The 12 year “Prodigy” Jayden Smith stars in the controversial remake of the movie Karate Kid which was originally played by Ralph Macchio and featured the legendary Mr Miyagi. The son of Hollywood A-lister Will Smith plays a 12 year old Dre Parker who leaves Detroit with his mom to start a new life in China. However, he struggles to adapt to his new environment as he meets a keen admirer of his who plays the violin, he struggles to learn the language and make friends as he is continually bullied by a group of kids who attend the local kung fu academy. In a particular scene Jackie Chan who plays Mr Hung a maintenance man comes to his rescue and promises to train him for a Kung Fu tournament that will determine Dre’s future.
After attending the premiere for this film I can safely say it has inspired me to return to karate after achieving my black belt 2 years ago – cliche it may seem but thats how I feel.
Despite the film receiving ‘awful reviews’ it can be said that Jayden smith did the karate kid justice, of course the script is not going to be exceptionally deep, thought provoking or filmed in a retro location like a dojo on top of a mountain.
The Good Aspects of the Film
Fight Scenes
The fight scenes in the movie are executed with power, precision and passion. You can tell that they have worked extremely hard in choreographing the close combat scenes as not only do they appear realistic but you can actually feel every blow jayden smith receives – there is also no notion of holding back. During the movie Dre’s enemy follows his masters words “No pain, No weakness, No mercy!” this seems to be a key part of the film which helps counteract the problem with having such young cast members. As usual Jackie Chan brings along his unique yet captivating fighting style to the set where he manages to bring humour to an intense situation as he makes fools of 5 menacing Kung Fu whizzes in an eerie looking car park. The final fight where Dre Parker reaches the final against his arch nemesis is probably most exciting period within the 2 hours and 40 minutes.
The Scenery
The film features some of the most beautiful landscapes and monumental locations in china such as the Great Wall of China and the Olympic Birds Nest.
Actual Acting
Jayden Smith followed his father’s footsteps in this film with his temperamental outbursts to using his quick witted charm to add humour to the film and swoon the female members of the audience filling the room with “Awww’s”. He also creates a convincing bond with his mother in the film aka Tariji P Henson. This review may seem to generous, although many people forget that he’s only 12.
In conclusion, the new karate kid ticks all the boxes of old karate kid in a edgy modern fashion. I would advise critics to try and take this film lightly without scrutinizing every aspect of the film. There is no doubt that this family-friendly entertainment film will be sending children to nearest martial arts academy. As a result I would like to rate this film a proud 8/10.
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