It is a tough thing when a movie that is so familiar to movie fans and has essentially become a classic gets remade. In 1984, the original The Karate Kid was a story about the underdog. A guy facing his bullies and overcoming obstacles. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita were quite a team. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi are characters we have all become familiar with and it is quite a task to retell that story and make it feel as if we have never seen it before.
Fortunately, I can say that this The Karate Kid took the key elements from the original but created its own version by changing race, location and culture. Jaden Smith (Will Smith’s son) plays Dre who may have been popular and had plenty of friends in Detroit but due to his mother’s (Taraji P. Henson) work situation, they are moving to China. He starts a young romance with Mei Ying, and it brings nothing but trouble for him. Due to the culture, their friendship is unacceptable but the real problem are the bullies, lead by kung fu prodigy Cheng. On several occasions they torment and cause physical pain to Dre and finally enough is enough. Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the maintenance man at the apartments Dre and his mother live at, steps in and reveals his true identity.
We all know Mr. Han helps Dre confront his bullies and helps train him so he can face them in a tournament. And the movie focuses on kung fu and not karate. They are not the same thing and it is actually discussed in the movie. But The Karate Kid has the same heart and soul of its 1984 original. And it does not try to repeat the characters and dialogue of the original. There is no way Jackie Chan can be Mr. Miyagi and Jaden Smith is not the same race or age of Ralph Macchio when he did the movie. These actors had to take on new personalities in a different environment in a new place. The story goes the way you know it will, but it does not mean it is the same movie.
Jaden Smith does a nice job becoming the karate (or kung fu) kid. He is a young actor that will improve as he gets older and I am sure his dad can teach him a few things as well. But by no means is Smith’s performance bad in this. That is not the case at all. But Jackie Chan’s performance is better and perhaps the best of his career. He is really acting in this and we only see him in action once. He is the mentor with a tragic past. Chan’s character is strong and knowledgable, but is vulnerable at the same time.
The friendship between Mr. Han and Dre is the heartbeat of the story. In this movie, it is the clashing of not only age but culture and it makes the material more interesting. And it does not hurt to have to shoot your movie in China because it is a beautiful place with great scenery.
Also, I love that this movie did not try to re-create the wax on, wax off moment in the original. Instead, they made it about putting on and taking off his jacket and hanging it back up (which he has a problem with anyway). It is things like that that make you appreciate director Harold Zwart’s efforts of trying something new and not relying on the original for everything.
The movie clocks in at almost 2 hours and 30 minutes, which some people have a problem with but I am not one of them. The Karate Kid takes its time introducing Dre and where he comes from and how his life has changed dramatically. We get to know Mr. Han and how he became the man he is today and the damage that has been caused by his past. And it takes time to build a friendship and the friendship between Mr. Han and Dre is of great importance. And rushing it would have been a big mistake.
The Karate Kid from 1984 is good and will always be a movie that will be remembered and quoted. But the 2010 The Karate Kid will find a new audience and inspire a new group of kids. The movie does the original justice and that does not happen very often. It is funny, inspirational, emotional, and the kung fu is top-notch and impactful. And Jackie Chan really reveals his true acting capabilities without ever having to throw a punch. He leaves that up to the youngsters.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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