Karate Kid: Legends – Film Review
It’s been 14 years since the last Karate Kid movie and now the film franchise is back with a new lead action star in the form of Ben Wang.
He plays Li Fong, the nephew of kung fu master Mr Han (Jackie Chan) from the 2010 film. After kung fu prodigy Li and his mum (Ming-Na Wen) relocate from Beijing to New York for her job, he signs up for a local karate tournament to help out a new friend and face off against his enemy Conor Day (Amaris Knight).
This is the sixth film in a long-running franchise so obviously there are going to be some familiar beats and moments. While it tells a new story, the film sticks relatively close to the typical formula and gives us a healthy dose of nostalgia. Fans of the franchise will be thrilled to see the OG Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), appearing on-screen alongside martial arts legend Chan (reprising his role from the 2010 film) to train Li in the ways of both karate and kung fu, which they describe as “two branches, one tree”.
Given the film’s title and their prominence in the marketing, I imagine some diehard fans will be outraged by Macchio and Chan’s lack of screen time. In particular, Macchio shows up halfway through the story and doesn’t have much to do beyond training Li. However, they are given some fun scenes and the trio are awesome together. I can’t resist a training montage! As someone with no nostalgic ties to the franchise, I thought their level of screen time was to be expected given that this is Li’s story and they are the supporting legacy characters.
Plus, Wang is a brilliant new lead who does a grand job of carrying the story. He’s likeable, disarming and funny and has top-notch action skills. The fights are so good – I particularly enjoyed an alleyway showdown – but they are sometimes edited a bit too heavily so you can’t really appreciate everyone’s moves.
The film is set in the present day but it really feels like an ’80s throwback film (if you take away the mobile phones). The story structure, the storytelling techniques and even the music feel quite old-fashioned. I wonder why director Jonathan Entwistle went down that route when it’s telling a new, modern story. Also, I always appreciate a tight 90-minute movie and a film that doesn’t outstay its welcome, but Legends felt like it needed an extra 10 minutes just to allow the story to breathe a little.
Karate Kid: Legends doesn’t stray far from the original formula or surpass its predecessors. However, it is a solid, crowd-pleasing addition to the franchise, with a star-making turn from Wang.
In cinemas now