User Reviews

I don't envy writer Christopher Murphey's task in this reinvention of the original 1984 underdog tale.

Firstly, the second time scribe is dealing with source material which was dull at best, but strangely transcended that to become an absolute cult classic for all children of the 80s. This was in part down to Joe Esposito's 'You're the best around' inspired soundtrack mixed with an innocent fighting spirit which beat much of societies ills to the black belted punch - questions such as why is this old man taking such special interest in the Ralph Macchio character? Will all these kids become obese when they invent video games?

Karate as I remember it involved the fairly peculiar kids at school wearing white terry towelling suits under normal anoraks while standing at bus stops rather too late at night. Clearly Hollywood remembers something far different as we find Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) high kicking high above the Chinese landscape atop the Great Walls highest turret with Jackie Chan's Mr Han watching attentively.

Yes, the reimagining takes the action to Beijing where Dre's somewhat distant widower Mother has relocated their family to teach English. Her small part is all too evident as a bit part, under considered and stilted to Smith's Dre and almost entirely inconsiderate and sometimes rude. While the Chinese backdrop plays up the traditions and values of karate (almost entirely referenced as Kung Fu, which I believe to be different) it is repeatedly demonised by Americanisms whether that be the basketball court hustle Dre encounters on his arrival or the bonkers set piece where Dre's mother walks through a slummy shopping Market carrying a Bloomingdales style bag - give the girl a Starbucks latte in a takeout cup.

Hollywood interpretations aside, Karate Kid struggles with an average performance from debut lead Smith whose dialogue and regards to his largely Chinese co-cast are on the same time time delay that his character complains of early in the movie. Chan of course is his brilliant sole- choreographed self but even after so much time, is sometimes barely understandable yet the subtitles ignore him completely. When he's riffing with Dre's Detroit Street, it makes the entire film impossible to follow were it not for a plot lifted directly from the original.

Sure, wax on, wax off is now pick up coat, hang up coat and the action labours toward the tournament fight at the end which disappointingly relies on CGI and wire stunts unlike the early training sequences and conflict fights that are sparky and original - one of the only elements of this film that is. Knowing the plot, you'd think the script would rattle through at a 90 minute pace but instead labours to 2 hours where the first plot point - arrival in China - comes little more than 8 minutes in, but we wait 40 minutes before Chan agrees to train his protégé and beyond an hour before the classic training montage begins, demanded by a genre which just doesn't appear to allow snake training temples and Chinese festivals in some of the movies dullest moments.

I can't see kids enjoying this now in a world where it would be Tekken over training any day and it's just not kitsch or fun enough for their parents wanting a throwback experience with the kids. The pluses are definitely Chan and some elements of the fight production; far outweighed by a non-existent soundtrack, average acting, drawn out and unnecessary plotting plus dialogue which barely works said in English and translates even worse when presented on screen in subtitles - an interesting consideration and challenge for screenwriters and filmmakers everywhere - but one in which Murphey fails.

Of course this isn't all his problem but I wouldn't expect a sequel to be optioned anytime soon and we can be thankful of that.

From the previews I knew this movie wasn't going to do justice to the original. I mean, can anything? I wasn't planning on watching it, but my best friend wanted to see it and I gave in. Bad idea. It was a waste of my money.

First and foremost, let us point out what a lot of people have already mentioned. Jayden Smith cannot act. Like, at all. I don't care if he's Will Smith's son, it's not like acting is genetic. He was just trying too hard to be funny, and too hard to be serious. It didn't seem natural, like he was in the moment. Just him... acting. Of course, I can't say the same for Jackie Chan. He didn't do much, and that was good! Not that I don't like Jackie Chan, it's just it's good to see him as a trainer for once. I wish he would have fought more, though.

Secondly, the plot sucked. I mean, it was a bunch of middle-schoolers flying. Like, I get China is a little crazy on the Kung Fu, but come on! The fighting scene where "Dre" is running from the Chinese kids is not that bad of a scene, I'll admit, but it kept occurring to me that these kids are like 10 and 12. Then there's the whole Dre and Chinese girl romance thing. I was falling asleep every time they were together. I mean, you're 12! As someone else on IMDb said, there is no sexual tension! Sure it's family-orientated, but it's uninteresting to the rest.

Then the predictability. The friend who dragged me there told me half of the whole movie, and she's never watched it before. It's so boring sitting there knowing what's going to happen. Of course, he was going to win, of course he was going to run faster. Of course Jackie Chan would save him, like, I didn't even have to watch the whole thing to know what was going to happen.

