Beijing to New York City with his mom. He has given up kung fu because of a past traumatic incident involving his brother, who passed after a tournament. And it goes in a direction that you wouldn't expect, because the karate doesn't take place until maybe the last 20 minutes of this movie. Actually, it's mostly about boxing, kind of. When he moves to New York, he of course meets a cute girl next door … and her Dad is a former boxer played by Joshua Jackson. And to avoid some loan sharks, Joshua Jackson's character asks Li Fong to help him learn kung fu.… That then switches to another different movie about 45 minutes in, and you're like, "Oh this is the movie that was actually advertised." So there's a little bit of false advertising going in this trailer specifically because Jackie Chan is great, but spends most of his screen time behind a phone.… It's a bit of a strange, awkward marriage of two movies that don't really connect together, and honestly are not really that good. Elamin: Alison, Ben Wang is the star of this movie, making him the first Asian American karate kid. How do you feel about his performance in this role? Alison: I hadn't seen him in his other work before.… I think he's very charming. I think he obviously knows how to do martial arts, which is a huge ask here. And I really liked that, in a kind of gesture towards Jackie Chan's long legendary cinematic history, he inserts some physical comedy into the martial arts sequences…. I appreciated the nod towards that. I do feel like I would agree. I think that this movie is kind of bifurcated in an odd way. It's funny that the movies, they're like, "The formula is, it has to be an Asian character teaching a non-Asian character martial arts." So he has to be the teacher, even though he's a teenager for a while. It is a little odd. But it does get to the good stuff we want: training montages, fighting in a random martial arts tournament that happens on rooftops and streets around New York City for no reason at all. It just feels a little hurried. I wanted a bit more time spent with his character. That said, I think that he's a really promising actor, and I would like to see more of him. Elamin: Aram, as you think about this movie … does it in any way hold up against the original movies? Aram: I mean, just like Alison said, it really sticks to the formula. Which, in the martial arts tradition, I think that fulfills the assignment right? It's kind of like having a really good can of soup. There's no surprises … and it's not always wrong or bad to know where you're going. So I found it actually comforting.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
What parents need to know about ‘Karate Kid: Legends' and more
Age 10+ New heroes join old friends for action-packed sequel. 'Karate Kid: Legends' — the sixth film in the Karate Kid franchise — brings together characters from both the 2010 reboot and the original movies and TV spin-off. Set a few years after 'Cobra Kai,' the story follows Li Fong (Ben Wang), the kung fu prodigy of Shifu Han (Jackie Chan), who relocates from China to New York City after a family tragedy, eventually entering a big karate tournament with help from Shifu Han and a new sensei, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Expect frequent martial arts and boxing violence, with some intense moments. A fatal street fight is shown in a recurring flashback, and one illegal boxing move lands a fighter in the hospital. Offensive language is infrequent but includes 'a--,' 'dick,' 'morons' and the nickname 'Beijing' used as a slur against the main character. A teen romance includes hugging, hand-holding and a single kiss. As with past films, the message centers on using martial arts for self-discipline, confidence and inner growth — not aggression or revenge. (94 minutes)
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
When Is ‘Karate Kid: Legends' Coming To Streaming?
