When is a karate kid not a karate kid? When he’s a kung-fu kid… get it. And with that, Jaden Smith (son of Will Smith) kicks his way into the big time with a remake of the 80s classic The Karate Kid but unlike the original this one kicks some serious ass and while that sounds like fun for the adults it might be a bit too much for the kiddies.
The Karate Kid tells the tale of Dre (Smith), a young boy from Detroit, along with his mother he has to move to China due to the economic downturn in America. No sooner have they arrived than young Dre gets beaten up by the local kung-fu kids for mixing with a local girl. After he’s saved from a particularly savage beating by local handyman Mr Han (Jackie Chan), Han agrees to train Dre so he can protect himself, only to be drawn into a tournament where Dre will have to face his enemies.
For those of you who remember the original Karate Kid starring a mid-twenties Ralph Machio you will have fond memories of Mr Miyagi showing Daniel San how to wax on, wax off, paint the fence, sweep the floor and the piece de résistance… the crane kick. Well that was a different time and place as the new Karate Kid has no time for such pleasantries and instead goes for some pretty intense fight scenes and a whole new way of learning kung-fu that teaches respect and honour rather than the skills required for a career in home improvement.
Director Harald Zwart (Agent Cody Banks) has put a lot of effort into crafting this film. Rather than making a by-the-numbers effort set in LA he moves the entire production to Beijing and takes his time with the story. From the moment the opening credits role and you see Dre and his mother leaving a rundown Detroit with foreclosure signs and bank seizure notices everywhere you know this is not your average kids’ film.
Genuine bond
It helps that young master Smith can act and that the bond between he and Mr Han (Chan) seems genuine and not forced like most kids’ movies. While not calling Smith’s role a revelation, he does have charisma beyond his years (that said he didn’t lick it off the stones as his father has that same rascally charm) and some of the interactions between he and Chan will have some getting all misty.
What may also bring a tear to the eye are some of the film’s many fight scenes, which are well choreographed and at times very intense. I can’t really remember the last time I watched a bunch of twelve year olds kick lumps out of each other to a point that I winced when one almost went out of his way to break off another’s leg.
This brings me to my other gripe. Why exactly are the bullies so evil? Mr Han explains that there are no bad students just bad teachers but that doesn’t explain why the children have the demeanour of crazed villains from a Bond movie. Those quibbles aside, the film is beautifully shot (if a little long at 140 minutes) with some stunning location work, a great script and Smith/Chan working very well together.
Director Zwart has a message and he is using a tried and trusted story to relay that message. For that alone I would highly recommend this film to any parent who wishes to show their spoiled teenage offspring that the world does not owe them a living and that respect and honour are not just the last two levels of Medal of Honor.
Andrew Kennedy