Also, a lot of the scenes were pointless. I can see why the movie was so long. I can only imagine if they have an extended version! Dre drinking from the Dragon water or whatever, what did that do? I also didn't understand why Jackie was so reluctant to teach Dre at first. I imagined it had something to do with the crazy trainer, but with all the time they had, never developed a true story. Okay, so he got into an accident and killed his wife and kid... I'm sorry? Like, what does that have to really do with anything?

Overall, it wasn't worth watching. Or maybe it's not a movie you'd watch twice, because I sure as hell won't. God forbid they make a sequel.

This movie, more so than any film this year, has had the most "noise" generated. Mostly from people ignorant of the film and just exactly how good or bad it is. The discussion has been centered on why call it "The Karate Kid" if he is learning Kung Fu. It is easy; the name is recognition and "Kung Fu Kid" sounds like a ripoff, not a remake and this is a remake and they are not hiding the fact. Enough said, explanation done, go back to your bowl of cereal.

This film takes what was done in the original film and has nicely upgraded across the board. First, we have more of a threat from the kid doing the bullying this time around rather than a caricature. The mother/son dynamic is stronger and given much more screen time. The romance is more playful and innocent, with the friendship aspect ultimately being the plot focus. The student/teacher dynamic has an even stronger father/son underlying tone and finally, the action is much much improved upon.

All of the above is due to excellent performances across the board. Jaden Smith shows to be a more than capable actor in the making and with no doubt observation of Chan, who we FINALLY get to see in a dramatic role rather than action/comedy role. Smith and Chan have a fun chemistry that helps make the film enjoyable.

I was afraid through the ads that Smith's abilities would be over the top great, but through an excellent training montage and philosophical lessons, we buy that this kid is as good as he is in the tournament.

A standout moment for me was the final bonding scene between Chan and Smith. It is during a moment reminiscent of the original film's scene where Daniel finds out about Mr. Miagi's family. Here, we have a similar scene, but it is what happens after it that establishes their relationship and seals the audiences relationship to these two characters. Excellent excellent scene.

One other standout moment is the climax where they do a great job of ending the movie on a pitch perfect note. I had heard of audiences literally standing up and cheering, but I figured that was embellished. That is until the very same thing happened at the showing I caught this afternoon. You literally do want to stand up and cheer. They also take the moment a step further than the original did and provided an close to the lesson that Jackie's Mr Han was teaching Smith's Dre. It became a full circle lesson and really helped the movie have an even more satisfying end.

The extended scenes of life in China really help to ground this film in the philosophical realm, even more so than the original. There is a richness and texture to everything that takes place against the backdrop of China. It has an even more "fish out of water" feel that lends to the believability and desperation of Smith's character. We also have a lot more character building time spent in this film that gives it about 13 more minutes run time than the original, but those extra moments really pay off in a big way. As I mentioned previously, we get more of Dre and his mom. They don't just show up and then she gets thrown into a few scenes like in the original. She is an important part of Dre's life and it is shown.

The one thing I noticed the most about this film was the amount of families that attended it. I think it is the first film of the year where adults and kids can go and enjoy a film together and both come out with the same emotions and lessons learned. That would be a reflection of the film itself as it shows Mr Han learning from his student, something that gives the film a welcome twist when compared to the original.

Those that have pre-judged this film or gotten caught up in the name game really need to see the film before they make any judgments. This film is a VERY welcome surprise and more than holds it own against the original. It stays loyal to the lessons and relationships of the original film and brings them forward 25 years later.

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.

I thought it was horrible. I will never watch this movie again. I think that it is a blasphemous insult to the original, which really should be watched again. There are notable life-lessons in the original, and they are paraphrased in the remake. The quote of "wax on, wax off" had meaning, and became embedded into pop-culture. As did the crane stance. This movie can be easily forgotten. Daniel learning the basic forms for blocking by washing cars, painting fences and sanding the floor makes a LOT more sense than Dre learning anything by taking his jacket off and picking it up off the floor any number of times. A constant repetitive motion done for hours is a lot more relevant than the infinite variations of the way one puts on and takes off a jacket.

The idea that any new practitioner of kung-fu could defeat a black sash like that is ridiculous. Period. It takes years to earn a black sash, and that sifu (the bad instructor) did not seem the type to give sashes away unwarranted.

Why use the name Karate Kid if the only reference to karate is that "it's not karate."? All in all, I thought it was a bad, over-promoted movie with a legendary name. I wonder how many people started karate lessons after they saw the original. Did you even consider studying kung-fu after seeing this?

Over the years, I have taken a lot of grief from friends for making The Karate Kid, the 1984 movie directed by Rocky Oscar winner John G. Avildsen, one of my five favorite movies of all time. So it was with apprehension and low expectations that I went to see the remake.

