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MatthewLong23 2012-05-23 16:16:21

Decent remake. Entertaining nonetheless

Karate Kid is the ultimate overcoming obstacles movies. The bullyingscenes are often brutal to watch and often realistic in what ishappening to the character Dre in the film. I did not like the wholestory about the owner of the martial arts academy, having it out forDre and Mr. Han just because he was defending himself against hisstudents. I thought that was a stupid aspect of the film and completelyunnecessary. The whole take the jacket off, put the jacket on does nothave the same pizazz as wash on wash off but who knows it could takeoff as a popular saying. The scenes with Dre and Mr. Han training wereentertaining and often fun to watch. I enjoyed the final martial artstournament and the action scenes there. I thought it was stupid thatthe owner told his students to break Dre's legs and there seemed to beno repercussions of that. Overall a good movie though.

2012-05-23 08:52:32

Surprisingly good! Very good!

When I heard they were remaking the Karate Kid I automatically hated the idea. The original is a classic that still holds up today and it didn't need a remake. Then when I heard it was produced by Will Smith and that his son was starring in it I hated it even more. Then when I heard it would be called "The Karate Kid" but be set in China where they do Kung Fu I REALLY hated it! But, I gave it a chance and watched it and I actually really loved it. All of the acting is great. I hate to say it but Jaden Smith is actually a pretty good actor. And his fight scenes all looked great. And Jackie Chan is just fantastic. This is one of the best roles he has ever played. All the fight choreography is brilliant. Much better than most American martial arts movies. And the cinematography of China is BEAUTIFUL! I'm giving this 4 out of 5 for a couple of reasons. 1) I think Jaden Smith was too young for the part. I think they should have waited a couple more years to do the film. It just wasn't very believable that an official tournament would let these older looking boys beat up on a 12 year old and nearly break his leg. Jaden should have been at least 14 before doing this. And 2) the movie should have been called "The Kung Fu Kid" NOT "Karate Kid" since they're not doing Karate. It makes no sense other than they just wanted to sell tickets. They could have called it "Kung Fu Kid" and still paid homage to "Karate Kid." But those are the only two things that bothered me in this otherwise great movie.I can see this movie being just as special for kids today as the "Karate Kid" was for me when I was a child.

2012-05-23 12:13:49

My dad bought me a bike

This was a predictable remake with just enough newness added in to keep it from going straight to dvd. The cinematography tries to fill in where the story falls short, but it should keep you from falling asleep (maybe). Having the child of a celebrity power couple play the top bill in his maiden cinematic voyage comes across as the shameless pre-fabricated non-event that it is; a $200,000,000 birthday cake. If I had that kind of budget, I would look pretty good too. Some kid's parents buy them toys or clothes, but apparently young Smith's dad bought him a movie franchise.

2012-05-22 22:38:50

The Karate Kid

This review is from: The Karate Kid (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) I purchased this movie for our grandchildren. The thorougly enjoyed it. A great remake of a movie I took my son to see as a child. I would encourage all grandparents to make this part of their movie collection for their grandchildren!

2012-05-21 17:10:43

Remaking of the original "Karate Kid", however without giving credit to Karate

Its an ok remaking of the original "Karate Kid", however the original movie is much better and much more convincing. I just wish they would have given crdit to Karate as a martial art since the movie is called "Karate Kid". If you noticed, the word Karate was not mentioned once in the movie! They should have called it the Kung Fu kid, but they probably knew it would sell better if they gave it the name of a classic like "Karate Kid".It would have been cool too to make it based on Jiu Jitsu or MMA, since nowadays they are more propular than most traditional martial arts such as Karate or Kung Fu.

