The Karate Kid - Movie Review

The Karate Kid
U; Action/Drama
Dir: Harald Zwart
Cast: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P Henson, Zhenwei Weng
****



WHAT'S IT ABOUT: 2010 will go down as the year with the most remakes. Sourced from TV shows and films from the '70s and the '80s, the reworked releases this far, have left a lot to be desired. By that measure, The Karate Kid comes as a pleasant surprise.
In the film, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) has to move with his single mom (Taraji P Henson) to China. Lonely and trying to fit in, Dre immediately clicks with a girl named Mei Ying. This doesn't go down too well with Cheng (Zhenwei Weng), a kid his age who's something of a kung-fu prodigy in the area's biggest martial arts school. Mei tries to make Dre feel welcome but Cheng never lets him catch a break.
Enter Mr Han (Jackie Chan), a brooding maintenance man who'd rather be left alone. When he finds the little Mr Parker being bullied by the merciless Cheng and his cronies, he comes to his rescue with his (now trademark) kung fu. To broker peace, Han convinces Cheng's kung-fu master (who issues au00a0 "show no mercy" diktat to his pupils)u00a0 to let the kids have a go at each other at an upcoming tournament. He then proceeds to train Dre in what is a long, arduous and in the end, rewarding experience.

What's hot: When a film exceeds your expectations, it's reason enough to rejoice. The 1984 flick was a cult favourite and I have a feeling the fate of this one won't be any different.
Also, this is a Will Smith production, so expect to see his son, Jaden in every frame. And that's not a bad thing at all. Jaden comes across as the spitting image of his father (mannerisms, screen presence et al) but he's still his own person and that shows. In fact, Smith Jr comes into his own as an actor (Pursuit of Happyness proved a point that is reinforced here).
However, it is Jackie Chan as the sullen Han (this film's Mr Miyagi), who takes the air out of you with an unexpectedly powerful performance. Sure, Chan gets the crowds (kids and grown-ups alike) ooh-ing and aah-ing with his Jackie Chan-ish moves (few and far between), but it is his emotional core that comes to the fore in this flick. He steps into the role of a mentor ("there are no bad students, only bad teachers") and a man with a troubled past, as if he truly lived it. Taraji P Henson is efficient in her supporting role.
The film has a contemporary feel (the dance-off between Mei Ying and Dre at the Dance Dance Revolution machine at an arcade, the Olympic village) tempered with an unusual reverence to an ancient culture (respect for elders, "everything is kung fu").

What's not: The film does tend to linger with the shoves and bullying and the jacket on-jacket off routine (this film's "wax on-wax off'') and Jaden's Dre begging Chan's Han to get a move on with an "I get it, I get it!"
When Dre gets his 'wet' revenge against Cheng, he bolts for it which the bullies chasing him and does a bit of parkour jumping over roofs and walls. Seriously?
Also, the culture clash/can't-be-friends subplot with Mei Ying's family is a bit overbearing and in this day and age, a tad unrealistic.

What's that! The title's a misnomer. The film features no karate, but (as mentioned earlier) kung fu.

What to do: Possibly the most entertaining H-Town release this far. Once it takes off, it grabs your attention and never lets go.