How did you like the new karate kid?

[ATC]

I have not seen it yet, though I have seen enough clips of it to tell me the following:

Jackie Chan in a sound effects laiden fight with 10-14 year olds is pointless....

This is why you need to see it. Jackie did not just beat up 14 year olds. He handled the a situation with a group of bullies by having them beat each other up. He did not hit or punch any of them. They tried to beat him up and he just moved redirected them to hit each other while protecting Jaden who at that point had no MA skills at all.

It was really an OK movie. I would not say great but for this generation it worked.

Rent it and check it out. Would be a great movie to show at your school as a movie night to raise funds. Kids love movie night.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I think that controling a violent situation without causing harm to the children in question, makes a very strong point! He is just that good and showing some compassion is not a bad thing. :soapbox:
Sean

Chan fighting tweens is actually a fairly minor criticism.

My main issue is with the believability of the story using the younger Jayden Smith and having the character look way too polished for six months or so (if that) of training.

Daniel

 

[Touch Of Death]

Chan fighting tweens is actually a fairly minor criticism.

My main issue is with the believability of the story using the younger Jayden Smith and having the character look way too polished for six months or so (if that) of training.

Daniel

You got me there.
Sean

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

This is why you need to see it. Jackie did not just beat up 14 year olds. He handled the a situation with a group of bullies by having them beat each other up. He did not hit or punch any of them. They tried to beat him up and he just moved redirected them to hit each other while protecting Jaden who at that point had no MA skills at all.

I realize that he didn't beat them up. And I'm sure that it will be entertaining to watch. It would have had greater impact and been more believable however, if they had kept to the original ages of the characters. It isn't a question of the rightness or wrongness but one of believability.

Relocating to China, using an actor that wasn't a Ralph Machio analogue, changing the names of the characters and even changing the martial art from Goju to whatever style of Kung Fu Chan teaches in the movie were all fine with me. Those things did not impact the plot's believability.

I know that the new movie stays pretty true to the plotline of the original, which is how I make the observation without having seen the film as of yet. Doesn't mean that I think that it will not be good (I'm open to being amazed, given the quanity of people I know who dreaded it and then saw it and liked it), but it does affect the believability of the movie. All they really had to do was keep the kid sixteen or seventeen years old. But then that would preclude the movie being a Jayden Smith vehicle, which is the only reason that this particular change was made.

It was really an OK movie. I would not say great but for this generation it worked.

About what I expect it to be.

Rent it and check it out. Would be a great movie to show at your school as a movie night to raise funds. Kids love movie night.

I plan to.

Daniel

 

[Touch Of Death]

I realize that he didn't beat them up. And I'm sure that it will be entertaining to watch. It would have had greater impact and been more believable however, if they had kept to the original ages of the characters. It isn't a question of the rightness or wrongness but one of believability.

Relocating to China, using an actor that wasn't a Ralph Machio analogue, changing the names of the characters and even changing the martial art from Goju to whatever style of Kung Fu Chan teaches in the movie were all fine with me. Those things did not impact the plot's believability.

I know that the new movie stays pretty true to the plotline of the original, which is how I make the observation without having seen the film as of yet. Doesn't mean that I think that it will not be good (I'm open to being amazed, given the quanity of people I know who dreaded it and then saw it and liked it), but it does affect the believability of the movie. All they really had to do was keep the kid sixteen or seventeen years old. But then that would preclude the movie being a Jayden Smith vehicle, which is the only reason that this particular change was made.


About what I expect it to be.


I plan to.

Daniel

I found that DanialSan handily defeating blackbelts to be a little hard to swallow, as well.
Sean

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I found that DanialSan handily defeating blackbelts to be a little hard to swallow, as well.
Sean

Myself as well. Primarilly, though, he stuck to a very meat and potatoes set of moves and the BB's in question were just so sure that he'd be a pushover.