2012-05-21 12:02:39

Not a Bad Remake

To me, the first "Karate Kid" movie is "Mr. Miyagi and his Apprentice." The story of the 1984 hit movie is predictable and Ralph Macchio and his karate fight scenes look disappointingly amateurish, but Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita, Oscar-nominated as a wise karate teacher, is fun throughout, and the master-pupil relation between Miyagi sensei and Macchio's young hero Daniel is convincing and touching.Now after three not-so-great sequels (including one starring then unknown Hilary Swank), a remake arrives with Jaden Smith as Dre Parker, a new kid in a Beijing school, and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han, a quiet maintenance man who teaches martial arts to the bullied boy. Probably the new "Karate Kid" movie should be called "The Kung-fu Kid" as karate is hardly mentioned in the film, but this is not really a big problem. Beautifully shot in China and professionally choreographed, the remade "Karate Kid" is overall enjoyable, but is deeply flawed and weak in many regards.Though the friendship between the two main characters Dre and Mr. Han is credible, and Jackie Chan's acting itself is very good, Chan's Mr. Han lacks a sense of humor that lends depth to the character of Miyagi. One subplot about Dre's love story, devoid of chemistry, only slows down the pace of the 140 minute film, which is too long by 40 minutes. Occasional attempt at humor are weak at best, but if you have seen any of director Harald Zwart's unimpressive works in the past ("Agent Cody Banks" "The Pink Panther 2"), you will not be surprised at that.The martial art tournament sequence is acceptable, though wires and stunts are obviously used. Jackie Chan also gives one amusing fight scene against the bullying boys, almost stealing the film from Jaden Smith.This is not a bad remake. Only that it needs a new title and a tighter story.

Spacescope17 2012-05-16 21:45:17

A True & Touching Tribute 2 the Original

As a fighter myself, i had an easy time seeing the life a respectfulfighter goes thru, i had 2 admit i felt for Jaden, his grit was evidentyet his charm showed even more. No one lets u feel fine 4 staying down,& this fight fights 4 ur heart even when u sense the teacher (JackieChan) cracking. Jaden willed him on just as Jackie taught him, 2 focuson whats @ hand & nothing else. U have 2 understand as this movieshows, the concentration & countless hours of perfecting simplemovements that everything else just works & improvises off of. The baseof moves was perfected by something as ingenious of the wax on wax offmove from the 1st movie. U truly got 2 c trust one human can have 4another & the way they can will each other. Best buddy movie of theyear so far. This had 2 b the 1st time I've actually teared up @ afighting movie, Jackie really has true acting talent thats hard 2 findin a fighters who block most things out. I c the evolution of morerespectful fighters come out of this movie I hope cause Jaden dealt whis bullies by training harder & smarter. & o course he willed on hisschool crush 2 crush her competition with her musical. I just hopeTaraji gets a role where she gets 2 do a true comedy, she sparked themovies humor like a firecracker u didn't know where it was going 2 go.Anyways, altogether, the sweet touches were there that made u laugh @Jaden's true curiosity & respectfulness. My fave was the fist pumpxplosion he & Jackie did, that made my day, think u Fresh prince o BelAir! Must see 4 anyone who's got a sense o pride, o respect o any kindo fighting 4 the right thing which i think needs 2 b instilled by moreAmericans.

2012-05-16 09:34:36

Just change the title!

If they would have named it "The Kung Fu Kid" it would have been appropriate and the movie would technically have it's own identity. Martial arts were well done and all characters were well played. My family enjoyed it very well.

