Karate Kid
Ok, let's get the obvious out the way first so we can all sit back and enjoy the rest of my write up. Yes, the film is called Karate Kid. Yes, it's based in China, with a Chinese lead instead of Japanese. And yes, it's all about kung fu, not karate. It's a modern remake of the 1984 classic of the same name, with a few (but not many) differences. So let's all just get over the fact that they didn't change the name to Kung Fu Kid (which sounds more like some weird martial art western) and move on.
The 2010 remake stars kung fu king Jackie Chan as the reluctant Mr Miyagi-esque tutor, maintenance man Mr Ha, who agrees to teach Dre (Jayden Smith, Will Smith's son) the Chinese martial art to defeat his bullies. The new version of the movie doesn't deviate much from its original counterpart, with the same basic storyline, which goes something like this:
Boy moves to China. Boy starts new school. Boy falls for girl. Chinese boys get jealous. Beat up new boy. Secret kung fu pro/maintenance man takes boy to kung fu school to get boys to all shake hands. Realises kung fu teacher is evil. Agrees boys should fight at tournament. If boy wins he saves face/earns respect/wins the hand of the girl. If he loses, big trouble. Boy enters tournament. Boy gets leg wrecked by unsportsmanlike cheating. Boy uses THE one pose that can save the day when all is lost. Boy wins. Woohoo. End.
All sounds rather uninspiring and unimaginative right? But you're wrong. Jayden Smith is a great little actor, following in Dad's footsteps, with the same cocky attitude and comic mannerisms. It's evident he studied hard for the film, performing eye watering splits and impressive fly kicks. Jackie Chan is as usual both funny and amazing, but leaves the spotlight to Jayden with only one fight scene (which was still impressive as he managed to floor a gang of boys without actually hitting a single one), with a lesser seen emotional side (bringing me to tears at one point... yes I know, I'm a cry baby). The film adds extra facets to the film the original did not have, such as the upheaval of moving abroad to a non English speaking country, and integrating into a culturally very different community. The issue of race, and prejudice, is briefly touched on when the girl's father requests she no longer sees Dre after spotting him at her violin audition, but relents after hearing Dre recite a speech in Mandarin (which sounded fairly well pronounced for a non-Chinese speaker) on the family home doorstep, declaring he will be a good and true friend.
So to all those people who complained and berated the new version... shush. I genuinely loved the remake. Any film that makes you come out of a cinema with a bounce in your step and a smile on your face is good as far as I'm concerned! And I can't wait to see another Jayden Smith or Jackie Chan film!
By the way, you can follow Jackie on Twitter @EyeOfJackieChan. And yes, it really IS him tweeting!
Comments