The Karate Kid
When his mother's career results in a move to China, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) finds that he is a stranger in a strange land. Though he knows a little karate, his fighting skills are no match for Cheng, the school bully. Dre finds a friend in Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a maintenance man who is also a martial-arts master. Mr. Han teaches Dre all about kung fu in the hope that Dre will be able to face down Cheng and perhaps win the heart of a pretty classmate named Mei Ying.
Release Date: June 11, 2010
Runtime: 2 hr 20 min
Genre: Drama , Martial arts
Director: Harald Zwart
Producer: Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Jerry Weintraub, James Lassiter, Dany Wolf, Han Ping, Susan Ekins, Ken Stovitz
Cast: Jackie Chan, Rongguang Yu, Taraji Henson, Jaden Smith, Wenwen Han, Zhensu Wu, Zhiheng Wang, Jared Minns, Shijia Lü, Yi Zhao, Bo Zhang, Luke Carberry, Cameron Hillman
(less)Ok for ages 8+ . What would you rate it?
Rated PG Some Mild Language|Martial Arts Action|Bullying|Violence
- Sex & Nudity
- Violence & Gore
- Profanity
Content details via Kids-In-Mind
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Reviews
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Beside the ending being a little too abrupt and unrealistic, this was a very enjoyable movie. Jackie Chan was great.
April 28th, 2011 Details -
This is a film for kids. I found it silly, unbelievable, unoriginal, and frequently embarrassing. The film tells the same story as the original Karate Kid. All the plot points are identical. When he gets beat up by the brutal group of Chinese kids ever (who are all trained by the Adolf Hitler of kung fu teachers) he decides to learn kung fu (why does the film title use Karate?) The training takes forever and there are several lengthy scenes interrupting that training that slow things down even more, including a scene where his little girlfriend (who is also twice his age and size) dances for him in a truly embarrassing scene. If they cut out the ridiculous love story, this movie would be 45 min. shorter and no one would mind. After plenty of lollygagging and a generous dose of undiluted melodrama the tournament finally begins. There is some lovely scenery along the way. Jaden Smith gets to do some cool martial arts stuff. Jackie Chan does well at his part, which is quite different than I’ve ever seen him do. The fighting in the tournament is epic and laughably fake. Every punch and kick that lands sounds like a battering ram hitting home. Kids that get kicked go flying through the air, every uppercut sends someone backflipping out of sight, every throw smashing its victim into the mat with thunderous impact. Oh, and the final move that takes the place of the crane technique in the finale of the film is about the least believable thing I’ve ever seen in a martial arts fight (all those fakey Chinese movies where they run on tree tops included). You really don’t need to see this one.
May 28th, 2012 Details -
Loved this movie! It is a great remake. It does a great job at portraying China and how an American would feel. it is a great feel good movie. One of my favorites of the summer.
April 12th, 2011 Details -
It's ok, but not nearly as good at the original. Don't waste your time--just go watch the original Karate Kid.
May 25th, 2011 Details -
Although this movie may accurately portray how an American family would feel if they moved to China, it wasn't a good remake. Is Jackie Chan's English progressively getting worse? That's how this movie makes you feel.
Also, Jaden Smith just looked too much like a runt to be believable as a true Karate Kid. The love story added in is cheesy.
The "bad" karate teacher basically has his kids trained like he's a dictator. Overall, you could spend your time watching something far more entertaining and plain better than this.July 26th, 2012 Details