Karate Kid: Legends, starring Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan and Ben Wang, is new in theaters. When will it be available to stream at home? Rated PG-13, Karate Kid: Legends is the sixth film in the action franchise, which began with The Karate Kid in 1984 starring Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita as Mr. Miyagi, William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence and Martin Kove as John Kreese. The film was followed by The Karate Kid Part II in 1986, The Karate Kid Part III in 1989 and The Next Karate Kid in 1994. After that, Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith starred as Mr. Han and Dre Parker in 2010's remake of The Karate Kid. Then, in 2018, Macchio, Zabka and later on, Kove, returned to the franchise with the YouTube Red-turned-Netflix series Cobra Kai, which ran for six seasons until earlier this year. Karate Kid: Legends opens in theaters in wide release on Friday. The official summary for the film reads, 'When kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) relocates to New York City with his mother (Ming-Na Wen) to attend a prestigious new school, he finds solace in a new friendship with a classmate and her father. But his newfound peace is short-lived after he attracts unwanted attention from a formidable local karate champion. 'Driven by a desire to defend himself, Li embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition. Guided by the wisdom of his kung fu teacher, Mr. Han and the legendary Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, Li merges their unique styles to prepare for an epic martial arts showdown.' Currently, the only way you can see Karate Kid: Legends is in theaters, so check your local listings for showtimes. When Karate Kid: Legends arrives on the home entertainment scene, its first stop will be on digital streaming via premium video on demand. Sony Picture Entertainments, which is the studio behind Karate Kid: Legends, generally has a one-month to six-week window between the time its films open in theaters and arrive on PVOD. For example, Sony's Venom: The Last Dance opened in theaters on Oct. 25, 2024, and debuted on PVOD about six weeks later on Dec. 10. More recently, however, Sony's horror thriller Until Dawn opened in theaters on April 25 and debuted just under a month later on PVOD on May 23. If Karate Kid: Legends follows the same one-month to six-week release pattern as the above-mentioned titles, then viewers can expect the film to debut on PVOD anytime between July 1 and July 15 since new film releases on PVOD typically come out on Tuesdays. Generally, PVOD titles are available for purchase or rent on such digital platforms as Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube. Since Sony Pictures Entertainment has a deal in place with the platform for its streaming video on demand debuts, Karate Kid: Legends will first appear on Netflix. Typically it takes three to four months from the time a Sony film opens in theaters to the time it arrives on Netflix. For example, Venom: The Last Dance, which opened in theaters on Oct. 25, 2024, and arrived on Netflix four months later, on Feb. 25. More recently, the Sony horror thriller Heart Eyes, which opened in theaters on Feb. 7, made its debut on Netflix just over three months later on May 8. If Karate Kid: Legends follows the same three- to four-month release pattern, then viewers can expect the film to arrive on Netflix anytime between Aug. 29 and Sept. 26. Directed by Jonathan Entwistle and also starring Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Wyatt Oleff and Aramis Knight, Karate Kid: Legends opens in theaters on Friday.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Karate Kid: Legends' Is Just so Incredibly Weird, and Not in a Good Way
The most exciting and intriguing thing about the new movie, Karate Kid: Legends, is its unification of a 40-year-old franchise. On one side, you have Ralph Macchio, the star of three Karate Kid movies and a long-running TV spin-off, Cobra Kai. On the other side, you have Jackie Chan, one of the most famous movie stars on Earth, who remade The Karate Kid 15 years ago to massive financial success. Seeing these two, literal, Karate Kid legends sharing the screen for the first time is why this movie exists. So, would you believe it if we told you they're not in it that much? And when they are, the story is incredibly rushed and confusing? You probably don't believe it, because it doesn't make any sense, but such is the disappointing oddity that is Karate Kid: Legends. Directed by Jonathan Entwistle, from a script by Rob Lieber, Karate Kid: Legends centers on Li Fong, played by Ben Wang. Li is a teenage kung fu student in Beijing whose mother (Ming-Na Wen) is the niece of Mr. Han (Chan). She gets a new job, though, so she and Li leave China for New York. Once in New York, Li falls for a local girl named Mia (Sadie Stanley) and gets caught up in a rivalry with her ex-boyfriend, Conner (Aramis Knight), who just so happens to be a local karate champion. All of which sounds familiar because it's the plot of both the original Karate Kid as well as its remake. Things change from there, though, because, as we mentioned, Li already knows martial arts. So he finds himself helping Mia's dad, Victor (Joshua Jackson), a former boxer who is in debt to a local loan shark/sensai and hopes to get out of it by returning to fighting. It's in this first half of the movie where Karate Kid: Legends is actually kind of interesting. It takes that tried and true Karate Kid formula and twists it in an unexpected way, turning the student into the teacher. Stanley and Jackson are both likable and charismatic thoughtout while Wang instantly asserts himself as a dynamic, lovable, exciting leading man. Together, they're