LinhThe Karate Kid (preview); family action film review
July 1st 2010 13:12
Cultural Convergence by Linh
Twenty six years ago, the world was introduced to The Karate Kid, starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, which was so popular it spawned The Karate Kid parts two and three. The original film had a feel-good quality with a mix of comedy and drama. The latest re-make of The Karate Kid is a misnomer, as it does not feature much Karate. It does have plenty of Kung Fu action and simplified Chinese philosophy combined with drama and comedy. Moving away from Japanese Karate to Chinese Kung Fu, this re-make has enough to qualify as an impressive adaptation of the original for a new generation of film-goers. A sequel of this re-make is already slated for release in 2013, with Jaden Smith possibly to return as the protagonist.
The story line is similar to the original, but this time, the main character is much younger, is an African American and is taught Kung Fu to build mental and physical strength, self-belief that he can overcome his fear of being bullied and gaining respect from his rivals. In this film, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is a bright, funny and affable 12 year old from Detroit, whose mother Sherry (Taraji P. Henson) accepts a new job in China. Dre reluctantly moves with his mother to China and they stay at the Beverley Hills apartments in Beijing. There is nothing much in Beijing that interests Dre until he meets a girl named Mei Ying (Wen Wen Han) at his new school who plays the violin. His interest in Mei Ying causes the local bully Cheng (Zhenwei Wang ) and his gang members to start bullying Dre and brutally bashing him. Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) the resident maintenance man is the only one in the building who can speak English and Dre befriends him after Mr. Han helps him fight off the school bullies. After failing to convince the local Kung Fu instructor Master Li (Rongguang Yu) to keep his students, including Cheng, away from Dre, Mr. Han unwillingly enters Dre into the Kung Fu Tournament.
Jaden Smith bears a remarkable resemblance to his father Will Smith (who also produced the film) not just in his comedic style but also in his delivery of speech. Jaden possesses a unique sense of dance style and energetic enthusiasm, and has come a long way since his appearance alongside his father in The Pursuit of Happyness as the toddler with wisdom beyond his years. Jaden trained everyday for four months to learn Kung Fu with the film’s fight co-ordinator Master Wu. He is convincing and his agility and technique is amazing for someone quite young.
Jackie Chan plays the laconic Mr. Han, with his usual charismatic charms and comedic peculiarity. Chan has appeared in more than a hundred films, and his character in this film is one of his most sombre and darker roles. He can still pack a powerful punch despite his advancing years, and together with Jaden Smith, they make a formidable pair.
The supporting cast is fabulous with Oscar nominated actress Taraji P. Henson as Dre’s mother, Sherry, who immediately embraces the Chinese culture and gets the chance to show her comedic talents as the comedy relief in the film; young Zhenwei Wang as Dre’s antagonist and bully, Cheng, gives a strong performance where he can instil fear in his opponent with just his eyes; WenWen Han is gorgeous and sweet in her role as Dre’s love interest Mei Ying, and enthralls with her dance skills and violin playing.
Cinematographer Roger Pratt makes the panoramic views of the Great Wall of China and the Wudang mountains breath-takingly spectacular, adding background beauty to the Kung Fu training scenes between Mr. Han and Dre. The music score by James Horner brilliantly captures the serenity and emotions of young Dre as he learns and improves his Kung Fu skills, also providing an appropriate sound bridge connecting the two cultures.
The tediously repetitive routine where Mr. Han orders Dre to take his “Jacket off, jacket on, drop it, pick it up and hang it up” is similar to the original film’s “wax on, wax off” technique from Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita). Other similarities are easily picked by fans of the original film, such as the ‘catching flies with chopsticks’ or Mr. Han’s ‘secret shame’ scene.
The Karate Kid is a tale of an outsider wanting to fit in or belong and be liked by his peers but must fight to win their respect. There seems to be an obvious attempt in the film to highlight the positive aspects of China’s cultural and social vitality, but steers clear of any political or human rights issues condemned by democratic societies. The Karate Kid re-make is an enjoyable film that is moving and funny; but will either delight or disappoint fans of the original.
The Karate Kid opens nationally on 8 July 2010 (when Jaden Smith turns 12 years old).
The Karate Kid film trailer (courtesy Columbia Pictures):
Director: Harald Zwart
Cast: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, WenWen Han, Zhenwei Wang , Rongguang Yu, Zhensu Wu, Zhiheng Wang, Luke Carberry, Cameron Hillman, Bo Zhang, Shijia Lü, Jared Minns, Ghye Samuel Brown, Ji Wang, Rocky Shi, Tess Liu, Xu Ming, Harry Van Gorkum, Geliang Liang, Xinhua Guo
Screenplay: Christopher Murphey, Robert Mark Kamen (story)
Producers: Jerry Weintraub, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Lassiter, Ken Stovitz, Dany Wolf, Susan Ekins, Han SanPing, Solon So
Music Composer: James Horner
Cinematographer: Roger Pratt
Film Editor: Joel Negron
Languages: English, Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles
Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes.