Wow, what a magnificent job of re-creating the first film while modernizing it, setting it in China, and bringing all the tension, man-love, and depth back to the big screen. This time, Dutch director Harald Zwart added wonderful scenic views of China and lost a bit of the sometimes-cheesy dialog. But to his credit, he kept a great deal of the original plot intact. Mom is transferred to Beijing and takes her son with her without much worrying about his feelings. Dre immediately finds trouble as the American outsider who befriends the beautiful Chinese girl. There is the evil sensei of the trained-to-maim thugs who rule the school that our hero, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith), has been thrown into. The bad kids target him, and he gets the heck beat out of him.

To the rescue comes the maintenance guy in the apartment building in which he lives. Played by Jackie Chan, Mr. Han isn't quite as sage as Mr. Miyagi but he uses almost the same technique (not exactly wax-on-wax-off, paint-the-fence, and sand-the-floor but close). His personal secret remains essentially intact, too, which when discovered by Dre, motivates him to work harder. The role of Dre's mom, played here by Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), is beefed up from the part that Randee Heller played in the original. The young girl, Meiying (Wanwan Han in her first role), looks vaguely like Tamlyn Tomita, who played the love interest in The Karate Kid: Part 2. The rest of the film plays close to the original as well but I won't tell you if he wins (as Daniel LaRusso did in the original) or loses (as Rocky did).

Jaden Smith proves that he may be a force in the business for a long time. His parents, of course, are Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and they have created a natural. That was evident in The Pursuit of Happiness. Hand it to the kid: he worked really hard to learn kung fu (it's not karate). And while I preferred Ralph Macchio because he was so raw and not talented as an actor, Jaden Smith knows the camera is always there, which I think he will grow out of over time. Jackie Chan is really quite good here, shedding the recent tongue-in-cheek comedy roles. This part fits him perfectly and Morita would have been proud had he lived to see it.

After my disappointments with so many other remakes, I was pleasantly surprised. The director and cast clearly found the balance.

OK so I'll give the movie some credit for trying to be a coming of age type story. If you can sit through the first half hour plus of Jaden Smith being a complete brat to everyone (especially his mother who just lays down and takes it), then maybe you get to Jackie Chan's short (and only) real fight scene, and Jaden learning some Kung Fu.

I grew up a Will Smith fan and the Fresh Prince and some of his early movies were good. But seriously Will does whatever he wants now, which is mostly complete garbage (can you say Hancock???). I respect what he does, but seriously him shamelessly buying his son into a movie is ridiculous. Maybe in 10years Jaden will have some actual acting skills, but for now this movie has been hyped up way too much and is way too crappy to be worth anyones time. I respect the effort Jaden put in to training for the Kung Fu in the movie, but maybe he should have spent a lot more time actually practicing acting. His acting is not good and he spends the movie trying to be a bad ass. A couple more beatings from the other kids in this movie and you think he'd be humble instead of thinking he was the toughest guy out there. The acting is pretty bad, and anyone who thinks the acting and script are good are idiots and probably blame it on a language barrier for the supporting cast. Will should've produced this entire movie in Mandarin and slapped subtitles on it so then its just a crap version of a Kung Fu movie and we don't notice the terrible acting that accentuates a bad script.

The only redeeming quality of this movie is Jackie Chan, and he isn't at his comedic best (because lets face it, we all love Jackie because he's funny). But if you like Jackie beating up a group of kids, then fast forward to almost the 40th minute, watch about 2 minutes of the movie and that's all you need to see. Then you can come and write a review saying how amazing the movie is and be ignorant to the fact that rest of the movie sucks.

Not sure what happened to my previous review but here we go again.

I get a ton of people were very upset about this movie. Did you even watch The Karate kid part 2 3 and the Next Karate kid? The first movie has many flaws as well with poor choreography. Mr Morita was very slow with his moves. I get that he was old but it kind of throws off some of the realism. Part 2 was nice because we got to see some new locations and the stakes were heightened as instead of fighting against bullies, the two have to fight for their lives. It wasn't as good but is still a very watchable movie. Because we get to see the characters further developed.

The third movie is where this series falls apart. Mr. Miyagi and Daniels past relationships were thrown away again. This time Daniel finds a new love interest but she has a boyfriend so that will be over at the end of this movie too. And now people are out to seek revenge against Daniel by.. Making him lose in a tournament again? Finally we get to The Next Karate Kid. This movie was horrible all around. Mr Miyagi is a bumbling idiot who knows Karate. Hilary Swank was completely unrelatable. I didn't find her even attractive. She learned how to do a mantis kick and hit some bags and she turned into the same type of fighter Daniel was. We are never lead to believe she is in horrible danger because we are never shown her in any actual danger. She is annoying the whole film while learning nothing by the end of the movie.