Wendell Tucker 2012-05-12 14:21:06

This Film is Exceptional - Ignore the Negativity

First and foremost if you see D and F reviews, they did NOT see thismovie. This film was exceptional in every aspect. It sticks true to theKarate Kid formula, while taking a life of its own. This is not aremake, its a re-telling.Visuals - The entire film is shot on location. (no green screens) Itshow the beauty and ugliness of China perfectly. The camera shots weretypically timely and the editing gave the sense of Dre's (Jaden Smith)desperation. The wide shooting style enhanced the idea of his feelingof isolation in a huge and over crowded country. Especiallybreathtaking were the scenic shots of China giving contrast to thecrowded city views.Direction - Jackie Chan has never been in a movie that gave as muchthought to every single scene as this one. Every scene had purpose. Thefight scenes weren't just to show off moves and advances in wirechoreo. There was a story being told with each fight, and to see suchyoung performers successfully convey such intensity was a breath offresh air. Especially given the accolades that are given for suchshallow performers these days. Particularly poignant was the use ofevery day objects to symbolize the characters potential/struggle.(jaden's coat/pools of water , Jackie's Car)Acting - Jaden was ELEVEN YEARS OLD when he shot this. Give the kid abreak. Yes he is very raw, and he still needs to learn how not toanticipate his co-stars lines. But he is also talented and has a muchbetter grasp of nuance than his father did when he broke into acting(at age 22). He is charming and able to go from adorable to agitatinginstantly. Still you find yourself drawn to him as a character. Jackiefrankly gives the best performance of his life. I am an AVID JackieChan fan and I have seen nearly his entire body of work. He has neveracted so well. The underlying sense of loss as a motivating factor waswell perceivable throughout the film. He carried out the role ofsurrogate father flawlessly. The emotional reveal was pitch perfect. *** Notes and Summation***I loved how they touched on racism between minorities without soundinglike an after school special or being anti-anyone. Yes they call it Karate Kid and he does Kung-Fu. So what. Its calledartistic license. Most of the fighting in the original came fromseveral different disciplines as well. Will did help his son get this role (that's what a father should do).But, Jaden earned it. You can tell he worked hard for this. Hisphysical conditioning and form showed. Because his father is famous andwealthy doesn't mean that he can't have dedication and commitment tohis craft. - This was a solid movie. I loved it from top to bottom. I hope thatWill continues to mentor and guide Jaden on to bigger and better.Jackie did an awesome job and I hope he continues to influence moreyoung actors. Great great movie.

2012-05-11 21:52:27

interseting

This review is from: The Karate Kid (2010) (Amazon Instant Video) this was an interesting movie. As a fan of the original I didn't know how I would like this. Certainly worthy of a viewing. A little cornier but Smith was really very good in this. I enjoyed Jackie Chan as his teacher and overall I rate it very good.

Neuenschwander9 2012-05-11 01:33:45

Even Jackie couldn't save this one

Oooh fellas it is a martial arts made by Harald Zwart (The Pink Panther2), The Blake Edwards wannabe of most of my favorite movies.and i don'treally consider this movie a real movie at all.its like a fake comedycomes from a real genius director/actor/writer person who has made alot of extraordinary pictures like Agent Cody Banks(2005),/Pink Panther1 & 2(2004,2009) One Night at McCool's (2001) and ...well making a martial arts to produce money and continue living withoutactual good films is the main idea.which is unique and some sort ofsucks,holy crap. i don't really could recognize this picture from oneof the Judd Apatow movies if i didn't know the director's name,to behonest did you? it is like you skins the potato for making it chips butit comes podding out of it.i believe that the cast and crew are great imean am i joking? its all the times that if one of Harald Zwart'smovies sucks but the cast and crew are well.Dre Brown(Jaden Smith) is living with Mr. Han( Jackie Chan) a.k.aKong-sang Chan like just friends,they share their house for years nowbut they have no sexy time together .their bills are not to be paidbased on the lousy couple are poor and their basic needs of life is notprepared.the water is cut off,electrical power is gone and.. theydecide to begin kung fu training but they refer to it a "karate" (HolyF**k)to become rich and make it for lining they have gathered a"karate" team by researching in the Shaolin club and interview and themovie title is The Karate Kid at first place ...the movie wants to shout that the "karate" itself is not enough.youhave to the pushing party kind of mama death grip for making itstronger and for sure it is true.the comedy sequences are performedgood but not as before.

