The Karate Kid
(Synopsis) Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is a 12-year-old living in Detroit when his mother Sherry (Taraji Henson) gets a job in China. Once in China, Dre misses home and wants to go back to the US. His mother tells him that China is home now, and he must learn to accept his new home. Dre begins to like China when he falls for his classmate Mei Ying (Wenwen Han). Dre's feelings for Mei Ying are seen by Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) the class bully who is out to stop it. Cheng puts Dre to the ground with ease using his Kung Fu training. Dre doesn't have a chance using the little karate that he knows, and Cheng proves it the next time he sees Dre. Dre is getting beaten badly when Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) the maintenance man, secretly a Kung Fu Master, stops the fight. Dre persuades Mr. Han to teach him Kung Fu. With this knowledge, Dre must now face down Cheng in a fight to win his respect in a Kung Fu tournament.
(My Comment) This is somewhat of a remake of the Karate Kid. The script brings an international flavor to the screen in this bully-victim who turns martial arts expert and eventual hero. The storyline is the one where the underdog must fight to prove himself, and in the meantime everyone learns a lesson about life. The film belongs to Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith, who dominates about every scene of the film. His screen presence is simply amazing for such a young person. Jackie Chan's portrayal is rather awesome as Dre's teacher. The film can stand on its own, because the setup is totally different than the original. All mothers will love it when Dre learns to hang his jacket up and not leave it on the floor. There are some beautiful mountain and Great Wall of China scenes that are used in getting Dre into shape. You almost begin to wonder if the story was changed, and Dre may not be able to finish the match by the end of the movie. The film was simply fun to watch with some touching moments and the Kung Fu was outstanding. This is a go to movie. (Columbia Pictures, Run Time 2:06, Rated PG) (8/10)
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