Those three paragraphs feel like I am reviewing a series but it raises a point. Was the 2010 Karate Kid as bad as films 3 and 4? Not even close. Those of you who rated this movie less than a 4. Did you even watch these other movies? Let's get the easy things out of the way. Sherry (Dre's mom) is nearly pointless in this movie. She helps drive the plot by taking him to China for a... transfer after the original company shut down? She speaks no Chinese but we don't know why she is so important they sent her or someone who actually understands the language. Jaden's acting is pretty rough but I'll get to that later as to why I think it actually works in this film. There is no karate in the Karate Kid. Instead it is Kung Fu. They even make the name kind of a joke when Sherry asks Dre if he doesn't like that Karate class. The whole movie feels awkward.

Now the controversy. This movie for me is kind of a guilty pleasure. We have a black kid in a mostly Chinese neighborhood. He doesn't know the language, culture or anything non-American. He is a stubborn boy who doesn't want to know anything. That turns him into a whiny little Sh##. But remember. He is 10. I think this was one of Jaden's first movies so I kind of give him a pass. He behaves exactly like a 10 year old would. I'm taking my ball and going home! These are the same types of fights a typical child might get into if he has a hot head and doesn't fit in. He is not Mr. Suave who can talk his way out of any situation. I don't want to pull the "because he is black..." card but if you've never been stereotyped before because of your race/nationality, then you don't really know what its like being seen as a foreigner in another country. I've seen arguments that this would never happen because Honor is so well taught. Except IRL, we saw famous K-pop artists getting caught committing voyeur cam crimes. While I personally feel very safe Asian big cities, petty crime and gangs still exist. Honor is important but it is not like it is as strong as the force. Saving face is far more important in Chinese culture. Jackie was great in this film. He mimicked a lot of Morita's magic while creating some of his own (flyswatter). We saw some comedy from Jackie's facial expressions and I felt some real pain with the car scene. As for the Jacket scene. If you don't like that.. you can blame Jackie. The directors said in a BTS scene they wanted a unique wax on, wax off moment and this is what Jackie came up with. It works as children leave their toys everywhere and don't want to pick up after themselves. This scene made me wow because how intense Jackie was while Jaden was looking star struck. I enjoyed the locations we got to visit, I enjoyed the fresh take. I enjoyed most of our main characters and I think this film has a lot going for it. If you're watching Cobra Kai, you don't need to watch this movie but it is still a fun time. I give it a 6.5 rating rounded up for IMDB. I feel like it is on par with the original film perhaps a small step down. But this is Far greater than film 3 and 4.

Look, first of all, I grew up with the original, not the cheap copy. Second, just because you have a kid doesn't mean he can act or should be in movies. I saw the interview where Will said he read for the part and the director loved him, and unless the director has no brain, that just can't be true. Jaden is one of the worst actors I've ever seen, anywhere. Seriously. He sucked in the other movies his father put him in also. Will is a good actor, but it's obviously not hereditary. As for the movie, the plot's just all sorts of stupid. "Jacket off?" Sounds like some cheesy porn line. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb movie. Go watch anything else but this.

(Synopsis) Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is a 12-year-old living in Detroit when his mother Sherry (Taraji Henson) gets a job in China. Once in China, Dre misses home and wants to go back to the US. His mother tells him that China is home now, and he must learn to accept his new home. Dre begins to like China when he falls for his classmate Mei Ying (Wenwen Han). Dre's feelings for Mei Ying are seen by Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) the class bully who is out to stop it. Cheng puts Dre to the ground with ease using his Kung Fu training. Dre doesn't have a chance using the little karate that he knows, and Cheng proves it the next time he sees Dre. Dre is getting beaten badly when Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) the maintenance man, secretly a Kung Fu Master, stops the fight. Dre persuades Mr. Han to teach him Kung Fu. With this knowledge, Dre must now face down Cheng in a fight to win his respect in a Kung Fu tournament.

