I have to admit, I was prejudiced against The Karate Kid going into the theatre. Any cynic would be. With all the properties that are being remade, rebooted, and re-imagined with such poor results, it's easy to think this update of the 1984 original is just another attempt by Hollywood to destroy your childhood memories. Combine that with the fact that the movie takes place in China, where the protagonist learns KUNG FU, not KARATE, I doubt anyone would argue with you. That's what's so great about this remake: it's actually good. Very good, in fact.
The story is pretty much the same as the original, with China as the backdrop instead of Receda, California. Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) moves to China with his mom (Taraji P. Henson) when her company transfers her there. Immediately after arriving in China, Dre meets a pretty young girl named Meiying (Wenwen Han). He then gets the crap kicked out of him by Cheng (played with a vicious glee by Zhenwei Wang). Dre ends up at the same school as the girl and the bully, leading up to several confrontations. Dre gets a little payback after school one day, only to be chased by Cheng and his friends into an ally. Dre is saved from a terrible thrashing by Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the custodian of his apartment building. Mr Han tries to help Dre by speaking to the the kung fu master (Rongguang Yu) who trains the gang of bullies. Receiving only a challenge to fight, Han agrees to have Dre participate in an upcoming kung fu tournament. Then the training begins, with lots of hanging up coats and trips to mystical Chinese temples. There's even some running on the Great Wall.
The original movie is so loved because it had a great story and created a believable inter-generational friendship. Director Harald Zwart has managed to capture the magic of the original and bring it to his version. A lot of credit goes to the actors Chan and Smith. I'm particularly impressed by Smith. I thought he was a whiny little brat in The Day The Earth Stood Still. Here he brings a lot of depth to Dre, making his role as a young boy thrown into a completely different world very real. The scene where he fights with his mother about going home is heart-wrenching. There are times where he channels his father, but for the most part, Smith brings his character to life himself.
Chan is great as Mr. Han. This is not the wise-cracking Jackie Chan of Rumble in the Bronx or Operation Condor. Here, Chan plays introspective and quiet, a man carrying a large burden. Zwart lets the relationship between the two develop naturally: the grow closer as the training continues. There is no animosity at first with some cathartic moment that brings them together later. When Mr. Han finally reveals his burden to Dre (his wife and son died in a car accident while he was driving), it's that final hurdle of trust that cements the two together. What Dre does to help relieve Mr. Han's pain (I don't want to spoil it) is absolutely perfect. Zwart captures it all capably.
The other thing that impressed me about the movie was the fighting. Zwart shoots it close up, but not so close up you can't see anything. The fight between Han and the gang of bullies is most impressive. Chan is not quite as spry as he used to be, but you see flashes of the old Chan in that scene, with the use of props and getting the bad guys to beat themselves up.
The movie is not without its flaws though. The film is long, clocking in at over two hours. While the film moves fairly well, some fat could've been trimmed. The movie also falls prey to corny moments the betray the scenes they appear in. The thing that bothered me the most though, was the use of China as a mystic land. While the film ostensibly tries to stay away from any stereotyping, some does slip in. Mr. Han almost becomes the mystic Chinese helper, especially when he tends to Dre's injuries after the ally fight. Using a form of Chinese medicine called fire-cupping, Han heals Dre almost instantly. Another scene where the two travel to a kung fu temple in the Chinese mountains is also falls prey to this problem. The scene is supposed to enforce the necessity of focus in learning kung fu, but when you seen a woman charming a snake on the side of a cliff, it kind distracts you from what else is going on.
The movie has received some flack (perhaps rightly so) because of the title. There is no karate in the movie and is mentioned at one point as part of a joke. I'm a little confused why the filmmakers wouldn't just call it The Kung Fu Kid (that title is being used in China, Japan and South Korea). It does smack of cultural ignorance. It also seems like the producers are trying to cash in on the name. I'm pretty sure the same people who want to see the Karate Kid would go see the Kung Fu Kid, especially since the story is almost identical. But I digress.
