The 1984 Karate Kid is a classic, and for anyone like me who grew up in the 80s, it's more than just that; it's a landmark film that is part of our childhood. However, a truly honest person can admit that, yes, the original (and the sequels... *shudder*) does have its share of flaws. So how does the remake stack up? Actually, fairly well it turns out.
The '84 Kid is played by Ralph Macchio, and while he does an okay job portraying the character, he's not a great actor. In his debut star role, Jaden Smith shows considerably more acting savvy. More than that, however, the '10 character is just better written and casted. In the original, Daniel-san (Macchio) is a teenager, but played by a 21 year-old. Granted, he looks young, but at 17, you feel like he has at least some of the tools he needs to avoid being tormented, and with his antisocial behavior, it feels like two teens feuding instead of pure bullying. Dre Parker (Smith), however, is 12, played by an 11 year-old, and he is so much smaller physically than everyone else that you truly feel that he has no chance. He is totally outclassed and can't avoid the confrontation, so he fights back the only such kids can: from a distance. Once he learns martial arts, though, the difference really comes through. While more kids look like Daniel when they sport fight, Dre actually looks like a martial artist. His movements are more fluid and true to the respective art form. Supporting cast is hit-or-miss, though. The Kid's mother goes from a seldom-seen plot-prop to a brash, one-dimensional ham. Dre's mother (Taraji P. Henson) chews every bit of scenery she can find, and looks even more out of place than Dre does. Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the love interest in the original film gets swapped out for Meiying (Wenwen Han), a character who is much better for having her own passions and goals, and significantly less 80's hair. In the original, the nemesis doesn't like Daniel fraternizing with his ex, but in the remake you get Dre running up against the cultural wall of her family and class, and it seems to make more sense. Trading out 84's Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) for Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) is an upgrade, but no disrespect to Morita. While Chan has had many serious roles, he has trouble showing believable emotions (to Western audiences, at least), but he makes up for it by driving the hero with calm, Zen approaches and real, fighting skill. Mr. Han just seems cooler, somehow. Maybe it's the flaming mothballs. And while both have past tragedies, Mr. Han's reaction is more visceral and profound. Mr. Miyagi's almost feels like a footnote. The titular Kid's displacement is given an upgrade in the remake. Instead of moving to the Valley, the small family skips an ocean and moves to China. Granted, this is a little silly (Karate isn't Kung Fu, etc., etc, blah, blah), because, you know, she's a single parent from urban Detroit and all, but it's glossed over quickly enough that you don't really pay attention. The added cultural vantage brings a LOT of additional weight to Dre's misery. The language is different, the clothing is different, and the customs are different. You can actually believe that our hero not only feels trapped by his new town, but by entire oceans as well. Most of the movie revolves around training, which most Western audiences think is boring, and most Eastern audiences think is vital. The original film feels more like a Rocky movie, which isn't a coincidence since they had the same director. The music, the actions, and the off-beat training methods are all similar. In the remake, the iconic (and very unrealistic) "wax on, wax off" scene is replaced with the equally inane, but more realistic, "jacket on, jacket off". The remake brings the feel of Chinese classics such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, where our hero not only goes through the torturous training regimen, but also learns the soul of martial arts. The original film seems like the training methods are just used to put fight actions into everyday chores (and get free labor!), while the remake seems more like Mr. Han really believes that kung-fu lives in every action we do. The training montages move from a jetty on the beach and a rowboat to an actual mountain-top monastery and Mr. Han's courtyard, and the scenery gives the remake a HUGE advantage. Aaaaand, the big finale. In the original film, Daniel-san sees the Crane Kick performed, is told "If do right, no can block", and spends about half the film trying to learn it, meaning that of COURSE we'll see it in the finale, which brushes aside all the 80's silliness and makes you want to cheer. Dre's special skill comes out of nowhere and is never hinted at or shown beforehand. Both moves are equally stupid in a real fight, though at least Dre's is harder to see coming and can't be defeated by a stiff breeze. In the end, I liked the remake better, though it was full of stupid music and had its share of awkward moments. The climax was given more situational weight, the acting was more believable, the scenery is jaw-dropping instead of just another shot of inner-suburb California, and the martial arts is given more weight and is beautiful to look at. I was disappointed that there were no hidden catch-phrase potentials in the remake, though. I would have given a lot to hear just one muffled "Give him a body bag, yeah!" from a bystander. It would have really brought the remake full circle, though it seems to give the original film enough dignity as it is.