Frankly, a level of skill somewhere between Machio and Smith would have been better (in both movies); good from, say a previous school (Daniel-san had had classes prior to moving to CA), but simply as good as and not prepared for the very aggressive Cobra Kai students. Then six months or so of one on one training with the old master giving him the ability to perform well in the tournament would have been more believable.

Daniel

 

[Steve]

I thought it was a cute movie. Very much like the first movie, but updated for a new generation of kids.

 

[KenpoVzla]

Jackie Chan in a sound effects laiden fight with 10-14 year olds is pointless.

Exactly, #2 reason why I didn't like it. #1 being the name ripoff.

So no, I'd take 1-2-3 any day over this remake. Maybe not Karate 4 since that was silly as well.

 

[Master Dan]

Good job postings all/ most? not sure about people who have not seen it but this is for opinions.

Comming from a business background that had some dealings with Hollywood related to technology in the transition from analog to digital and editing the movie obiously displays our current special effects. I loved all the original KTKid movies not for true acuracy especially mixing all the sparing rules and fantasy about obvious beginer skills but for the life lessons for kids and values.

The current movie sound track is awsom, the cinematography is great and interesting at the same time I barrowed the dvd I have not reviewed the making of it and location sites. It does keep with many of the story line from the original but of course Kung Fu not Karate. Again they mix all kinds of rules in the tournament, point, full contact, MMA ect. and I really got a laugh at the instant replay video on the screen for Kung Fu?which to my knowledge has never had a standardized method for sport fighting?

I am white my wife black and we are both major Will Smith fans, Jaden was awsome and so much of his looks and attitude was just like his dad I am sure Will was just beaming watching his son both on location and screening the final cut. People who say they don't like Jaden becasue he was this or that in another movie make the point he is a terrific actor for his age. As for the woman acting as his mother she is spot on with great looks and attitude my wife said that Jaden's mom was real active on location when it came to her boy getting hit!

This is the most serious part Jackie has ever done and should be a trend as he gets older. Keeping with the old Karate theme of the original the Kung Fu master told his kids no pain no mercy? themes I doubt any original Kung Fu master would ever teach what i did like is that in the end of the tournament instead of a confrontation between jackie and the KF master all his students showed respect to jackie and Jaden the winner for fighting hard and with honor.

Great movie for adults and kids. Any body know the specific location shots and history obvious Tinanamin Square but others.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Exactly, #2 reason why I didn't like it. #1 being the name ripoff.

So no, I'd take 1-2-3 any day over this remake. Maybe not Karate 4 since that was silly as well.

I feel sorry for you. LOL

 

[KenpoVzla]

I feel sorry for you. LOL

Yeah, sorry man, watching Jackien Chan beat 12 year olds and acting as if "uhh I'm so tough, look at me, I just beat a bunch of 12 year olds".......not really my thing.

 

[Drac]

I liked it..

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Exactly, #2 reason why I didn't like it. #1 being the name ripoff.

Movies are remade all the time. I am not opposed to it, so long as it done well. So far, nothing that I have heard would indicate that the new one was not done well. If anything, it is the opposite. There were definitely some stylistic changes (name and age of the character, locale) and the more substantive change of martial art to some form of kung fu from karate, which is mismatched to the title in North America.

I plan to pick it up this weekend, so I will give a more informed opinion afterward. By the way, does anyone know what style of kung fu is taught?

So no, I'd take 1-2-3 any day over this remake. Maybe not Karate 4 since that was silly as well.

One and two. Just one and two, though Hillary Swank is always worth watching.

Three... (waves hand) there is no karate kid three.... this is not the movie you're looking for....

Daniel

 

[thepanjr]

A really waste of time....I was really dissapointed...never lived up to the original!

 

[MA-Caver]

I just finally got around to watching it (DVD) and honestly, I didn't even try to compare it to the original. Yes I saw variations of a scene (to paraphrase) but there was still enough originality in it to make it yes, enjoyable.
It is difficult to not make comparisons with a classic. Imagine when they get around to doing Enter The Dragon or something like that.