Leaving the theatre, I have to say I was quite impressed with The Karate Kid. It's perhaps the first movie this summer that offers quality family entertainment (though the language gets a little rough at times). The fights to get pretty brutal at times, so I wouldn't bring anyone too young. But the film is better than most. It doesn't pander and it doesn't preach, it just tells the story, leaving the audience to take from it what they want. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good movie to see this weekend.
The story is pretty much the same as the original, with China as the backdrop instead of Receda, California. Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) moves to China with his mom (Taraji P. Henson) when her company transfers her there. Immediately after arriving in China, Dre meets a pretty young girl named Meiying (Wenwen Han). He then gets the crap kicked out of him by Cheng (played with a vicious glee by Zhenwei Wang). Dre ends up at the same school as the girl and the bully, leading up to several confrontations. Dre gets a little payback after school one day, only to be chased by Cheng and his friends into an ally. Dre is saved from a terrible thrashing by Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the custodian of his apartment building. Mr Han tries to help Dre by speaking to the the kung fu master (Rongguang Yu) who trains the gang of bullies. Receiving only a challenge to fight, Han agrees to have Dre participate in an upcoming kung fu tournament. Then the training begins, with lots of hanging up coats and trips to mystical Chinese temples. There's even some running on the Great Wall.
The original movie is so loved because it had a great story and created a believable inter-generational friendship. Director Harald Zwart has managed to capture the magic of the original and bring it to his version. A lot of credit goes to the actors Chan and Smith. I'm particularly impressed by Smith. I thought he was a whiny little brat in The Day The Earth Stood Still. Here he brings a lot of depth to Dre, making his role as a young boy thrown into a completely different world very real. The scene where he fights with his mother about going home is heart-wrenching. There are times where he channels his father, but for the most part, Smith brings his character to life himself.
Chan is great as Mr. Han. This is not the wise-cracking Jackie Chan of Rumble in the Bronx or Operation Condor. Here, Chan plays introspective and quiet, a man carrying a large burden. Zwart lets the relationship between the two develop naturally: the grow closer as the training continues. There is no animosity at first with some cathartic moment that brings them together later. When Mr. Han finally reveals his burden to Dre (his wife and son died in a car accident while he was driving), it's that final hurdle of trust that cements the two together. What Dre does to help relieve Mr. Han's pain (I don't want to spoil it) is absolutely perfect. Zwart captures it all capably.
The other thing that impressed me about the movie was the fighting. Zwart shoots it close up, but not so close up you can't see anything. The fight between Han and the gang of bullies is most impressive. Chan is not quite as spry as he used to be, but you see flashes of the old Chan in that scene, with the use of props and getting the bad guys to beat themselves up.
The movie is not without its flaws though. The film is long, clocking in at over two hours. While the film moves fairly well, some fat could've been trimmed. The movie also falls prey to corny moments the betray the scenes they appear in. The thing that bothered me the most though, was the use of China as a mystic land. While the film ostensibly tries to stay away from any stereotyping, some does slip in. Mr. Han almost becomes the mystic Chinese helper, especially when he tends to Dre's injuries after the ally fight. Using a form of Chinese medicine called fire-cupping, Han heals Dre almost instantly. Another scene where the two travel to a kung fu temple in the Chinese mountains is also falls prey to this problem. The scene is supposed to enforce the necessity of focus in learning kung fu, but when you seen a woman charming a snake on the side of a cliff, it kind distracts you from what else is going on.
The movie has received some flack (perhaps rightly so) because of the title. There is no karate in the movie and is mentioned at one point as part of a joke. I'm a little confused why the filmmakers wouldn't just call it The Kung Fu Kid (that title is being used in China, Japan and South Korea). It does smack of cultural ignorance. It also seems like the producers are trying to cash in on the name. I'm pretty sure the same people who want to see the Karate Kid would go see the Kung Fu Kid, especially since the story is almost identical. But I digress.
Leaving the theatre, I have to say I was quite impressed with The Karate Kid. It's perhaps the first movie this summer that offers quality family entertainment (though the language gets a little rough at times). The fights to get pretty brutal at times, so I wouldn't bring anyone too young. But the film is better than most. It doesn't pander and it doesn't preach, it just tells the story, leaving the audience to take from it what they want. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good movie to see this weekend.