Movie Review: The Karate Kid

LITTLE ROCK — In a lot of ways, Harald Zwart’s The Karate Kid is emblematic of some of Hollywood’s worst impulses.

It is a superfluous remake (some, looking forward to the probably inevitable sequel, would style it a “re-boot”) of a film fondly remembered by a generation susceptible to nostalgia, many of whom now presumably have children of their own. It “stars” Jaden Smith, the 11-year-old son of bona fide superstar Will Smith and his high profile actress/singer wife Jada Pinkett Smith. (The Smiths, through their Overbrook production company, are among the film’s producers.)

No expense has been spared in preparing the way for the new ’tween-age idol. An Oscar-nominated actress (Taraji P. Henson) was hired to play his on-screen mother and an international screen legend (Jackie Chan) paid to act as his character’s mentor. And the rather modest premise of the original film - a single mother moves across the country, from New Jersey to Southern California’s San Fernando Valley, and her son has trouble adapting to his new surroundings - is upped by having the mother move from Detroit to Beijing.

While the filmmakers make every effort to exploit the beauty and foreignness of their Chinese locations, this Karate Kid retains the familiar beats of its predecessor - the menacing martial arts bullies, the unethical “ destroy-the-enemy” sensei who runs the brutal dojo where the bullies train, the cute-smart love interest, and above all, the zen master disguised as a humble handyman who becomes the young hero’s kung fu instructor and life coach - while it vulgarly pumps up almost every aspect of the film.

That said, this Karate Kid is better than you might expect. It’s enjoyable to see some of the early film’s signature moments - like Pat Morita’s catching a fly with chop sticks or teaching his student the “wax on, waxoff” method of self-defense - gently tweaked. But it’s a movie of modest returns, and one wonders how moviegoers unfamiliar with the original will receive it.

Jaden Smith is a charismatic little dude who makes his character, Dre Parker, more of an empathy magnet than he probably is on the page. And Jackie Chan brings a heavyhearted poignancy to his role as the boy’s reluctant trainer. As the taciturn Mr. Han, Chan registers closer to Charles Bronson than the sprightly Morita and - while partisans of the 26-year-old Ralph Macchio might disagree - represents a significant upgrade in the mentor department. Chan can really act, especially when he’s not burdened with a lot of English dialogue.

And though young Smith’s character isn’t as likable as Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso (even after supposedly learning the essential lessons of discipline and grace the character comes off as self impressed, entitled, smug and rude), he’s a beautiful child with a winning smile and something of the water-bug energy of Allen Iverson.

The biggest difference between this film and its 1984 predecessor is that Macchio was in his 20s when he made the original Karate Kid and he was playing a teenage character.

Smith is an 11-year-old(who looks more like an 8-year-old) playing a 12-year old. But the bullying Dre suffers is at least as brutal as what Daniel went through. And the chaste, charming romance between Smith’s character and his Chinese schoolmate, a young violinist played by Wen Wen Han, is nearly ruined by an age inappropriate (and awkward looking) kiss shared by the kids. Ewww.