2012-05-10 18:40:40

As good as the original

I grew up with the original "Karate Kid," so I didn't know if I'd like this one. What did it for me wasn't Jaden Smith, it was Jackie Chan. I have seen Chan in countless movies, both his action ones but also dramas like "Shinjuku Incident" on RedBox and he is a great actor outside of the bad American slapstick he often does. In "Karate Kid," he delivers a really understated performance and makes a fantastic character to see the good side of China through after Jaden gets shoved around a bit by the bad side. A well made movie.

paul david 2012-05-04 18:48:53

Splendid family film with the wrong title completely

this is a very enjoyable family film, as most Jackie Chan films are.though not as funny as Spy Next Door, there are plenty of chucklesalong the way. the film for me is more in the mould of 'My name isKhan' and even 'The Wrestler' (in an extreme way) in wanting to delivera message to its audience but there is not a single bit of karate inthe movie, so be warned! It really should be called 'Kung Fu Kid' butnever mind, the film entertains.Jackie Chans role as Mr Hun is somewhat limited as the maintenance man.I found the boy as Dre at times annoying and I was not sure what hisMother was transferred to china to do of such importance but never mindthat. I enjoyed the relationship formed by the boy with Mr Hun who hadlost his family some years before in a car accident, hence his guiltcomplex.The film addresses through Chan how to become a better person and touse kung fu in a positive way. he was responsible for the death of hisfamily and he wants to be righteous again. through the boy there wasclearly a message for him to show that you don't need to use violentmeans to practice an art like kung fu.The storyline is a little clumsy but nevertheless good and the filmingaround china exceptional.this is a very worthwhile film to see and should not be missed.

olympiantem 2012-05-04 04:18:05

Enjoyable Take On The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid stars Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan as the beloved Masterand apprentice who train for a martial arts contest where he mustdefeat his bully and put an end to the embarrassment he has put himthrough.I thought it was enjoyable, sure the plot was bad, but Still, I feltthe chemistry between Chan and Smith. The mom is annoying, it canconnect to many children.So Overall many children will enjoy it, some adults who've seen theoriginal might not be so happy but hey, its the 20's, get to the newages.

2012-05-02 18:02:53

Thought I would Hate it

This movie was a very pleasant surprise. I thought I was going to hate it because I don't generally favor remakes. I mean, come on, it's just too easy. Just how creative do you have to be to remake a movie? All you have to do is follow a basic template, tweak it a bit and you got a remake. Anyway, things I didn't like right away. The movie makers had a political agenda, either because it's their own agenda or because China told them they had to film it that way in order to be allowed to film in China, you know state controlled media? What comes out has to make them look good. Beijing was shown as beautiful and clean, everyone in the street and park were smiling and blissful. There was no smog. The place our young hero arrives in is a Utopian home away from home and so painfully diverse in culture you have to wonder if the family had actually wandered into a Progressive day dream. When Dre shows up for his first day at school the first thing I pointed out to my kid was that in China there is no way you would see so many white kids. My child, either wise for his age or actually paying attention when I talk to him about movies, said, "Well, it's a movie Mom, so it's not the way things really are right?"I had to agree and be satisfied that I was doing my job well enough and that my kid isn't being completely brainwashed by Hollywood. But I had to point out last of all that the red flags and red stars that were so glaringly in your face were symbols of China and communism. I thought it was a good opportunity to explain and reinforce the differences between our form of government and China's. The movie gave a few examples that I could use to make my point such as, police officers standing on sidewalks.All that aside, this movie is fantastic!!!Jaden Smith looks just like his daddy! We own every movie Will Smith ever made and have probably seen several of them dozens of times. We love Will Smith and I saw Jaden make many of the same charming facial expressions and line deliveries as Will does in his movies, it was like watching a mini Will. The kid is just adorable and incredibly talented for a child actor. He was not only comfortable in front of the camera but it was like he knew how to work it too. Wow, is all I can say. The world will be looking at Jaden with extremely high expectations. My kid went into a Martial Arts class about a year ago for the same reason Dre wanted to complete his tournament, so he didn't have to be afraid anymore. My kid saw a lot of himself in this movie. He asked me to buy it for him for xmas so it has his approval. At the end of the film I wanted to stand up and applaud but honestly I was exhausted! My kid and I had been bouncing around on the couch cheering and booing as if we were at the tournament. The final victorious moment saw us with our fists in the air above our heads screaming "Yah!" and "Woohoo!" (One of the biggest reasons we like to watch our movies at home instead of theaters. So we don't disturb others with our noise. The second biggest reason, to talk about the junk thrown into movies that shouldn't be there.)

