If you are from my generation, you will remember the words of Mr. Miyagi, "Danielson, Wax on, Wax off," spoken in his heavily Asian accented voice. If you are from a younger generation, you may have heard these words spoken by older adults but not really know what they meant. If you are currently a teenager or in your early 20s, this whole idea may be foreign to you-unless, of course, you watched Cobra Kai on Netflix. For Generation X, it means you remember seeing The Karate Kid in theaters starring Ralph Macchio (The Outsiders). Four decades, and several sequels, reboots, and a television series later, Karate Kid: Legends opens in theaters this week.
Li Fong (Ben Wang; Mean Girls) was forced to move from Okinawa to New York City because his mother (Ming-Na Wen; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), a physician, took a job in a hospital there. Part of her reason for the move was that Li's brother was killed after winning a Kung Fu tournament one year earlier. She also told Li no more Kung Fu, which he tried to abide by.
However, when he becomes friends with the local pizzeria owner, Victor (Joshua Jackson; Fringe), and his daughter, Mia (Sadie Stanley; Cruel Summer), he trains Victor in Kung Fu to help him avoid some local thugs. Unfortunately, Victor gets hurt anyway, and Li finds he must enter the five boroughs tournament and win the prize money to help. Li's Uncle, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan; Rush Hour), comes from Okinawa to train him while enlisting the help of Daniel LaRusso (Macchio).
Wang is excellent not only as an actor but as a student of martial arts. He is proficient in several styles of martial arts, which are on full display in Karate Kid: Legends. Jackson has a long history of doing a terrific job playing various roles and does so again here. Stanley oozes star appeal, and she and Wang have great chemistry together. However, the real stars of the movie appear about halfway through when Chan and Macchio train Wang in Kung Fu and Karate. Those scenes bring back a sense of nostalgia for Generation X, and watching them spar with Wang and each other is a treat to behold. There is a joy in watching them on screen together that audiences, young and old, will love.
The plot is a "paint by the numbers," generic story that is so predictable one could set their watch by it. However, it is also a stereotypical, "feel good" movie where one roots for the underdog and isn't disappointed in the end. It is also incredibly funny with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that land at the right place and at the right time. Writers Robert Mark Kamen (The Fifth Element) and Rob Lieber (Peter Rabbit) did a very solid job with the script, and the actors' deliveries were just spot on.
Of course, a Karate Kid movie would not be complete without some special Kung Fu/Karate moves and Wang and the stunt team get that aspect right on all levels. With a dragon kick move and some fast ducking and weaving, the action is timed perfectly and could rival any major competition in the martial arts world. For those who are fans of action sequences and especially Karate and Kung Fu, they should especially be pleased with what first-time feature film director Jonathan Entwistle has done to showcase the art form.
The bottom line is that Karate Kid: Legends is a fun time for the whole family, and older audiences will reminisce about watching Macchio play the Karate Kid. In comparison, younger audiences will enjoy the story and Ben Wang's skills as an actor and martial artist.
Grade: B
