Review: ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ has fun connecting the past and present
‘Karate Kid: Legends’ revitalizes the film franchise with heart, comedy and charming personalities.
Martial arts is a school with many disciplines. The applications range from meditation to defense to combat with some styles also taking centre stage in tournaments and other organized events. People can begin training at almost any age and how well they do is usually dependent on their commitment to the teachings. There are several actors who established their careers on their martial arts backgrounds, and even more movies and franchises with some form of martial arts at their heart. In 1984, a bullied young man learned how to defend himself from a reclusive master, spawning sequels, a series and now an extension of the story in Karate Kid: Legends.
When Li Fong’s (Ben Wang) mother accepts a position at a hospital in New York, they uproot their lives in China to move to America. Li quickly makes friends with Victor (Joshua Jackson) and his daughter, Mia (Sadie Stanley), owners of the local pizzeria, which also makes him an immediate rival of a nearby karate gym frequented by a loan shark (Tim Rozon) and Mia’s ex-boyfriend (Aramis Knight). Li’s mother (Ming-Na Wen) hoped the change in scenery would remove his temptation to fight, but Li’s kung fu training gets even more use on N.Y.’s streets — now he’s just without the guidance of Shifu Han (Jackie Chan).
Even though Chan returns to the franchise to resume his 2010 character, this is a much different and more enjoyable movie than that attempt at a reboot. Li is a charming personality that audiences will easily root for and his new friends only add to the appeal. It’s especially pleasing to see Jackson play such a charismatic and surprisingly fit character, while Rozon’s turn as a villain is convincing though limited. This is also a genuine sequel as it reintroduces Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) to the film franchise, reaching back to the origins of Miyagi’s karate to unite the old and new guard.
Jonathan Entwistle’s feature directorial debut injects some modern flair with graffiti-style text overlays sprinkled throughout, denoting the passage of time or translations. It makes the picture seem more youthful, though it mostly complements the fresh cast, musical choices and narrative update, likely inspired by the Netflix series’ success. While the story of a teen in a new city making enemies with a martial arts star over a girl is familiar, the all-deciding tournament is called “Five Burroughs” and actually transforms the streets of New York into its arena.
The competition and Li’s training for it only occupies the latter third of the movie. Han’s kung fu and LaRusso’s karate offer variations for the same techniques, making for some comedic debates and amusing sparring sequences in which Li usually has the unfortunate privilege of being their test dummy. The rest of the movie feels more Karate Kid-adjacent as Li adapts his fighting style to pass on his learnings to an older athlete trying to regain his former boxing glory. There are some bumps in the narrative, but it’s an endearing picture that brings fun back to the film franchise.
Director: Jonathan Entwistle
Starring: Jackie Chan, Ben Wang and Joshua Jackson