Josiah Astle 2012-05-01 23:06:53

"bad word" Rad

I love the Original, this one is great but for different reasons. I'djust see it and make up my own mind about this movie. -Better then theShrek "bad word" or the jonah hill "bad word", im not saying this movieis the next Rush hour or whatever stupid movie with kung fu, im justsaying i went on saw this movie and i didn't want to leave after thefirst 20 minutes like every movie that has come out this decade. Ithink if you take your kid to this you wont be bored and neither willyour child. The only thing you will worry about is how much of themovie will you miss going to the bathroom because it was like 2 and ahalf hours long. See it, you wont regret it. if your broke, sneak in

kevintempel 2012-04-30 02:56:43

Great remake

This karate kid has a kind of remake over it, but still something newand even better than the old ones. Smith is a real good actor and Chanof course is the greatest. Who wouldn't wanna have Chan as their karateteacher. As you all know...Harald Zwart, the director, loves the backto the future film...I am just waiting for him to make number 4. Thatwill be awesome. Anyway...Karate kid is great, it is new and old at thesame time, and it is funny and serious at the same time. Loved thisfilm when I was young, I saw all of the karate kid films, had them onVHS also, and now I bought the DVD of this one. Worth every penny. Andit is a piece of film history because of the old ones, you have to havethis also in the collection.

2012-04-29 12:18:01

A fine movie if a little more unrealistic than the original

This review is from: The Karate Kid [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) A 12 year old wonders around China and learns karate. The story is a little of a stretch. Chan is a good drunk and as good as ever. Smith plays his role well if not a little too cocky but you knew that was how that was going to go. Nothing surprising but a fine family evening movie. My black belt son thinks the karate looks too fake but I don't have the eye to see that.

geniuskentyk-1 2012-04-26 20:15:31

The Karate Kid is a perfect remake!

