KARATE KID: LEGENDS
KARATE KID: LEGENDS
Directed by Jonathan Entwistle
I have a confession to make: I've never seen any of the original KARATE KID trilogy, nor the 2010 remake or the Netflix series continuation, COBRA KAI. Although as a little gay boy growing up I did watch the redheaded stepchild of a sequel 1994's THE NEXT KARATE KID (starring Hilary Swank!) about a million times.
It is a testament to the iconic nature of the franchise that over 40 (!) years later people are instilled with the story of Daniel-san, wax on wax off, and the enduring legacy of one Mr. Miyagi. It's crazy how a movie series like this could make you feel like you've seen it just by sheer pop culture osmosis.
Just in time for summer vacation is the latest installment, this time with the subtitle LEGENDS. Meaning because this is Hollywood in 2025, we have to have lega-sequels; often contrived and/or convoluted plots that attempt to connect every movie. It's never as clever as the filmmakers seem to think it is, we just had to deal with it last week with MISSION IMPOSSIBLE!
That said, the tried and true formula of a fish out of water teen dealing with a bully, family turmoil, and a potential new love interest - all to the backdrop of karate - is as sturdy and reliable as Jackie Chan's presence. He reprises his role from the 2010 remake, as we meet the main focus his nephew Li played by relative newcomer Ben Wang. Li is the heart and soul of the movie, and on top of the emotion he brings to the table, the physicality of the performance is breathtaking to watch. Early on a character calls him the "Chinese Peter Parker" and they're not far off.
I had a blast watching Li flirt and giggle and hangout with his love interest, a spunky teen girl with a thing for karate boys. Her dad, played by the iconic and supremely gorgeous Joshua Jackson, owns the next door pizza place and hires Li to teach him karate to better his boxing. "Everything is kungfu" we hear throughout the movie.
I got no skin in the game, so the complete shoehorn of Ralph Macchio's Daniel in the final act didn't bother me like some of my fellow critics. He also says "kuh-rah-tay" with a straight face so many times and it's hilariously awesome. The pacing is unbelievably breezy, and, maybe in the effort to keep this at a tight 90 minutes, some nuance and character development was sacrificed. There's also a killer fight scene set to LCD Soundsystem's "North American Scum," so who cares!
It's also gorgeously shot, with a crispness to some of the New York scenes that made me wanna grab a slice and ride the subway. The main bully antagonist is definitely a little too aggro/violent and his scenes can sometimes be a bit jarring. Like, holy hell this kid is a sociopath!
Excellent soundtrack, terrific cast and a fun summery vibe all anchored by a winning lead performance from Ben Wang. What's missing was Hilary Swank! Maybe in the next reboot legasequel. HI-YAH!
⭐⭐⭐ out of 4
