The Karate Kid
After so many sequels that went nowhere, why remake a classic? Perhaps it’s for sheer love of the original, or perhaps because Hollywood producers are running out of good sellable ideas, as the recent onslaught of remakes would suggest. But alas, look no further for your updated Hollywood attempt at martial arts dosage. Homing in on the fan base and at the same time introducing a new generation to this classic tale, it’s an unforeseen success.
Moving from Detroit to Beijing after his father’s death and his mother’s job transfer, the story this time revolves around the young disobedient Dre. There’s a relatable amount of life changes and growing up in this characters move to China, everything looks strange, he can’t find himself here and begins to become victim of some stereotypical bullying. Then the kung-fu appears. Jaden Smith (son of Will Smith) is charismatic and confident, a star in the making and hopefully not just for his younger years. He’s got enough individualism in his performance to prove his capabilities acting. A lot of his father’s suave comedic style shines through, so it’ll be interesting to see him progress in later years, he’s got a lot of potential.
Replacing wax on wax off with a cleverly devised jacket on jacket off training motif, which works perfectly within the storyline is just one of the many aspects that director Harald Zwart (of ‘Agent Cody Banks’ and ‘The Pink Panther 2’ misfortune) has tackled head on. By casting martial arts legend come children films comic Jackie Chan Zwart has made a bold choice, but not a disappointing one. Chan’s ability to act within the pace of a childrens film keeps his character light hearted and endearing amongst the heavier subplot. Most people will have almost forgotten how talented the wonderful Mr Chan was back in his earlier career days, but here he does more than simply relive a few of those cutting edge martial moves. Chan goes one step further and displays a sophisticated gloss which makes the films martial ideology a more substantial angle.
The colourful maze that is Beijing city just looks stunning. Great use is made of settings and surroundings which western audiences will view and recognise as typical emblems of Chinese culture. Provocatively this imagery is played in front of you with the hope of really transporting you into this enticingly exotic bubble. The romanticism of Beijing has been tackled before, with the most famous representation being in Xiaoshuai Wang’s ‘Beijing Bicycle’, but the mainstream edge has the positive addition of a touristic exploration feeling.
The cinematography is careful and in parts surprisingly delicate. A delightful attention to detail and a graphic quality is what few summer blockbusters take the time to create. It’s good to see a big budget version of this narrative because it means there’s just so much more there to see and lots more visuals to enjoy. Surprisingly the underlying plot structure based around the theories of ying and yang harmony is brilliant. It brings the films good vs bad energy and peaceful mantra pledge.
Just as any decent sports film should, it draws you in, keeps the tension and inflates your excited anticipation exactly when it should be so, giving those little kicks of adrenaline right at the impact. Honestly it’s wrongly named, the title Kung-fu Kid is more fitting, but it’s well choreographed. A display of real sporting talent, it’s a standalone justified production, but perhaps not so great when contrasted with the original’s cult status.
In Cinemas now!
After so many sequels that went nowhere, why remake a classic? Perhaps it’s for sheer love of the original, or perhaps because Hollywood producers are running out of good sellable ideas, as the recent onslaught of remakes would suggest. But alas, look no further for your updated Hollywood attempt at martial arts dosage. Homing in on the fan base and at the same time introducing a new generation to this classic tale, it’s an unforeseen success.
