“Karate Kid: Legends” is the latest installment in a franchise that began in 1984 with Ralph Macchio as the titular “Karate Kid.”
Sequels followed, and a reboot with Jackie Chan in 2010 introduced a new generation to the martial art of kung fu, rather than karate. Now, the two stories intersect with Ben Wang as Li Fong in the lead role. Unfortunately, even with the assembly of big names, “Karate Kid: Legends” is an unsatisfying retread of the past.
It’s disappointing that despite the incredible potential to explore a fresh idea, especially with Ben Wang’s talents, “Karate Kid: Legends” offered nothing new to audiences. The story kicks off just like the others: A boy moves far away from home with his mother, meets a nice girl and has to fight her bully ex in a tournament.
Aside from including Macchio and Chan in a collaborative teaching environment, “Karate Kid: Legends” clutches onto nostalgia in a chokehold so hard that it doesn’t allow the new tale to breathe. Perhaps a producer felt that doing the same premise would elicit the same results (both of the earlier “Karate Kid” films were critical and financial successes) and maybe hoped that having the big names would be enough to carry it into a championship.
Too often, the film’s core messages jerked suddenly from scene to scene, never allowing the viewer to reflect on the supposed teachings. Li Fong is likable and relatable as a character, and the moments he processes trauma are among the few authentic flashes of good writing and directing. Yet even with the heavy weight on the young man’s shoulders, there is a general lack of artistic substance. In the final third of “Karate Kid: Legends,” the training montages and tournament sparring scenes are so erratic that the climactic fight felt rushed into existence. This isn’t to say that the fighting wasn’t up to par, but compared to the other movies, the action took a back seat instead of getting a chance to dazzle and awe.
Although this was mainly nostalgia bait to entice the older crowds, seeing Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan together on screen is a treat in and of itself. They work together to teach Fong how to utilize karate and kung fu to overcome a vastly more powerful opponent who is ruthlessly aggressive. The physical and verbal banter between Macchio and Chan works, and when we see them both in action, it’s one of the few sequences that elicits a legitimate audience reaction. How the two are introduced felt tacked on as the movie’s first half was going in an entirely different direction.
There are clear references to the franchise. They didn’t serve the story meaningfully except for being a “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” to viewers who’ve binged five films and several seasons of “Cobra Kai.” Thankfully, the respect for Miyagi (Pat Morita) remained intact through archival footage that was used tastefully. As much as the “Karate Kid” harps on the merits of honoring traditions and legacy, the regard for Miyagi was one of the most appreciated aspects of “Karate Kid: Legends.”
Ben Wang’s potential seemed to be through the roof, after his turn on the Disney+ series “American Born Chinese.” The young actor was on track to rise his star by scoring this role that was both fun and serious in a major film/television franchise. Wang was excellent throughout “Karate Kid: Legends” but deserved a fresh and original story, rather than reliving the glory days of a stale formula that paints by the numbers.
Marvin Goines is a film/TV critic who has been writing reviews on various types of multimedia since 2021. His work can be found on websites such as ‘The Cosmic Circus’ and ‘Movies We Texted About.’