fun to cheer for and things are looking, dare we say it? Legendary. Unfortunately, that changes very quickly. Because, as you've probably discerned, there are two major pieces missing from that storyline: Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Mr. Han. They're sprinkled in there slightly, Han more than LaRusso because of the family connection, but even as Karate Kid: Legends keeps your attention with this new twist on the old formula featuring a star-making performance, you can't help but wonder, 'Where the hell are the characters I'm here to see, and how do they fit into the actual story of this movie?' Without getting too detailed, Han and LaRusso arrive to train Li for his own mega karate tournament. Why is Li now fighting in a tournament when he spent half the movie training Joshua Jackson's character? Well, because Karate Kid: Legends finished that story and then tacked on another one with some incredibly loose and unconvincing plot connections. Han shows up first, for reasons that are murky at best, and then he brings in LaRusso. LaRusso's addition is even less convincing, however, to the point where the movie straight up jokes about it not making sense and then never explains it in a satisfactory manner. We just have to be okay with it. At this point, everything in Karate Kid: Legends has changed so much – its main story, supporting characters, various motivations, etc. – it feels as if there should be a good hour or so left to at least keep everything in balance. This isn't the case. Once LaRusso and Han fully arrive, there are only about 30 minutes left in the 94-minute movie. And so, the movie proceeds to hit the gas like an F1 car on a straightaway. We watch Li's training regimen with a literal countdown on the screen, which then leads right into the tournament with barely any time in between. You want motivation? You want introspection? You want character development? Karate Kid: Legends doesn't care. The second half of the movie unfolds so unbelievably quickly, you can almost hear a studio executive typing an email that said, 'If we can cut this down to 90 minutes, we could fit in an extra showtime per day.' That probably didn't happen but the movie sure feels like it did. How else can you justify a warp speed pace that completely undercuts everything the first half of the movie was trying to do while also avoiding a fully developed and cohesive plot? The villain, Conner, for example, has zero arc. Li's backstory involving a dead brother feels shoehorned in and underdeveloped. Both Mia and Victor take a major back seat after being at the forefront. We never specifically, or at least adequately, understand why Mr. Han needs Daniel at all, and Daniel adds so little to the movie, you almost feel bad for him. At least there are a few little winks and nods to other Daniel stories that almost make it worth it but, like the movie, they're painfully short-changed. Even the final tournament – the very cool-sounding 'Five Boroughs,' which takes place in outdoor locations all across New York – is never given any real weight or excitement because there's just not enough time. The rules are screamed at us like a manic YouTube video and the whole thing, including the final match, happens with little to no real drama, then barrels right along to the credits. All of which is such a shame. I really, truly, wanted to love Karate Kid: Legends. I am a Karate Kid super fan and was so ready to see this franchise get taken up a notch coming off the huge popularity and momentum of Cobra Kai and on the capable shoulders of the excellent Ben Wang. But, it turns out, the film doesn't aspire to any of that. It zips its way through one story, then haphazardly jumps into another with little concern about emotional or narrative cohesion. Karate Kid movies of the past worked because we cared about the characters. We felt their pain. They were the underdogs who triumphed over evil. Some of that is here on the surface, but never beyond that. It's just plain weird how badly it messes everything up. Throughout Karate Kid: Legends, there's a phrase that gets repeated over and over again: 'Two branches. One tree.' It's the film's way to explain how and why Daniel and Mr. Han, and thereby these two sides of this franchise, are connected. It's also, unfortunately, the perfect way to describe this movie. It's two movies in one, both of which seem as if they are connected, but never quite come together. Karate Kid: Legends opens Friday.
Geek Tyrant
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Awesome Trailer for the Martial Arts Action Film TORNADO — GeekTyrant
There's an awesome-looking martial arts action movie coming out this weekend titled Tornado , and I don't know how I missed this! This movie looks like an insanely badass revenge story. The the film, Tornado vows to seek vengeance and forge her own destiny by stealing the gang's ill-gotten gold after her father's puppet Samurai show is ambushed by a notorious gang. The story is set in the rugged landscape of 1790s Britain, 'Tornado is a young and determined Japanese woman who finds herself caught in a perilous situation when she and her father's travelling puppet Samurai show crosses paths with a gang of ruthless criminals led by Sugarman, and his ambitious son Little Sugar. 'In an attempt to create a new life for herself, Tornado seizes the opportunity to take matters into her own hands and steal the gold from their most recent heist. With her father murdered by the gang and her life in grave danger, Tornado races against time to escape a violent demise and avenge her father's death.' The movie was written and directed by John Maclean and it stars Tim Roth, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira and Kōki. The movie is set to hit theaters on May 30, 2025.
