Karate Kid (2010)

While I am sad that Jackie Chan doesn't move around like he used to (ie First Strike, Rumble in the Bronx), I am glad that he is picking some roles that make sense for his aging persona. When I heard they were re-making Karate Kid with Will Smith's son, I sighed. When I heard that Jackie Chan would be playing the Miyagi role, I thought about it for a while and slowly built up a genuine desire to see it.

If you've seen the original Karate Kid, you'll find a familiar (if rushed) story. Dre (Jaden Smith) has recently moved to China (for reasons never explained) and starts having trouble with bullies. The local handyman (Chan) reluctantly takes him on as a student, and trains him to defend himself with kung fu. The story moves along at a very quick pace and while it's a fairly predictable story arc, Smith shines in his first real leading role.

Jackie and Jaden played very well together on screen. Chan has done a lot of kid friendly movies lately, but for the most part they have been cookie-cutter silly roles. This role brought a slightly darker side to the table, and I for one enjoyed it immensely. I bought the mentor/trainee relationship and found it to be the backbone of what was good about the movie.

Unfortunately, I did NOT buy the relationship between Smith and Taraji Henson (the mother). It felt like Henson was constantly fighting to make people take her seriously, and in doing so completely missed the mark. Her lines were mostly yelled out melodramatically to the point of being farcical. It actually made me believe Smith's character more because he simply out-acted her in every scene they shared.

One other thing that struck me was how intense the fight sequences were. The kids really threw their weight around, and though I'm sure a large part of it was savvy editing, the fights were tight and clean. I found myself wincing more than once or twice at the severe hits these kids were taking.

Overall, I enjoyed myself throughout the movie. As it is obviously targeting a family crowd, one can overlook it's shortcomings and minor-to-major plot holes, and have a good time. It may lack the crane kick, but it's still a pretty good time.