Honestly I enjoyed it as a movie and as a different version of the story.
Chan did a great job acting and Smith was very good... he had good teachers in his parents.
The rest of the cast was nicely done though some wooden acting here and there.

Fight scenes were nicely choreographed IMO.

G'wan and hate it if you want. I'll be buying a copy to put on my shelf.
I still love the original but enjoyed this newer version.

 

[Wey]

Karate isn't Kung Fu. They ****ed up.

 

[Master Dan]

I just finally got around to watching it (DVD) and honestly, I didn't even try to compare it to the original. Yes I saw variations of a scene (to paraphrase) but there was still enough originality in it to make it yes, enjoyable.
It is difficult to not make comparisons with a classic. Imagine when they get around to doing Enter The Dragon or something like that.

Honestly I enjoyed it as a movie and as a different version of the story.
Chan did a great job acting and Smith was very good... he had good teachers in his parents.
The rest of the cast was nicely done though some wooden acting here and there.

Fight scenes were nicely choreographed IMO.

G'wan and hate it if you want. I'll be buying a copy to put on my shelf.
I still love the original but enjoyed this newer version.

Great post it is a great movie and the ending is positive people quibling about kung fu or karate or staying 100% to the original script the question was did you like it. Great acting Great story and good fight scenes. My only negative comment would be the alcohol consumption which shows up in to many of his movies. The youth here worship Jackie and have terrible decades of abuse and murder related to alcohol but given that it is still a wonderful movie worth watching worth owning. As soon as we get to the lower 48 we will buy it.

 

[MA-Caver]

Great post it is a great movie and the ending is positive people quibling about kung fu or karate or staying 100% to the original script the question was did you like it. Great acting Great story and good fight scenes. My only negative comment would be the alcohol consumption which shows up in to many of his movies. The youth here worship Jackie and have terrible decades of abuse and murder related to alcohol but given that it is still a wonderful movie worth watching worth owning. As soon as we get to the lower 48 we will buy it.

Thanks. I agree people quibbling about the title. It is a remake but a different vision. As it was said in the movie (new)... Kung Fu (or more accurately said: Wushu) is all part of China). As one whose base MA is in Wing-Chun... I won't even quibble about the title. They focused on Kung-fu called it Kung-fu and it was even corrected in the film that it was not Karate (Dre asking his mother to learn from Mr Han).

Chan's alcohol scenes... hmm... didn't actually SHOW him drinking... only implied that he had been drinking and was drunk when the boy showed up. In the original Morita was seen taking a drink of the inebriating liquid (Sake? Gin? whatever!) and was clearly drunk remembering his own losses.
No, doesn't justify it by any means but it does show a reality. Most kids probably know that reality and sadly many of them probably know it from first hand experiences of their own parents/role-models.
Chan for the most part of his career has been image conscious and understanding of his being a role model, I don't think he would've shot this scene lightly or without due consideration.

 

[Josh Oakley]

To tag on to the last comment, Chan's alcohol scene in this movie didn't glorify drinking. It demonized drinking. Chan's character tortured himself once a year by drinking and destroying a car he spent a year rebuilding. The point was even made that that is the ONLY time the character ever drinks.

Personaly I liked it a lot. I'll admit the only reason I even watched it was because I was stuck in Iraq and the movie was free, but I was not disappointed.

 

[stone_dragone]

I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Although I am a big fan of the original because it WAS original, I liked the new handling of the story.

A few thoughts on both movies...

1. the original "Karate Kid" wasn't meant to be a marital arts movie any more than "Officer and Gentleman" was. They were both fish-out-of-water-meets-mentor-and-makes-life-change stories. Smith's "Karate Kid" was a fun martial arts live-action cartoon with some great philosophy written in.

2. I fully aggree with all comments regarding the credability of 12 yearolds/15 year olds fighting that polished, although the original was more believeble.

3. As a father of a daughter, the Dance-Dance-Revolution scene with the chinese"Allie" character (I can't remember her name) dancing to Lady Gaga scared the hell out of me..... Just sayin......