June 14th, 2010 -- Written by Francisco
Thanks for checking out our The Karate Kid Review
Genre: Action/Drama/Family/Sport
Directed by: Harald Swart
Staring: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson
Released: 11 June 2010
THE GENERAL IDEA
12-year-old Dre Parker could’ve been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre’s feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.
THE GOOD
I was surprised by this flick. I enjoyed it a lot. I was a little skeptical when I heard that the original 1984 classic (one of my childhood favorites) was going to get the reboot/remake treatment. After watching it, I can say that I’m at ease; this 2010 version ain’t bad. At the end of the day, the story (the true start of these movies) still hits all the the right notes. The cinematography in this movie is wonderful. We get to see beautiful shots of China; including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. The change of scenery, in this one, actually helps the movie/story. Also, the fighting sequences were great. For once, you could actually tell what was going on shot for shot. No shaky cam, no quick cuts. Chan and Smith were believable administering the Kung Fu.
Jackie Chan was a delight in this film. His Mr. Miyagi-ish role, Mr. Han, is one that is more gentle and serious. We all know he’s fighting skills are insane, but it was refreshing watching Chan get his groove back acting-wise. As for the actual Kid, Jaden Smith doesn’t have a problem being in front of the camera. Like his father, he is charming, likable and already shows hints of cockiness. Little Jaden shows lots of promise.
THE BAD
First off, why didn’t they also change/reboot the title of the film? It might as well been The Kung Fu Kid. There is no Karate in sight. I thought this was funny and a little distracting. Also, I thought the film was too long. The first act dragged a little bit; they should’ve trimmed it.
The fighting sequences were sometimes a little too violent. I didn’t mind this, but I know lots of people will state this; I can understand why. The kids harassing Dre were just too evil. Lol. And their coach was just straight-up mad/evil. I thought this was too exaggerated.
I could’ve done without the whole love story angle. I mean, this time around the Kid as actually a kid. Why try to make him fall in love etc? I didn’t think it was bad - just that I would’ve cut it down a little bit.
And finally, the final hiccup: Dre’s final finishing move. Personally, It was too cartoony/CGI-ish for me - Daniel’s classic kick is way cooler.
OVERALL
Overall, this updated version of the 1984 classic is surprisingly fun and charming. The story keeps being the true star of the film. Chan and Smith do a great job stepping into the shoes of this now classic characters. The movie includes beautiful cinematography. The various shots of China are just breathtaking; this change of scenery, helps inject some new life into the story. The fighting sequences are cool and can be followed pretty clearly. Minor setbacks include: the ironic title (no Karate?), a sluggish first act, and what some could say that various fighting sequences were a tad too evil and violent.
With that said, I definitely would suggest you go see this. If you’ve never seen the original classic, you need to check out the story this time around. Now, if you have seen the original, once you get over the fact that it’s been updated and has some differeces, it might surprise you. This 2010 version worked for me, I enjoyed it.
I give The Karate Kid a 6.7 out of 10
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This movie is called The Kung-Fu Kid everywhere else in the world besides USA/Canada. I guess the producers thought nobody would go see it domestically if it didn’t have the same title as the original 1984 film? Oh well another example of ignorance that makes the rest of the world spit on the west. Hmmmph!
Here it was named Karate Kid to market the fact that its a remake. Of course after seeing it no one would contest that, but they left it as Karate Kid.
And he does try to defend himself using Karate in his first fight, and is then taught Kung Fu. So he was that “karate kid” who learned kungfu.
Its a stretch, but its just marketing.
I figured a good thing would be to have Smith keep referring to Kung Fu as Karate pissing off Jackie Chan.
hahaha that would’ve been hilarious
I watched the film this weekend and I thought it was just great! I agree with all the bad points you mentioned about the film except for your issue about his final move in the fight. I thought it was pretty awesome… totally unbelievable… but still pretty awesome. Then again, I was in a packed theater full of pumped up kids. So there was some excitement already in the air.
I was sort of surprised by the “consensus” that Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie, stating that it wasn’t as “powerful as the 1984 edition”. I admit I haven’t seen the original in a while… but I thought that the current remake of the movie was pretty damned powerful. They really had me rooting for the little guy!
I also wanted to mention how impressed I was with Jaden Smith. He’s got a lot of potential and you can tell the kid worked his @$$ off for the movie. His acting style reminded me so much of his father’s, it was like seeing a baby Will Smith up on the screen.
A 6.7? I didn’t know the existed!
Yes. I thought It was a better film overall than PoP or The A-Team. Cheers.
This the new, and more accurate, Movie Blog!
How does that make it “more accurate”?
Because you agree with that statement??
Because of the 6.7, usually all reviews were “x.5″ or “x.0″
“The kids harassing Dre were just too evil.”
Welcome to China.
Lol. in deed.
Someone needs an editor. Could we get a more easily read version of this article?
I agree.
Saludos, what do you mean by this?
I saw this movie this weekend also and I thought it was wonderful.
Good to hear will probally check it out.
I’ve not seen this movie yet. I was expecting a bad review… don’t ask me why but people just don’t like remakes usually.
The trailer actually really impressed me so I won’t be going the cinema to see it (might look a bit sad!) but I will definately be watching this when it comes out on DVD.