You’ve probably heard by now that the title The Karate Kid is not strictly accurate when speaking of the recent remake of the 1984 classic (classic if you’re my age, at least). Set in Beijing, China, the titular tot doesn’t study the Japanese martial art of karate at all. But I guess The Kung Fu Zygote just doesn’t have the same ring.
Technically, Dre (Jaden Smith, offspring of Will and Jada) is a little older than a fertilized egg, although he hardly looks it. The fatherless 12-year-old relocates from run-down Detroit to Bejing with his mother, Sherry (Taraji P. Henson), who has been transferred there for work. As in the original, things start off with promise for our young hero, who meets a pretty girl named Mei Ying (Wen Wen Han) on his first day in town. Things go awry, though, when a bully named Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) has his eyes on the same girl and pummels Dre in front of all his would-be new friends. After a few more beatings by Cheng and his buddies, Dre convinces Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the repairman in his apartment building, to teach him kung fu in order to best the boys in a tournament competition.
In other words, the basic plot points and characters of The Karate Kid are the same. The fact that the script, as penned by Christopher Murphey, doesn’t stray too far from its source material is both the film’s gift and its curse. Murphey is shrewd to maintain the essence of the underdog tale–we rooted for the smart aleck middle-class shrimp from Jersey (Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso), we’ll root for the one from Motor City, too.
But strict adherence to the romantic subplot is a huge misstep. That’s because Dre is four years younger than was Daniel (not to mention that Smith is a full nine years younger than Macchio was when he tackled the role). Just because I got my first kiss at 12 years old doesn’t mean I want to see teeny-tiny little Jaden do it too. At that age, kids are mean to each other just because they can be. They don’t need romantic entanglements as justification, particularly when the actors lack the skill to pull it off.
That’s not to say that Smith doesn’t show remarkable promise. I’m glad to report that the kid has lost a good deal of that precocious oiliness that marred The Pursuit of Happyness and replaced it with some of the very best traits of his famous parentage (both listed as producers). He plays Dre with a healthy dose of his mother’s sass and his father’s endearing cockiness. There is no doubt that he’s comfortable in front of the camera, and it should be interesting to track his growth as an actor. For now, it doesn’t hurt that he’s as cute as a (wee, corn-rowed) button.
The shift in the main character’s age also makes it uncomfortable to watch him get bruised and broken throughout the film. It’s great that Xiao-Dre (that’s Chinese for Daniel-san) is no longer afraid after learning kung fu, but that Cheng kid reminded me more of the brutal Dae Han from Best of the Best than the less scary, rich show-off played by William Zabka back in 1984.
With Harald Zwart, who also directed such kiddie fare as Agent Cody Banks, at the helm, it’s unsurprising that the film is skewed younger than the original, which was directed by Rocky’s John G. Avildsen. What is surprising is that Chan is given so little time to really sparkle as the new Mr. Miyagi. Like Pat Morita, Chan is small and unassuming but he plays Mr. Han with more grump and less twinkle than his predecessor. There are only two moments when Chan allows his trademarked mischievous side to shine through: one when he sarcastically explains the workings of Chinese plumbing and the other in a fight scene against the gang of bullies.
I’ve heard Chan say that he wanted to show a different side of his talent in this role, and he proves he can tackle drama in a touching (and beautifully shot) scene where he reveals the details of his heartbreaking past. Nonetheless, it seems a waste to have an actor with such recognizable and beloved style hide his light under the proverbial bushel.
Still, this translation of The Karate Kid does mostly succeed as a film. Zwart and cinematographer Roger Pratt capture the new/old beauty of bustling Beijing, the Great Wall, and the Forbidden City skillfully. The fight choreography, including the “jacket-on-jacket-off” re-tooling of the now-famous “wax-on-wax-off” lesson, is imaginative and executed well. Meanwhile, James Horner’s score and Justin Bieber’s theme song, “Never Say Never” are just innocently new/old nostalgic enough to help the whole film gel.
Besides, rooting for the underdog never goes out of style.
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