Chinese kung fu fans

movie The Karate Kid (2010) faster

In the 2010 version of The Karate Kid, Jaden Smith plays the role of 12-year-old Dre Parker. Dre and his mother (Taraji P. Henson) have moved from Detroit to Beijing. On his first day in China, Dre walks over to the neighborhood park and sees a young aspiring violinist. A brief chat with her lands Dre is hot water with Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), the school bully. Fortunate for Dre, his building’s repairman happens to be Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a martial arts master. With Mr. Han’s help Dre trains in kung fu so he can square off with the bullies at the upcoming fighting tournament.

The synopsis sounds familiar, but changes are significant. The backdrop of Beijing isn’t simply a change of location, Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han isn’t a carbon copy of Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi, and the martial artistry has been ramped up to eleven. Even with predictability working against it, The Karate Kid offers plenty of surprises.

Jaden is a charismatic young actor. His interjections of comedy and dancing are welcome additions. His interactions with Taraji P. Henson almost assure the audience that he’s her son. It’s also obvious that he’s put a lot of time into kung fu training. Newcomers Wenwen Han and Zhenwei Wang play the love interest and nemesis roles, respectively; I’d welcome either back for another production.

Clearly, the single biggest factor in this film is Jackie Chan. With Chan present, the fighting has to meet a certain standard, and it does. Kicks are fast and fluid, punches come in from all directions, and the aerial moves are jaw dropping. That is to be expected, but the real shocker is the performance Chan puts together. Not to give too much away, but Mr. Han’s motivation is touching and real. I’ve seen maybe a dozen Jackie Chan films, and this is by a mile his best and most original performance.

As much as Jaden proves himself, I can’t help but think that he’s wrong for the part. His character is 12, but he looks about 9. The themes he’s tackling strike me as too mature for someone his age. For instance, the lead bully seems content with acquiring the choice female and dealing out serious damage to anyone who gets in his way. By anyone, I’m including adults. Though this puts into play a well-choreographed classic Jackie Chan showcase, a part of my mind is put off.

The Karate Kid is directed by Harald Zwart, in a steep departure from his last offering, The Pink Panther 2. The cinematography is from the J.J. Abrams Star Trek school of occasional handheld and plenty of lens flare. I have a feeling that producer, and star’s daddy, Will Smith had a big hand in the high production values.

Even with the early shock of seeing preteens duke it out, everything is eventually made believable. It’s nice departure to see a PG movie in 2010 that doesn’t underestimate the intelligence of children, even if the more appropriate title would have been The Kung Fu Kid (that’s actually the international title). The Karate Kid reaches rarefied status as a successful remake.

movie The Karate Kid (2010) faster