(My Comment) This is somewhat of a remake of the Karate Kid. The script brings an international flavor to the screen in this bully-victim who turns martial arts expert and eventual hero. The storyline is the one where the underdog must fight to prove himself, and in the meantime everyone learns a lesson about life. The film belongs to Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith, who dominates about every scene of the film. His screen presence is simply amazing for such a young person. Jackie Chan's portrayal is rather awesome as Dre's teacher. The film can stand on its own, because the setup is totally different than the original. All mothers will love it when Dre learns to hang his jacket up and not leave it on the floor. There are some beautiful mountain and Great Wall of China scenes that are used in getting Dre into shape. You almost begin to wonder if the story was changed, and Dre may not be able to finish the match by the end of the movie. The film was simply fun to watch with some touching moments and the Kung Fu was outstanding. This is a go to movie. (Columbia Pictures, Run Time 2:06, Rated PG) (8/10)

In "The Karate Kid" Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) tells his student Dre (Jaden Smith), "Everything is kung fu The way you put on a jacket. The way you treat people." This envisioning of the original "The Karate Kid" is inspired. "The Karate Kid" is awesome. Director Harald Zwart and screenwriter Christopher Murphey basically follow Robert Mark Kamen's 1984 story reset in China. The distinguishing difference is Jackie Chan as kung fu teacher Mr. Han. Chan is a martial arts master and the real deal. He commands an emotional and authentic gravitas. Jaden Smith (Will Smith's son) possesses his dad's charisma and presence. Smith trained intensely, and looks strong in martial arts action. This "Karate Kid" has the same message, and now the exquisite martial arts to match. We see bright students practicing at the legendary Shaolin Temple. In a breathtaking scene an elegant woman demonstrates the snake kung fu style with a cobra on a beautiful mountain temple ledge.

"The Karate Kid" filmed in China for about 60 days. So we also get a spectacular glimpse of China be it the Forbidden City or The Great Wall. I had a new appreciation of this "Karate Kid" being now a martial arts teacher. "Everything is kung fu." That is the way. "The Karate Kid" is about reclaiming one's courage and power. At the story arc Mr. Han tells Dre, "Always strong!" I think "The Karate Kid" surpasses the original in form and spirit.

In "The Karate Kid" 12 year-old Dre (Smith) and his mother Sherry Parker (Taraji P. Henson) move from Detroit to China. Sherry does this to continue working for car manufacturer. We find out that Dre's Dad recently died as well. Dre is not happy about the move, having to learn Chinese, and going to a new school. However, he falls for a cute Chinese girl Meiying (pretty Wenwen Han), a violin protégé. Turns out Dre becomes the punching bag for bully Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) who may be protecting Meiying. Dre is all heart and Cheng is a skilled kung fu student. Consequently, Dre gets his ass kicked horribly. Making matters worse Dre also has to contend with Cheng's crew. Dre is hating life.

Just as Cheng and his crew are about to pummel Dre to nothing, the apartment maintenance man Mr. Han (Chan) dispatches the pack with incredible martial arts prowess. Mr. Han reluctantly agrees to teach Dre "real kung fu". He really sees that Dre is tired of being afraid-of others and himself. At the story arc Dre confesses to Mr. Han, " I just don't want to be afraid anymore." I recall that is what first got me into martial arts as a kid. "The Karate Kid" resonates on that very human level. We all have to reclaim our honor and strength in our own way. For Dre this starts with taking off his jacket, dropping it, and picking it up. This is a clever homage to "wax on, wax off". Everything is kung fu.

In the meantime, Han tells Cheng's teacher Master Li (arrogant Rongguang Yu) to leave Dre alone until the big Kung Fu Tournament-to allow him to train. However, at the tournament all bets are off. Master Li teaches his student mercilessness and only physical prowess. Han reminds Dre, "There are no bad students, only bad teachers." This is dead on.

Much of "The Karate Kid" is predictable, even given its homage to the original story. Though particularly with Chan, we are won over by great heart. He and Jaden have a magically chemistry. Chan really displays depth and range in Han, who guards a painful secret. Smith has great spirit whether he is enduring great pain or stumbling with pretty Meiying. Life is in the paradox. Han commands Dre in the tournament, "Focus. No mind." Always strong. And it is very touching when Dre hugs Han, and tells him that he loves him. Everything is kung fu-courage, honor, and love. "The Karate Kid" honors this with great compassion, humor, and heart. It is about seeing the greatness in others.

Last Saturday, I went to watch this movie with a friend of mine and his children. Actually his children wanted to watch the movie. But after 40 minutes the children couldn't stand anymore so we left.

In this remake of Karate Kid starred Jaden Smith the son of a very important American actor (that's how he got the part) and Jackie Chan. The remake is roughly two and half hour and his definitely not comparable even for just a sec with the original one.

In the original Karate kid starred Ralph Macchio and the late Pat Morita. The original was a good movie. With a lots of action, drama and love.

By the way, although the movie-maker have tried to cover up Jaden Smith poor acting, everybody can understand that he can't act.

Save your money and watch the original or watch something else.

Hopefully they don't do a sequel for Karate Kid 2