The Karate Kid

I’m not a fan of the original Karate Kid, I don’t think I ever saw it full, and I’m not intending to. I watched the remake only out of curiosity, I wasn’t interested in the film itself, but the positive reviews (70% RT) were such a surprise that I decided to sacrifice those two hours. What can I say other than it’s pretty well crafted nonsense that would likely thrill me if I were in a universe where I liked pathetically clichéd American films with kids in the leading roles. The basic problem is the fact that if there is something I am not, it’s the target viewer of a Karate Kid remake. PS: If the dialogues were uttered in a slightly more serious tone, this would be a parody, but alas, for people like me they are just unintentionally funny. (05/07/2010)

There’s no need to say much about the plot. It's a remake, only instead of waxing on and off, it’s about hanging up that jacket, and the kid’s younger. It is obviously aimed at a younger audience, so besides the requisite melodrama, there are life lessons to be taken away from this film. I was surprised by Jackie Chan, whom I normally don't like but I actually didn't mind him here. The same can't be said for Jaden Smith, who kept getting on my nerves. (01/01/2017)

I know that remakes are terrible, I personally don't like them, but people like to see some legends even in a new edition, especially when they are promised that kung fu master - yes, this time it's not karate - will be played by the living legend of kung fu films, Jackie Chan. I was looking forward to him and he didn't disappoint me, even though as someone who masters kung fu, he is presented very little here, he is rather a mentor for a little boy... Well, you know the story. The boy, essentially a nobody, gets beaten up properly, and then he rises up, and with the help of a master of martial arts, he reaches the top of his age category, when he defeats his "enemy". The new "Karate Kid" is exactly about this, only the main roles are different, the setting is different, and the story is approached a little differently. Sometimes it's a comedy, sometimes a dramatic pathos, occasionally a simply sad movie. There are so many tones here and they change unexpectedly and inappropriately. The pathos speeches of Mr. Chan just don't sit well with me, and the same can happen to many others, who won't identify with the little Smith, who has acting in his blood, but in this movie he simply shows off. He wants to show what he can do and what he can handle. He can handle a lot. The positive aspect are the fight scenes, where these boys really get beaten up and it looks quite rough. I give a slightly higher rating than it should be, but purely out of nostalgia. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/06/karate-kid-parchanti-hromy-blesky-uca.html (20/02/2013)

Everyone, and especially the target audience of this film, must find it too long-winded, with unnecessary dramatic detours (digging into Jackie Chan’s past). And Jaden Smith would be a nice fit for the role of a young skateboarding enthusiast, but he is terribly miscast here. The fights are good and the final tournament is emotional enough, but you can say that about most of the Rocky movies, which don’t waste time with unnecessary padding. (15/09/2010)

The new classic of all children cannot happen from a similar theme today, but hats off for the fact that such a simple story, especially at a literal killer length, did not fall apart in the hands of the creators. However, I have to admit that after the opening classic of "moving-disappointment-bullying", it was more of a regular boredom rather than disappointment. Surprisingly cool and totally natural Jaden, solid training, classic editing, and divine Jackie Chan eventually brought me so high that I couldn't believe it during the closing credits. 70% and eventually even a fourth star. Remaking a classic so that the resulting film can breathe on its own is not a joke. (01/10/2010)