The Karate Kid (PG)
Mike:
Scott:
Scott: Tonight we are reviewing The Karate Kid
, a remake of the popular 1984 movie of the same name. This time the movie stars Jaden Smith as the 'Kid' Dre Parker and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han the 'instructor'.
What did you think, Mike?
Mike: I liked this movie just fine and think this will be a good summer "family " movie. I think some critics will be all over this movie, but it's not made for us. I think the tweens it is aimed at will love it.
What did you think?
Scott: Well, I am one of the people that will be all over it. It was okay at best, and a little creepy at worst. Smith is just too young for this role. The part calls for a 16/17 year old boy, not a 12 year old pre-pubescent child.
Mike: I agree that they went a bit young on the main character, especially with how violent the fighting could be at times.
Scott: It wasn't happy fighting, it was kick-ass fighting. There was some serious beat downs that made the original movie look tame.
Mike: Yes, as far as the fighting, I can't imagine there are many parents that would let their children be involved with this.
I don't have a problem with it as far as the fatherless boy in a strange land looking for a mentor, though.
Scott: Where was he again? It was hardly mentioned at all... I'm joking because they beat you to death that they were in China.
Mike: They "beat you to death" with it, huh? In a Kung Fu movie? Interesting.
China is one of the high points to me, though. This whole movie was filmed in China, and that isn't something you see unless you are watching an actual foreign film in Chinese.
Scott: Yes, the sights and sounds were pretty neat. I still wasn't sure how much of the city life shots were real versus propaganda. It is China after all. The surrounding countryside and mountains were a site to see.
Mike: I also like the perspective of Americans living in China and getting acquainted with the customs and traditions. I don't know how accurate it is, but it sure seemed like a slice of life.
Scott: It was interesting that the only other kids I noticed that were from the US were blond - really, really, blond. Dre really stood out from the Chinese and his US counterparts.
I liked Chan in the movie. I always like him though. I think he has a nice, relaxed and humorous personality and it comes through in his characters. That said, I didn't like the scene where he defends Dre. The kids were just too small for him to take on, no matter their numbers,
Mike: I don't have a problem with that. He was protecting another child, who was simply outnumbered by hooligans, who quite frankly probably should have been arrested, regardless of size or age.
Scott: I remember thinking as I watched it that it didn't sit right.
As for Smith, he's just too young for romantic parts (no matter how tame) and mature development. He isn't a teenager; he just doesn't have the angst needed for the role. They can write it in the script, but that doesn't make it come through the acting.
Mike: I will agree with you on Chan, but disagree with you on Smith.
A good point that someone brought up: This movie is China and deals with Kung Fu and not the Japanese Karate. Why isn't it called the Kung Fu Kid?
Do they think that most people don't know the difference between Chinese and Japanese?
Scott: Well, Chan being Chinese made the movie different I guess. Besides most folks (myself included) couldn't tell you the difference between Kung Fu and Karate.
Mike: Ok, then let me mention that Tae Kwan Do is Korean. So are you enlightened or confused now?
Scott: All I know is you spelled it correctly.
Scott: I know Jin Jitsu always wins MMA.
Mike: Do you mean Ju Jitsu?
Scott: Dre's love interest Meiying is played by Wenwen Han. I liked how her English was noticeably different throughout the movie.
Mike: Anyway, I like Jackie Chan in pretty much anything I see him in and his name and reputation will bring a lot of people to this movie.
As far as Smith, I was very impressed with him in The Pursuit of Happyness and I think he has talent.
I thought that Jaden and Jackie actually had some good teacher/student chemistry.
Scott: Zhenwei Wang played Cheng. Those that saw the original, remember his character as Johnny. He was actually a pretty convincing bad kid. He didn't 'Sweep the leg', but otherwise he did pretty good.
Mike: Oddly enough Johnny from the original was very blond.
Yes, Wang made you want to punch him in the face.
Scott: The movie stayed pretty close to the original and in some cases that meant an almost identical scene. I would liked to have seen a little less of that duplication, but I guess they wanted it that way.
Mike: As far as comparisons with the originals, I just don't remember details that well, because it has been so long since I have seen it.
I do remember "Wax on" and "Wax off", though.
If you are going to remake something successful, why mess with a formula that works?
In fact this movie has some very Rocky moments, if you want to start dissecting it.
Scott: All movies like these have those. In fact, Rocky had some moments from movies that came before it.
Mike: Whaaat? That is sacrilege, sir.
Scott: Raging Bull maybe.
Mike: I think that actually came after. Rocky was 1976.
Scott: You are correct sir. Nothing's original though, not since Adam knocked up Eve, "Hey, where'd you get that move?"
Mike: That is true.
Scott: So how do you rate this?
Mike: I give this a 3 out of 5 overall. I will say that it did seem longer than it had to be and was off to a slow start.
The audience in our screening was cheering and clapping by the final scenes and that is something we don't see that often.
So how do you rate it?
Scott: I give this a 2 out of 5. I would have liked it more with an older Karate Kid. I thought the first was a pretty good movie and this isn't as good as that. If you put the original in a theatre and this in a theatre, you will get better reactions from the first one.
Mike: But would you get better reactions from the kids? I'm sure you would from the adults.
Scott: I think Danny was young enough for the kids.
Mike: Do you mean 30 year old Ralph Macchio? I'm sorry, I kid, I kid.
Scott: He was 22/23 when it came out.
