MOVIE REVIEW: “KARATE KID: LEGENDS”
Grade: C
I really hate to be “that guy” but Karate Kid: Legends didn’t leave much of an impression. And I say this as a big fan of both Cobra Kai and the first two films in the franchise. That said, Sony Pictures is to be commended for releasing this in such close proximity to the Cobra Kai series finale. It’s clear that they wanted to strike while the iron was hot and that was probably a smart move on their part.
As Karate Kid: Legends opens, we’re treated to a brief scene from 1986’s Karate Kid Part II. Not only does this nostalgic moment give us a little of that much-missed Miyagi magic, but it also sort of retcons the idea that 2010’s Karate Kid was a reboot. This is to say that this scene establishes that Mr. Han (once again played by the icon who is Jackie Chan) is actually part of the original Karate Kid universe and not just a new version of Miyagi (played by the late, great Pat Morita.)
Immediately following this 1986 flashback, we meet young Li Fong (winningly played by newcomer Ben Wang, soon to be seen in the upcoming Stephen King adaptation of The Long Walk as well as the next chapter in the Hunger Games franchise), a Kung Fu student who practices under the leadership of Mr. Han against his stern mother’s wishes. While angry about the situation (for a very specific reason), Li’s mom (played by Ming-Na Wen) won’t have to worry about that much longer as she and her son will soon be moving to the U.S. where she’s to take on a position at a hospital in the big city (fitting given that Wen first rose to prominence on the hit t.v. series E.R.)
Upon moving to New York, Li finds himself in a tough transitional period as he has to adjust to an entire new way of life. Things look up, however, when he meets Mia (warmly played by Sadie Stanley) but then, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he discovers that her ex-boyfriend Conor (played by Aramis Knight) is, you guessed it, a bully well versed in the way of Karate. So, Li will ultimately need a very special trainer in an effort to prepare for a big upcoming tournament, and he’ll ultimately get that training courtesy of Mr. Han through the assistance of a beloved Karate Kid legacy character known as Daniel LaRusso (played by the forever young Ralph Macchio.)
As directed by Jonathan Entwistle, Legends is harmless enough and it’s certainly well-intentioned but…What a formulaic, disjointed, and often strange entry in The Karate Kid franchise this is. How strange? There’s a subplot that finds Li actually training Mia’s father (charmingly played by Joshua Jackson) in the hope that the proud papa can win a boxing match and get out of debt with a dangerous loan shark. The time dedicated to this seemingly bizarre and unnecessary plot thread certainly could have been put to better use.
Karate Kid: Legends is rushed, too. How rushed? Well, putting it into perspective, there’s a stretch in this film that finds Mr. Han flying from Beijing to New York, making a mess of a family member’s kitchen, flying to Southern California to meet with LaRusso (for whatever reason, he couldn’t just pick up the phone), and then flying back to New York. This all happens in a span of, maybe, 10 minutes.
It should also be noted that Karate Kid: Legends comes in at an uncharacteristically short 94 minutes. Not that there’s anything wrong with a brief run time, but it hurts this movie severely because there’s little to no character development. Again, everything happens at a very quick clip and as an end result, things that should resonate (for example, the tragic reason behind Li’s PTSD) feel more like an afterthought. This is to say nothing of the fact that Daniel LaRusso doesn’t even show up until the second half of the movie and once he does show up, he almost feels shoe-horned in.
What’s more, as a sports underdog movie, Karate Kid: Legends isn’t as rousing as one might hope. Yes, there’s a fight choreography upgrade here (watch as Li successfully takes on 3 full grown baddies in an alley even though, for whatever reason, he can’t rise up to the school bully who manages to beat him with two hands tied behind his back), Legends is void of the kind of “stand up and cheer” moments viewers expect from these movies. Even the big tournament sequence at the end of the film falls flat. That said, this is by no fault of Wang. And in fact, this new-to-the-scene actor is incredibly engaging as are Chan, Jackson, and Stanley. Speaking of engaging, if you do go to see this film, be sure to stick around for a bonus credits scene that adds a brief but much-welcome layer of joy to the proceedings, courtesy of a familiar face.
In terms of where Karate Kid: Legends sits amongst the other entries in the series, it’s not in the same league as the original, Part II or Cobra Kai nor does it have the emotional weight of the virtually forgotten 2010 film. That said, it’s just a tad stronger than both Part III and The Next Karate Kid mostly because the cast does manage to bring the likability factor. This is to say that while this isn’t the “worst” film in the franchise, it’s certainly the strangest in terms of structure and pace. And quite honestly, at times, it has an energy more akin to something like Diary of a Wimpy Kid as opposed to The Karate Kid.
As I close out this review, one thing that Karate Kid Part III actually has going for it all these years later is that it was somewhat re-contextualized by the events that took place in Cobra Kai making it a much more interesting watch now than it was when it was initially released back in 1989. Here’s hoping that Karate Kid: Legends is re-contextualized in the future because as it stands, despite a charming cast and its wholesome nature, it’s not the best around.
