Out of all the movies that came out in the ’80s that gained popularity decades later, nobody thought it would be The Karate Kid from 1984. Anybody who loves a good underdog story grew up loving the John G. Avildsen classic that must’ve sparked high interest in teenagers wanting to know the ways of karate. But when you look at what the franchise spawned next, it was only diminishing returns, with each sequel getting worse and worse. Since then, in the new Millennium, we were greeted with a 2010 remake that I didn’t think was too bad. And over the past few years, the name has been given new life with the Emmy-nominated series Cobra Kai, which recently wrapped up after six seasons (although I’ve never watched the show, I’ve heard it gets over-the-top in the latter half). Even though I don’t consider myself a hardcore fan of the franchise, the news of Sony doing another sequel titled Karate Kid: Legends sounded like it had some promise to kick ass and bring back what fans enjoyed about the more watchable installments. But even if you can tell the team behind this wanted to make this an entertaining time, this seriously lacks what you come to expect.
What’s the Story: After years of studying the ways of Kung Fu under Shifu Hang (Jackie Chan) in Beijing, China, his great-nephew Li Fong (Ben Wang) and his mother (Ming-Na Wen) are about to relocate to New York City to restart a new life for themselves. Things look to shine bright for Li once he befriends Mia Lipani (Sadie Stanley) until her ex-boyfriend Conor Day (Aramis Knight) gets confronted by him. He can’t avoid his fears for long, as Li must train to compete in the Five Boroughs tournament, requiring the help of not only Mr. Hang but also the man whom Mr. Miyagi helped when he was a teenager, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), by combining their styles of help in advance.
What Karate Kid: Legends has going for it is paying attention to Ben Wang’s performance. The 25-year-old, better known for American Born Chinese, lends his charisma to helping Li be a strong, likable, fish-out-of-water protagonist in the same way as following along with Daniel and Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker in the remake. We see he knows his way around a fight, despite his mother not wanting him to do it anymore, while finding his way into his new home without the trauma of his brother getting stabbed after a match. And it helps when he gets to share decent chemistry with Stanley’s Mia. Not the greatest, but it wasn’t bad. Enough to make me ultimately root for him along the way, Wang’s presence makes me more interested in seeing what he has next with The Long Walk and the upcoming Hunger Games prequel.
Take away Wang’s performance, and all you’re left with is a sequel that’s not bad but lackluster in a franchise already inconsistent. TV director Jonathan Entwistle and writer Rob Lieber just took the formula from the other movies without relying on a ton of heart to connect in the end. It’s missing that emotion and the jolts of humor that made Karate Kid work, and it doesn’t feel that earned when it’s very cliche. Somewhere here lies a good movie that packs a punch, giving its mostly younger viewers the courage they need to stand against bullies. Instead, the story this time comes across as more generic, as it’s too fast-paced to cram everything in, including montages that lack the typical entertainment value of a memorable sports film. And since I haven’t seen Cobra Kai, it wasn’t trying to connect to anything that happened in the series.
The first half, which wasn’t in the marketing, is more focused on Li training Mia’s dad, Victor (Joshua Jackson), on how to box again for a match in the ring to pay off a debt he owes to a loan shark at the local dojo, so he wouldn’t lose his pizza shop. None of that was interesting, as it detracted from the importance of developing a real relationship between its characters. No doubt a different angle to create an unexpected dynamic, but it should have been left out altogether. Not only does it give us a lot of time to tap into the relationship between Li and his mother, but it also gives us a reason why Conor Day is this martial arts bro. He’s such a one-dimensional villain for our hero to take on in the climax. The next Johnny Lawrence is not. The action didn’t blow me away, and this needed a better director who could handle combat choreography with style. Everything leading up to the final battle between Li and Conor felt rushed, with no buildup. It’s rare to say this, but it should have given us another 20 minutes to have a huge payoff by the end. More than likely, you’ll walk out and instantly want some pizza and a Pepsi.
The idea of the original films, along with Cobra Kai and the remake, coexisting to blend the best of both worlds had the potential to bring their respective styles together. But since Wang is the lead, you don’t get much out of Chan or Macchio, making them share the screen a wasted opportunity for nostalgia’s sake. Macchio doesn’t appear until an hour into the movie, once Mr. Han talks to him in California about co-teaching Li, and though it’s cool to see him on-screen as this character again, he doesn’t have much of a purpose here. Chan’s performance is fine; I just wanted to see more of him engaging with the other characters, which is the opposite of him giving one of the best performances from the remake.
Other than a standout performance from Ben Wang and some decent fights occasionally, Karate Kid: Legends ends up as one of those sequels that lacks interesting stakes and charm to recommend to longtime fans of the sports franchise. Honestly, despite the short runtime, it’s really one you can wait to watch on streaming or opt for the original, which offers more.
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