Tuesday, June 15, 2010
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW
The Karate Kid
Yo, Adrian! Meet The
New Kid On The Street.
Jackie Chan as Mr. Han and Jaden Smith as Dre Parker in the re-launch of "The
Karate Kid", directed by Harald Zwart. Sony Pictures
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Almost a generation after its last incarnation, "The Karate Kid" returns
triumphantly to the big screen with a new look but the same themes: an underdog
David faces off against an unsightly Goliath, falls, gets up and keeps getting
beaten down, before the inevitable occurs. This time Jaden Smith moves
immovable objects. Mr. Smith plays Dre Parker, who has just moved from
Detroit to China with his mother (Taraji P. Henson), who reminds him to pick up
his clothes off the floor.
Jackie Chan is Mr. Han, a superintendent at the apartment complex where the
Parkers live. Oblivious to initial complaints about the facilities, he's
disinterested in life. "The Karate Kid" slowly draws Dre and Mr. Han
together. One has internal obstacles to battle. The other, external
forces to grapple. The family film, directed by Harald Zwart, is best when
it focuses on the relationship between the two characters. Many of the
moments between both actors are very good, even if the dialogue they are saddled
with often isn't. Mr. Chan in particular is excellent here, and it's not
unreasonable to suggest that the Academy look seriously at his work here as a
weathered, lonely man.
For his part, Mr. Smith has a bright future. He's every bit Mr. Chan's
equal on the big screen: intelligent and poised, exuding a balance and maturity
within Dre that makes him a real, palpable presence. Mr. Smith
combines brain and brawn, and the fruits of his labors, not to mention charisma
(which reminds you of his mega-successful father) are on full display. Mr.
Smith has great timing, especially in one scene with Mr. Chan. It's a
shame that Christopher Murphey's cliche-laden screenplay decides to extend the
scene with additional devices, but the scene is still the best and most genuine
of all the episodes in "The Karate Kid".
The story by Robert Mark Kamen has time to insert a budding romance, but what
pulls the film down a few pegs are the needless stereotypes about the Chinese,
portrayed in an often one-dimensional manner, caricatured to the point of
ridicule. As in hero redemption films like the "Rocky" franchise, the
villains are flimsy and artificial, like sitting ducks, waiting for their
comeuppance. (The actors who play both the good guys and the bad guys,
deserve better.)
The film makes the most of China's splendor with locations like the Great Wall
looking as majestic as ever. "The Karate Kid", which showcases martial
arts with more than simple credibility -- almost as a character unto itself --
is much more a stirring, crowd-pleasing entertainment about China from a Western
world perspective for westerners than a film that trumpets a new direction for a
well-liked franchise.
With: Wenwen Han, Zhenwei Wang, Rongguang Yu, Zhensu Wu, Luke Carberry, Cameron
Hillman.
"The Karate Kid" is rated PG by the Motion Picture
Association Of America for bullying, martial arts action violence and some mild
violence, which looks and sounds much harsher than merely mild.
The film is in English and Chinese, with occasional English subtitles. The film's duration is one hour and
45 minutes.
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