'Karate Kid: Legends' is a nostalgic reboot of the beloved 'Karate Kid' saga, bridging generations of martial arts storytelling.
Li Fong (Ben Wang) is a teenage kung fu prodigy from Beijing who moves to New York with his mum following a family tragedy that has left him scarred. He quickly meets love interest Mia (Sadie Stanley) and her father Victor (Joshua Jackson), a former boxer with money – and loan shark – problems.
When an original get-rich-quick scheme falls flat, Li turns to martial arts to help his new friends. Calling on mentors Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), for help, Li uses karate to confront his challenges and save the day.
'Karate Kid: Legends' is a really interesting mix of new story and nostalgia. Audiences who haven’t seen the original film, the 2010 remake starring Jackie Chan or the 'Cobra Kai' series are likely to be somewhat lost, or are at least missing out on a whole lot of necessary backstory and fan-baiting easter eggs.
The first half of the film is really enjoyable and highly accessible to new audiences. For those who grew up on 'Karate Kid' and transitioned to 'Dawson’s Creek', Joshua Jackson as Victor is a real treat, and it’s a massive miss from the marketing team that he isn’t featured more prominently. He is a very tasty drawcard to all those millennial parents who choose which films to take their kids to.
The first half is also a really nice spin on the original concept of an older mentor teaching the younger, bullied kid. This time, it’s Li who is mentoring the older Victor, trying to save his bacon and his quintessential pizza establishment.
This is all lost in the second half. Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) are called in to help Li learn karate to win a competition, in an echo of the original film. It is from here that you need to have seen all the original material, to understand why these two bickering older men are important.
The film tries to tell too many stories at one, with the consequence that the stakes are very low for all of it. However, all the characters are charming, and the action sequences are great. New York is of course a character in its own right, and the final fighting scene shot atop a skyscraper is very impressive.
'Karate Kid: Legends' is a fun film to head along to, and kids will love it. To make the story really land, have a 'Karate Kid' movie marathon at home before seeing it on the big screen.
