Who knew Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio would have such great comedic chemistry?
Definitely not this summer’s action flick, but still a family film in the least. Parents who watched the originals as kids or even those who watched the 2010 film can bring their kids to the cinema to enjoy this collaboration of two generations of The Karate Kid.
Written by Hailey Passmore
After the appalling remake that was The Karate Kid (2010), I would have never thought I’d be leaving the cinema in tears after watching Karate Kid: Legends. It turns out that through The Karate Kid (2010) and the original from 1984, The Karate Kid, writer Rob Lieber and director Jonathan Entwistle were able to create something beautiful.
Karate Kid: Legends is just as the title would suggest, it takes two legends of Kung Fu and Karate – Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Sensei Miyagi (Pat Morita) – and creates an ancestral story in their lineage. Throughout history, the Han’s and Miyagi’s have been lifelong friends, training each other in the ancient arts of Karate. In fact, it was in China where the Han’s taught the first Miyagi all he knew so that when he returned to Okinawa, Japan, he created his own form. As audiences learn about the history between the two Kung Fu Masters, gorgeous animations show the story.
In present-day China, following up from Mr. Han’s success training Dre Parker, he has created his own school for the martial arts in Beijing. Kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is training with Mr. Han until a family tragedy causes his mother (Ming-Na Wen) to uproot them from their home in China and move to New York City. In what was almost too close to the plot of the original 1984 film, Karate Kid: Legends changes its pace. Upon moving to NYC, Li quickly makes two new friends who end up needing his help. Retired boxer and present pizza shop owner, Victor Lipani (Joshua Jackson), owes money and wants to do one more fight to get it. When he sees Li fighting, he enlists him to be his trainer. But when things go wrong and Victor’s daughter Mia (Sadie Stanley) becomes caught up in the crossfire, Li knows what he has to do. He enters a karate competition to help his new friends and also defend his honour from High School bully, Conor Day (Aramis Knight), but cannot do it alone. Mr. Han travels to America and, along with the help of the original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), the two teach Li a new way to fight. While both Sensei’s merge their talents and styles, Li is ready to fight in the ultimate martial arts showdown.
After the atrocity that was a nearly identical, word-for-word remake, The Karate Kid (2010), expectations were low for the franchise’s new installment. As it begins, it does feel as though it is about to go down the same path as its predecessor(s), yet there is enough of a twist and fresh take that the film excels where it could have failed. Instead of following The Karate Kid’s format – moving to a new city; meeting a girl; being bullied and threatened by the girl’s ex-boyfriend; meeting a Sensei and training; fighting in the city’s biggest Kung Fu match – Karate Kid: Legends adds different twists or plot points to the film, giving it a fresh and more current approach to teenagerhood. Li Fong already knows Kung Fu, and this time, his friend Victor is the one who wants to be trained. But when that goes badly, Mr. Han comes to the rescue and, along with LaRusso, they train Li together to get Victor the money he needs and prove himself to the High School bully Conor. Though the changes are not drastic, it is definitely refreshing to not be given the same reused plot and dialogue for the third Karate Kid film reboot.
Karate Kid: Legends is not the next best thing; however, it does provide nostalgia for those who enjoyed the originals. The connection developed between the Han’s and Miyagi’s allows for the making of The Karate Kid (2010) to have some more of a purpose than just being the unnecessary film that it had been up until this point.
Ben Wang shows off his skills as a new talent to be on the look for and his connections to Kung Fu and the rest of the cast allow for the audience to bond with them. Yet, it is not Wang who remains the highlight of the film. It is the banter and pure comedic value that is created by Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. The two are at each other’s throats in the best and most unexpected way. Instead of arguing negatively together, Han and LaRusso turn their arguments into jokes, providing laughter and light for the audience to enjoy and reminisce on. They mention which method of Karate is best, or who taught Ben which moves as he uses them in fights. For original The Karate Kid viewers, and those who would have watched the 2010 remake, Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio combine their experience to create great fun.
Definitely not this summer’s action flick, but still a family film in the least. Parents who watched the originals as kids or even those who watched the 2010 film can bring their kids to the cinema to enjoy this collaboration of two generations of The Karate Kid.
Now in cinemas worldwide, Karate Kid: Legends may just be in a cinema near you.
Originally posted on wspotlight.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment