The Karate Kid (B or 3/4 stars)
I enjoyed 1984's The Karate Kid. I don't think it's some great classic or masterpiece, but I have fond memories. Now, in 2010, we have ... 'The Karate Kid', directed by Harald Zwart. This time, Jaden Smith (Will's son) takes over for Ralph Macchio, & Jackie Chan takes over for Pat Morita. Already sad that his father has died, 12 yr. old Dre Parker (Smith) must leave his home of Detroit when his mom's (Taraji P. Henson) job sends her to work/live in China (of all places - talk about fish out of water). Things start off okay for him when he falls for his classmate, Mei Ying (Wenwen Han), & the feeling is mutual. But his feelings for her are observed by Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), the class bully who excels at Kung Fu, & uses those skills on poor Dre.
Only a week in, & Dre is desperate to go back to America. He doesn't know the language; cultural differences make his friendship with Mei Ying difficult, he misses his friends, & keeps having run-ins with Cheng (& company). But his mom tells him that China is it now; he must learn to accept & adapt. One day, during another fight with Cheng, Dre is getting beaten badly when Mr. Han (Chan), the maintenance man in his apartment complex (& secretly a Kung Fu master) stops the fight. With time, Dre persuades the introspective Mr. Han to teach him Kung Fu. Mr. Han hesitates, but sees something special in Dre & agrees. From there, the plot unfolds, more or less, as it did 26 yrs. ago: Dre must enter a big Kung Fu tournament to save face & try to defeat his foe.
The training for said tournament is more mundane than he expects (take off your coat, hang it on the peg, drop it off, pick it up, put it on, take it off, hang it ... about 1,000 times). This trains him, not only to respect his mom's wishes for hanging up his coat when he comes home, but also for some basic Kung Fu skills. Mr. Han takes Dre to his own school of Kung Fu, high in the mountains; making for one of my favorite sequences of the film. Mr. Han teaches Dre that KF is not only about the punches & high kicks, but about respect, maturity, & calm (as evidenced when he observes a KF woman hypnotizing a snake on a steep precipice). Everything culminates in the final showdown with Cheng at the tournament; where Dre wants to literally defeat him, but also shed his fears, & earn respect.
Sure, 'The Karate Kid' is a somewhat unnecessary re-make. But kids won't know the original, & their parents may feels pangs of nostalgia while watching the story again. And yes, this is a cliched, unoriginal sports movie. Formula: downtrodden underdog faces-off against the bully in a huge tournament after finding a wise mentor & undergoing an arduous training process - we've seen it before many times. But there are enough unique and/or entertaining flourishes to distinguish the film. 'KK' is, at worst, adequate. And the fact that it made me cry (not difficult lately) shows both quality, & the fact that it works on some level.
The story in this 'KK' is the same as the original. But the difference in locale is apparent. And there's a difference in tone, as well. The 1st film went down easy as light, cheesy, but stirring entertainment (with an iconic song tied-in, 'Glory of Love'). This version is a bit more sad & serious. Dre's bullies are much more vicious. Dre cries a lot, rarely gets to play, or even smile much. Mr. Han - quiet & dour - has a deep-seeded tragedy that looms in his heart throughout the film. That said, I appreciated this tone; grounding the story in reality (that disappears a bit in the prolonged, credulity-stretching 20 minute climax).
On the technical front, 'KK' surprised me. I enjoyed Harald Zwart's sensitive, no frills direction. Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Pratt makes good use of China's wondrous settings. The stunt choreography & editing is excellent. The sound (in the Kung Fu sequences) is crisp & involving. The soundtrack includes current pop hits that will reel the kiddies in. And James Horner's rousing score matches the epic quality of both the story & its mystical locales.
Jaden Smith is great, here. Knowing how 12 yr. olds can be, I think Jaden nails the cockiness, the hurt, the confusion, & the joys that they exhibit. He handles the training sequences with maturity. I like the sweet, easy chemistry he has with Wenwen Han (this film's Elizabeth Shue). And we're fully invested in his Dre by the climactic tournament. Jaden's just like his dad; call it charisma, call it whatever - the kid's got 'it'. Now, with a natural comedian/action persona, we're used to seeing Jackie Chan as goofy, light-hearted, & spry. But here, he is the polar opposite. And you know what? It works. There's a knowingness & poignancy to the portrayal that I've never seen from him before. That said, he still gets to use his martial arts skills (though toned-down, given his age) in one awesome sequence.
Now, there are several things that bugged me about 'The Karate Kid'. For one, it's NOT karate. Why the hell wasn't it titled 'The Kung Fu Kid'? Was there a clause stating that it absolutely couldn't be changed? Would they be embarrassed that a separate title would be given to a duplicate story? That had to be it. Other things that irked me (irk being a strong word in these instances): I missed the wax-on, wax-off motif. Taraji P. Henson's mom character is not nearly as developed as it should have been, & I question some of the decisions she makes/doesn't make near the end. And as mentioned, the climax both stretched my suspension of disbelief, & concludes the film in a curt fashion. Really, the climax is the only true hiccup; shame that it happened in the end, as a lasting impression.
