‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Assessment: Two Franchises, One Sequel

“Two branches, one tree.” That’s the mantra of the karate and kung fu masters in Karate Kid: Legends. They repeat the phrase advert nauseum, as if reciting it sufficient will finally clarify the mixture of two completely distinct iterations of this franchise: The 1984 and 2010 Karate Kids.

When the latter first opened in theaters 15 years in the past, it was introduced as a reboot. How else to clarify it cribbing the primary movie’s story beat for beat? Could there be a couple of wayward youth who travels the world studying combat strategies from martial arts masters disguised as humble handymen? Apparently they’re might, as a result of right here Karate Kid: Legends, a legacyquel that rehashes that very same plot for a 3rd time.

And I imply the precise similar plot. This newest installment goes approach past recycling the essential premise of a bullied teen mentored by an older martial artist. Karate Kid: Legends additionally duplicates…

• The hero and his hard-working single mom leaving a well-recognized place for a brand new house the place…
• The hero falls for a form and exquisite native woman who…
• Has a imply ex-boyfriend who belongs to a health club stuffed with jerks who…
• Beat up the hero in entrance of the attractive native woman after which…
• Challenge the hero to take part in a match which he can solely win by…
• Mastering new martial arts strategies in a coaching montage utilizing…
• Everyday home goods wielded in stunning methods.

Forget about three branches from one tree; that is the primary department introduced for the third time. They may as properly have known as it Karate Kid: Déjà Vu.

READ MORE: The 10 Best Legacyquels Ever

The latest karate child is known as Li Fong (a likable Ben Wang), who strikes from Beijing to New York City along with his mother (Ming-Na Wen). After a current household tragedy, Li’s mom wants a contemporary begin — one away from the kung fu college again in China the place Li spends most of his time finding out below the tutelage of Mr. Han (Jackie Chan, reprising his function from the 2010 Karate Kid).

As foretold by the ancients — i.e. The Karate Kid (1984) director John G. Avildsen and author Robert Mark Kamen — Li falls for a younger girl named Mia (Sadie Stanley) and will get combined up together with her martial-artist ex Connor (Aramis Knight), who calls for his romantic rival face him within the annual Five Boroughs Martial Arts Tournament.

Eventually issues get so furry for poor Li that Mr. Han travels all the way in which from Beijing to assist him out — and then, regardless that the Five Boroughs match is simply two weeks away, spends two of these days touring again and forth throughout the nation to persuade Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio, the unique hero of the Karate Kid franchise) to come back to the Big Apple and assist practice Li.

Karate Kid: Legends tries to supply the “two branches, one tree” excuse for Macchio’s awkwardly shoehorned look; supposedly the Miyagi and Han households share an historic connection, therefore Mr. Han believes Daniel is the one one who can information Li to victory. The actual cause Macchio reveals up, I believe, is as a result of somebody at Sony believed that casting each Chan and Macchio was a greater advertising and marketing hook for a brand new Karate Kid sequel than a movie starring one in all them.

That’s most likely true. It’s additionally true that Daniel serves no sensible goal in Li’s story and Macchio doesn’t seem onscreen for nearly an hour of a 95 minute movie. That additionally means Karate Kid: Legends ignores basically all of the occasions of Cobra Kai, the long-running Karate Kid sequel sequence whose success on Netflix certainly impressed Sony to make a brand new Karate Kid movie within the first place. (Cobra Kai followers hoping Karate Kid: Legends will proceed its storyline in some approach ought to regulate their expectations accordingly.)

The solely new wrinkle on this Karate Kid is a wierd and surprisingly intensive subplot about Mia’s dad, a working class pizzeria proprietor named Victor Lipani — who, in one of many oddest bits of Hollywood casting in current reminiscence, is performed by Joshua Jackson. Yes, Joshua Jackson performs Victor Lipani, an Italian palooka who was as soon as the most effective boxer in Noo Yawk, till he determined to fuggedaboutit and maintain his daughter.

As weird as the selection of actors is, Jackson’s storyline — during which Li reluctantly agrees to coach him for a boxing comeback to be able to repay a debt — is without doubt one of the movie’s brilliant spots. Jackson seems to be like he’s having lots of enjoyable taking part in Victor. (Victor Lipani! Was each Italian actor in Hollywood busy final yr?) He punches jugs of olive oil! He holds glass jars of peppers at arm’s size till his palms shake! He practices kung fu by twirling pizza peels! These kinds of charmingly hokey everything-is-martial-arts gags have been a Karate Kid staple for 40 years.

If solely something on this movie was greater than Karate Kid staples crammed right into a speedrun of the franchise’s fundamental narrative. Legends barely lasts 90 minutes, and it usually feels prefer it’s been severely truncated within the enhancing room till all that remained had been the coaching montages and combat scenes.

Both of these parts are clearly necessary in a movie known as Karate Kid — and on a technical stage, each of these parts ship. (Jackie Chan’s stunt workforce contributed to the movie, and it reveals each time a bunch of avenue toughs attempt to nook Li in a darkish alley that’s presupposed to be New York however is clearly someplace in Quebec.) The cause the unique Karate Kid resonated so strongly with audiences was not the combat scenes; it was as a result of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi had been totally realized characters. They spent lengthy scenes speaking to 1 one other, studying from each other. The viewers didn’t cheer on the All-Valley Tournament as a result of it was a well-choreographed combat scene. They cheered as a result of they cared about Daniel.

There’s not a lot to care about right here. Jackie Chan spouts just a few Miyagi-esque nuggets of kung fu knowledge, however he’s absent from lengthy stretches and has no arc or considerations of his personal past serving to Li. Ditto for Ralph Macchio, who will get even much less screentime. They’re available to pump their fists, do a few punches and kicks, and remind us of higher movies of the previous. A sequel that was actually focused on getting again to its franchise’s roots would have identified there’s extra to The Karate Kid than that.

Additional Thoughts:

-Between the primary couple of seasons of Cobra Kai and now Legends, The Karate Kid is the uncommon franchise that may boast one of many best legacyquels in addition to one of many worst.

-I nonetheless can’t recover from Joshua Jackson as Victor Lipani. Eyyyyyy, Doctor Odyssey, he loves’a da pizza! 

RATING: 4/10