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The word “remake” tends to strike fear in the hearts of movie lovers—maybe even more than that other dreaded word, “sequel.” And for good reason, too. After all, if you still love the original, why watch some new director put his own personal spin on the story? Why try to recreate the magic if you can still experience it—whenever you want—in the comfort of your own living room?
Still, despite the long, long list of less-than-remarkable remakes, it seems that there must be a market for them—because studios keep releasing them. Fortunately, though, every once in a while, one manages to get it (mostly) right—like The Karate Kid.
When it was first announced, The Karate Kid didn’t seem to have a whole lot going for it. The 1984 original is still a beloved classic—and with The Pink Panther 2 director Harald Zwart in the director’s chair, it seemed almost destined for the Remake Hall of Shame. But, instead, it’s a family-friendly crowd pleaser—one that stays surprisingly true to its lovable underdog roots.
This time, it’s set in China instead of California—and the lessons are in kung fu instead of karate. But, despite a few differing details, the basic story remains the same. Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) moves from Detroit to Beijing after his widowed mom, Sherry (Taraji P. Henson), accepts a job transfer. For Sherry, it’s a fresh start—but, for Dre, it’s a nightmare.
On his first day in China, Dre crosses paths with Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), a vicious bully who has no qualms about beating up the new kid—again and again. Finally, maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) steps in to help—but when Mr. Han goes to confront Cheng’s kung fu teacher, he ends up volunteering Dre to compete in the upcoming tournament.
Mr. Han agrees to train Dre to fight—but he also teaches him important lessons about honor and respect.
It seems as though Zwart has learned a thing about honor and respect, too—because he gives the original Karate Kid the respect it deserves. Instead of trying to make the remake bigger or flashier or funnier, he sticks with what worked the first time. The new Karate Kid has the same story, the same hard-hitting action, and (most importantly) the same heart as the iconic original.
Still, it does have its flaws. The 140-minute runtime is completely unnecessary. It seems to take an eternity to set up the story—and almost an hour goes by before Dre starts his training.
Smith, meanwhile, doesn’t have Ralph Macchio’s regular-kid-next-door charm. Especially in the beginning, his performance is shaky. He’s too cool, too confident, too…smug. But once he settles into the role—and stops trying to remind everyone that he’s Will Smith’s son—he’s much more likeable. And by the time Dre makes it to the big tournament, you’ll be rooting for him.
Chan, however, is the best he’s been in years. Not only does he get to do some of his signature kung fu choreography, but he also shows that he can act. Rarely does he take on serious roles—but, after seeing him here, I can only hope he’ll take on more.
Sure, a Karate Kid remake wasn’t really necessary, but fans of the original can breathe a sigh of relief—because the remake doesn’t ruin the original. Instead, this flawed but fun summer popcorn flick will have the whole family cheering.
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