The 2010 "The Karate Kid" remake was a surprisingly enjoyable movie. Iremember when the first trailer for the movie came out; I thought tomyself, "Wow, yet another Hollywood remake of a beloved film. It'sgonna be horrible! It's gonna suck!" Boy, am I proud to be wrong!The new remake apparently resembles the original film a lot, and I'veseen the original when I was young. I don't remember the original atall, so the remake was fresh to me. The plot follows 12-year-old DreParker (Jaden Smith) as he and his mother move all the way to Beijing,China. The move from America to China makes the drama and tension Drefaces all the more real. Dre's first experience with China's a bad one.On his first day, he makes friends, including a young Chinese girl heclearly likes. At the same time, however, Dre meets the local bully,Cheng. Cheng, throughout the entire movie, is such an asshole; he's aruthless and merciless monster – that's how I would describe him.Cheng's martial arts master is the reason for his ruthlessness, for heteaches his students horrible lessons on martial arts and life ingeneral. There are several scenes of Cheng beating up Dre, and they'rejust so hard to watch; the scenes were unbearable and so powerful wefeel Dre's pain. Luckily, though, Dre's janitor, Mr. Han, is a Kung Fumaster. Later on in the film, Mr. Han agrees to train Dre in Kung Fu,in order to defeat Cheng in a Martial Arts competition.Jackie Chan playing Mr. Han in "The Karate Kid" is unique because it'sa more serious role than Chan's usual fun-loving, comedic roles. JackieChan does an awesome job at portraying Mr. Han as a serious mentor whohas a mysterious and traumatic past. We discover these clues to hispast throughout the film, but these clues never connect until the veryscene where Mr. Han opens up about the traumatic experience. JackieChan was very effective in that emotional scene, and I did get kinda ofteary- eyed at that part.One highlight I liked from the film was the moment Dre learned that the'Jacket Routine' Mr. Han had him do over and over again truly did haveeverything to do with Kung Fu. That scene was extremely well-done andexciting. The scenery of the entire film benefited from the fact thatthe movie was actually filmed in China. The scenery included beautifulmountaintops, treetops, gardens, and temples. The third act of thefilm, the tournament, was also well-done. All of the fights presentedwere exciting, action-packed, and sometimes funny. Whenever Cheng or amember of his martial arts team is on deck, though, it's prettyintense. Cheng's team play dirty.Now, I'd like to point out a few certain things. Yes, the movie'scalled "The Karate Kid" even though the movie focuses on Kung Fu. Wedistinguish this very clearly early on in the movie. Obviously thetitle was kept the same as the original in order to appear moreappealing – "The Karate Kid" franchise is extremely popular, so why fixwhat isn't broken? I wouldn't have mind, nonetheless, if the title ofthe movie WAS renamed "The Kung Fu Kid", but for the sake of theoriginal name's popularity, it was kept as "The Karate Kid." Some othercomplaints involved Jackie Chan not being able to replace Pat Morita asMr. Miyagi from the original film. I agree that no one can replace theoriginal Mr. Miyagi, but that's why the mentor in the remake's namedMr. Han. Jackie Chan's not playing Mr. Miyagi, he's playing Mr. Han, sohaters need to hop off. Also, who DOESN'T like Jackie Chan? Honestly,this movie wouldn't have been as effective without Jackie Chan as theKung Fu master. Jackie is popular in both America and Asia, and he'sloved by everyone! If anyone was to replace Pat Morina, it'd definitelybe Jackie Chan, no doubt about it.I liked the movie a lot, and I would've given the movie a perfect scoreif it weren't for a few little problems. The movie truly was gratifyingand amazing, and I still felt its effects as I left the theater. Itfelt like a 4/4 star movie because of how well the movie was made, andhow strong the cast was. But some things from the story were just shortof the finish line. The love story between Dre and Mei Ying wasn't bad,and it moved the story along, but it just wasn't that effective. Imean, they're both 12-years-old, so it's not all that dramatic orimportant; it's just not that serious. Still, the romance part of themovie wasn't bad, it just wasn't realistic. I don't mind it at all,though. The kids in this movie are so young, all practically 12, so theferociousness of the fight scenes are pretty unbelievable. They'regreat and all, but there just can't be kids like these in the worldthat are so heartless and ruthless. Up until the end of the movie,Cheng and his fellow teammates just seemed like pure-evil bullies. It'shard to see something like that in 12-year-old kids. However the factthat the movie shows us Cheng's mean-ass Martial Arts teacher as thereason for Cheng being the way he is, it'll do. All in all, the new2010 "The Karate Kid" remake was an enjoyable movie with enough drama,excitement, action, and intenseness to keep me, and anyone else,entertained. It's a really good remake, and, I must say, is one of thebest movies of 2010!

mustang-man90 2012-04-26 07:04:38

my opinion

I truly enjoyed this movie the only complaint I have is that they neversay how his dad died. I just want to say some people need to keepthey're mouths shut Jaden Smith was a really good choice for the rolehe is the perfect age for the role which is twelve because in theoriginal the kid was around twelve years old. I have also noticed somepeople complained about his "attitude problem" thats the role stupid,not to mention he is the main character he is going to be in most ofthe shots if not all the shots. just find out what the facts are beforeyou start trashing something. I have said what I wanted to say JadenSmith was good Jackie Chan was good. It was well casted and well playedI recommend watching it before you listen to stupid people and formyour own opinion. Thank you