All that said, I'm glad the movie was 140 minutes long; affording us the time & pace to sink into the story & characters; something few movies do nowadays. 'The Karate Kid' tells a familiar, but appealing story about perseverance & multicultural friendships. I teared-up at some parts, I cheered with the audience as the credits rolled, & despite my issues ... I give this a mild thumbs up.
Only a week in, & Dre is desperate to go back to America. He doesn't know the language; cultural differences make his friendship with Mei Ying difficult, he misses his friends, & keeps having run-ins with Cheng (& company). But his mom tells him that China is it now; he must learn to accept & adapt. One day, during another fight with Cheng, Dre is getting beaten badly when Mr. Han (Chan), the maintenance man in his apartment complex (& secretly a Kung Fu master) stops the fight. With time, Dre persuades the introspective Mr. Han to teach him Kung Fu. Mr. Han hesitates, but sees something special in Dre & agrees. From there, the plot unfolds, more or less, as it did 26 yrs. ago: Dre must enter a big Kung Fu tournament to save face & try to defeat his foe.
The training for said tournament is more mundane than he expects (take off your coat, hang it on the peg, drop it off, pick it up, put it on, take it off, hang it ... about 1,000 times). This trains him, not only to respect his mom's wishes for hanging up his coat when he comes home, but also for some basic Kung Fu skills. Mr. Han takes Dre to his own school of Kung Fu, high in the mountains; making for one of my favorite sequences of the film. Mr. Han teaches Dre that KF is not only about the punches & high kicks, but about respect, maturity, & calm (as evidenced when he observes a KF woman hypnotizing a snake on a steep precipice). Everything culminates in the final showdown with Cheng at the tournament; where Dre wants to literally defeat him, but also shed his fears, & earn respect.
Sure, 'The Karate Kid' is a somewhat unnecessary re-make. But kids won't know the original, & their parents may feels pangs of nostalgia while watching the story again. And yes, this is a cliched, unoriginal sports movie. Formula: downtrodden underdog faces-off against the bully in a huge tournament after finding a wise mentor & undergoing an arduous training process - we've seen it before many times. But there are enough unique and/or entertaining flourishes to distinguish the film. 'KK' is, at worst, adequate. And the fact that it made me cry (not difficult lately) shows both quality, & the fact that it works on some level.
The story in this 'KK' is the same as the original. But the difference in locale is apparent. And there's a difference in tone, as well. The 1st film went down easy as light, cheesy, but stirring entertainment (with an iconic song tied-in, 'Glory of Love'). This version is a bit more sad & serious. Dre's bullies are much more vicious. Dre cries a lot, rarely gets to play, or even smile much. Mr. Han - quiet & dour - has a deep-seeded tragedy that looms in his heart throughout the film. That said, I appreciated this tone; grounding the story in reality (that disappears a bit in the prolonged, credulity-stretching 20 minute climax).
On the technical front, 'KK' surprised me. I enjoyed Harald Zwart's sensitive, no frills direction. Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Pratt makes good use of China's wondrous settings. The stunt choreography & editing is excellent. The sound (in the Kung Fu sequences) is crisp & involving. The soundtrack includes current pop hits that will reel the kiddies in. And James Horner's rousing score matches the epic quality of both the story & its mystical locales.
Jaden Smith is great, here. Knowing how 12 yr. olds can be, I think Jaden nails the cockiness, the hurt, the confusion, & the joys that they exhibit. He handles the training sequences with maturity. I like the sweet, easy chemistry he has with Wenwen Han (this film's Elizabeth Shue). And we're fully invested in his Dre by the climactic tournament. Jaden's just like his dad; call it charisma, call it whatever - the kid's got 'it'. Now, with a natural comedian/action persona, we're used to seeing Jackie Chan as goofy, light-hearted, & spry. But here, he is the polar opposite. And you know what? It works. There's a knowingness & poignancy to the portrayal that I've never seen from him before. That said, he still gets to use his martial arts skills (though toned-down, given his age) in one awesome sequence.
Now, there are several things that bugged me about 'The Karate Kid'. For one, it's NOT karate. Why the hell wasn't it titled 'The Kung Fu Kid'? Was there a clause stating that it absolutely couldn't be changed? Would they be embarrassed that a separate title would be given to a duplicate story? That had to be it. Other things that irked me (irk being a strong word in these instances): I missed the wax-on, wax-off motif. Taraji P. Henson's mom character is not nearly as developed as it should have been, & I question some of the decisions she makes/doesn't make near the end. And as mentioned, the climax both stretched my suspension of disbelief, & concludes the film in a curt fashion. Really, the climax is the only true hiccup; shame that it happened in the end, as a lasting impression.
All that said, I'm glad the movie was 140 minutes long; affording us the time & pace to sink into the story & characters; something few movies do nowadays. 'The Karate Kid' tells a familiar, but appealing story about perseverance & multicultural friendships. I teared-up at some parts, I cheered with the audience as the credits rolled, & despite my issues ... I give this a mild thumbs up.