3:24pm Friday 30th July 2010
Running time: 140 mins. Starring: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P Henson, Wenwen Han, Zhenwei Wang, Rongguang Yu. Director: Harald Zwart.
Director Harald Zwart is a brave man, attempting a remake of one of the most fondly cherished films of the 1980s.
For an entire generation who still view the original through rose-tinted spectacles, The Karate Kid is a classic, feel good parable about a weakling who dares to stand up to bullies and turns their aggression against them.
The film’s catchphrase, “Wax on, wax off,” raises a smile more than 25 years later and grown men still choke back tears as the battered hero adopts the crane kick stance to rousing cheers from the crowd.
Luckily for Zwart, his version of the rites of passage drama adheres closely to the original when it needs to, promoting a message of triumph against adversity in stunning locations around China.
As a picture postcard to the superpower, The Karate Kid takes the breath away as the camera swoops around The Forbidden City, ascends the Wudang Mountains and plays out an obligatory training sequence atop The Great Wall Of China.
Will Smith’s 11-year-old son Jaden takes the lead role of Dre Parker, who grudgingly leaves Detroit to follow his mother Sherry (Henson) to Beijing for her work.
The young man struggles to adjust to his new surroundings but pretty classmate Mei Ying (Han) helps with the cultural differences, sparking potential romance. Unfortunately, class bully Cheng (Wang) is rather fond of Mei too and he humiliates Dre in front of the other students.
In order to restore his reputation, Dre hopes to take kung fu lessons but he discovers that Cheng trains at the local academy run by Master Li (Yu), who demands total dedication from his students.
“No weakness! No pain! No mercy,” he barks.
After reclusive maintenance man Mr Han (Chan) saves Dre from a beating at the hands of Cheng and his buddies, the American youngster is forced to take part in an open karate tournament.
So training begins in earnest, sowing the seeds of a touching friendship between the boy and his emotionally scarred mentor.
The Karate Kid overstays its welcome and familiarity with the original tempers our enjoyment.
However, what Zwart’s film lacks in brevity or freshness it makes up for in heartfelt emotion.
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