Karate, Kung Fu, whatever

The Karate Kid (2010)

Genre: Action, Drama

Release: June 11, 2010

Cast: Jackie Chan as Mr. Han, Jaden Smith as Dre Parker

Sequels are never better than the original, what more a remake? I think that's why they're called "The Original".

Likewise with music, most of us do not like our good ol' classics to be remade, altered, let alone touched. I remember cocking an eyebrow when I heard about the remake, thinking, "It better do the original justice", but I've come to see remakes as vessels that pass on age-old stories and values to younger generations - even though the new 12-year-old "Karate" Kid is actually learning instead Kung Fu. Well, as Taraji P. Henson said, "Karate, Kung Fu, whatever!"

 

Synopsis: Young Dre Parker moves from Detroit to Beijing. Within a week he facies a girl, gets into a run in with a couple of kids who just so happened to know Kung Fu, gets his backside whooped a couple of times and discovers that the handiman, is not just a handiman. He and Mr. Han then visit the Kung Fu School to make peace with his perpetrators but earns a ticket to the upcoming Kung Fu Tournament instead. He then trains in the art of Kung Fu to learn how to defend himself and earn respect from those who humiliated him.

The 1984 original was known for its "wax on, wax off" tactic, only to be replaced by "jacket on, jacket off, put in on the ground, pick it up and hang it up". Daniel LaRusso waxed cars, sanded a wooden floor, painted a fence, and refinished Mr. Miyagi's house. While Dre Parker simply worked with his jacket. I guess Mr. Miyagi's the crazier teacher, Mr. Han. Even more so, I had imagined Mr. Han to be a much wiser looking man. To put it straight, I watched Jackie Chan practise Kung Fu last night, not Jackie Chan playing a character who's a master at Kung Fu. 

[I think I've watched too many Jackie Chan movies.]

Clearly he has reached an age where performing stunts he did two decades ago isn't as easy anymore, but who better to play a Kung Fu guru than Jackie Chan? He, nonetheless, breathed life to the movie as Qi is believe to for all things living. I saw more of Mr. Han than Jackie Chan towards the end of the movie when he told a wounded Dre Parker, "I --". Oh, watch the movie you!

Jaden Smith, on the other hand, can act, but there's a lot of room for improvement. Certain parts of comic relief weren't delivered well enough.

[Can I get a "Ba-Dum-Tchh"]

But he's young, there's plenty of time to mold him in to a better actor. On another note, I found his character to be a little too young to have such raging hormones, i.e. to be completely smitten. 14 or 15 would have been a slightly more appropriate age. We wouldn't want our 11 or 12-year-old siblings or kids to be snogging around when you're not looking, would we?

As far as cinematography and direction goes, it was nothing to spectacular. I personally thought it could have done better to add more essence and vibe to the action scenes. The pan shots of iconic landmarks of China, however, were astounding. Furthermore, their decision to bring The Karate Kid to China, differentiating Dre Parker from Danial LaRusso, who merely moved to Los Angeles, makes his desire to prove himself that much more believable seeing as he is quite the fish out of water.

[Boy, do I know how that feels]

All in all, the movie carries it's own gravity and flows in it's pace. Had the title been different or had the 1984 original Karate Kid not existed, The Karate Kid (2010) proves to be a mind blowing movie all on its own whilst teaching the values of respect, honor and perseverence.

You are advised not to watch the original before you watch the remake.

Story: B-

Acting: B

Direction: C+

Visuals: B-

Average: B- 

- Messer Girl