The '84 Kid is played by Ralph Macchio, and while he does an okay job portraying the character, he's not a great actor. In his debut star role, Jaden Smith shows considerably more acting savvy. More than that, however, the '10 character is just better written and casted. In the original, Daniel-san (Macchio) is a teenager, but played by a 21 year-old. Granted, he looks young, but at 17, you feel like he has at least some of the tools he needs to avoid being tormented, and with his antisocial behavior, it feels like two teens feuding instead of pure bullying. Dre Parker (Smith), however, is 12, played by an 11 year-old, and he is so much smaller physically than everyone else that you truly feel that he has no chance. He is totally outclassed and can't avoid the confrontation, so he fights back the only such kids can: from a distance. Once he learns martial arts, though, the difference really comes through. While more kids look like Daniel when they sport fight, Dre actually looks like a martial artist. His movements are more fluid and true to the respective art form. Supporting cast is hit-or-miss, though. The Kid's mother goes from a seldom-seen plot-prop to a brash, one-dimensional ham. Dre's mother (Taraji P. Henson) chews every bit of scenery she can find, and looks even more out of place than Dre does. Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the love interest in the original film gets swapped out for Meiying (Wenwen Han), a character who is much better for having her own passions and goals, and significantly less 80's hair. In the original, the nemesis doesn't like Daniel fraternizing with his ex, but in the remake you get Dre running up against the cultural wall of her family and class, and it seems to make more sense. Trading out 84's Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) for Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) is an upgrade, but no disrespect to Morita. While Chan has had many serious roles, he has trouble showing believable emotions (to Western audiences, at least), but he makes up for it by driving the hero with calm, Zen approaches and real, fighting skill. Mr. Han just seems cooler, somehow. Maybe it's the flaming mothballs. And while both have past tragedies, Mr. Han's reaction is more visceral and profound. Mr. Miyagi's almost feels like a footnote. The titular Kid's displacement is given an upgrade in the remake. Instead of moving to the Valley, the small family skips an ocean and moves to China. Granted, this is a little silly (Karate isn't Kung Fu, etc., etc, blah, blah), because, you know, she's a single parent from urban Detroit and all, but it's glossed over quickly enough that you don't really pay attention. The added cultural vantage brings a LOT of additional weight to Dre's misery. The language is different, the clothing is different, and the customs are different. You can actually believe that our hero not only feels trapped by his new town, but by entire oceans as well. Most of the movie revolves around training, which most Western audiences think is boring, and most Eastern audiences think is vital. The original film feels more like a Rocky movie, which isn't a coincidence since they had the same director. The music, the actions, and the off-beat training methods are all similar. In the remake, the iconic (and very unrealistic) "wax on, wax off" scene is replaced with the equally inane, but more realistic, "jacket on, jacket off". The remake brings the feel of Chinese classics such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, where our hero not only goes through the torturous training regimen, but also learns the soul of martial arts. The original film seems like the training methods are just used to put fight actions into everyday chores (and get free labor!), while the remake seems more like Mr. Han really believes that kung-fu lives in every action we do. The training montages move from a jetty on the beach and a rowboat to an actual mountain-top monastery and Mr. Han's courtyard, and the scenery gives the remake a HUGE advantage. Aaaaand, the big finale. In the original film, Daniel-san sees the Crane Kick performed, is told "If do right, no can block", and spends about half the film trying to learn it, meaning that of COURSE we'll see it in the finale, which brushes aside all the 80's silliness and makes you want to cheer. Dre's special skill comes out of nowhere and is never hinted at or shown beforehand. Both moves are equally stupid in a real fight, though at least Dre's is harder to see coming and can't be defeated by a stiff breeze. In the end, I liked the remake better, though it was full of stupid music and had its share of awkward moments. The climax was given more situational weight, the acting was more believable, the scenery is jaw-dropping instead of just another shot of inner-suburb California, and the martial arts is given more weight and is beautiful to look at. I was disappointed that there were no hidden catch-phrase potentials in the remake, though. I would have given a lot to hear just one muffled "Give him a body bag, yeah!" from a bystander. It would have really brought the remake full circle, though it seems to give the original film enough dignity as it is.