TEACHING TECHNIQUE: Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) puts Dre (Jaden Smith) through rigorous Kung Fu training in the film The Karate Kid. Image: Columbia Pictures.
Twenty six years ago, the world was introduced to The Karate Kid, starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, which was so popular it spawned The Karate Kid parts two and three. The original film had a feel-good quality with a mix of comedy and drama. The latest re-make of The Karate Kid is a misnomer, as it does not feature much Karate. It does have plenty of Kung Fu action and simplified Chinese philosophy combined with drama and comedy. Moving away from Japanese Karate to Chinese Kung Fu, this re-make has enough to qualify as an impressive adaptation of the original for a new generation of film-goers. A sequel of this re-make is already slated for release in 2013, with Jaden Smith possibly to return as the protagonist.
FLEXIBILE FORM: Dre (Jaden Smith) practises his high kicks in the film The Karate Kid. Image: Columbia Pictures.
The story line is similar to the original, but this time, the main character is much younger, is an African American and is taught Kung Fu to build mental and physical strength, self-belief that he can overcome his fear of being bullied and gaining respect from his rivals. In this film, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is a bright, funny and affable 12 year old from Detroit, whose mother Sherry (Taraji P. Henson) accepts a new job in China. Dre reluctantly moves with his mother to China and they stay at the Beverley Hills apartments in Beijing. There is nothing much in Beijing that interests Dre until he meets a girl named Mei Ying (Wen Wen Han) at his new school who plays the violin. His interest in Mei Ying causes the local bully Cheng (Zhenwei Wang ) and his gang members to start bullying Dre and brutally bashing him. Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) the resident maintenance man is the only one in the building who can speak English and Dre befriends him after Mr. Han helps him fight off the school bullies. After failing to convince the local Kung Fu instructor Master Li (Rongguang Yu) to keep his students, including Cheng, away from Dre, Mr. Han unwillingly enters Dre into the Kung Fu Tournament.
FIRM FRIENDS: Mei Ying (Wen Wen Han) and Dre (Jaden Smith) become good friends in the film The Karate Kid. Image: Columbia Pictures.
Jaden Smith bears a remarkable resemblance to his father Will Smith (who also produced the film) not just in his comedic style but also in his delivery of speech. Jaden possesses a unique sense of dance style and energetic enthusiasm, and has come a long way since his appearance alongside his father in The Pursuit of Happyness as the toddler with wisdom beyond his years. Jaden trained everyday for four months to learn Kung Fu with the film’s fight co-ordinator Master Wu. He is convincing and his agility and technique is amazing for someone quite young.
Jackie Chan plays the laconic Mr. Han, with his usual charismatic charms and comedic peculiarity. Chan has appeared in more than a hundred films, and his character in this film is one of his most sombre and darker roles. He can still pack a powerful punch despite his advancing years, and together with Jaden Smith, they make a formidable pair.
JACKET JEDI: Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) helps Dre (Jaden Smith) apply his 'jacket routine' to Kung Fu in the film The Karate Kid. Image: Columbia Pictures.
The supporting cast is fabulous with Oscar nominated actress Taraji P. Henson as Dre’s mother, Sherry, who immediately embraces the Chinese culture and gets the chance to show her comedic talents as the comedy relief in the film; young Zhenwei Wang as Dre’s antagonist and bully, Cheng, gives a strong performance where he can instil fear in his opponent with just his eyes; WenWen Han is gorgeous and sweet in her role as Dre’s love interest Mei Ying, and enthralls with her dance skills and violin playing.
FACING FEAR: Dre (Jaden Smith) tries to focus on his Kung Fu and not his fear in the film The Karate Kid. Image: Columbia Pictures.
Cinematographer Roger Pratt makes the panoramic views of the Great Wall of China and the Wudang mountains breath-takingly spectacular, adding background beauty to the Kung Fu training scenes between Mr. Han and Dre. The music score by James Horner brilliantly captures the serenity and emotions of young Dre as he learns and improves his Kung Fu skills, also providing an appropriate sound bridge connecting the two cultures.
The tediously repetitive routine where Mr. Han orders Dre to take his “Jacket off, jacket on, drop it, pick it up and hang it up” is similar to the original film’s “wax on, wax off” technique from Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita). Other similarities are easily picked by fans of the original film, such as the ‘catching flies with chopsticks’ or Mr. Han’s ‘secret shame’ scene.
HYPNOTIC HOLD: Dre (Jaden Smith) concentrates on controlling Cheng (, Zhenwei Wang) through hypnotism in the film The Karate Kid. Image: Columbia Pictures.
The Karate Kid is a tale of an outsider wanting to fit in or belong and be liked by his peers but must fight to win their respect. There seems to be an obvious attempt in the film to highlight the positive aspects of China’s cultural and social vitality, but steers clear of any political or human rights issues condemned by democratic societies. The Karate Kid re-make is an enjoyable film that is moving and funny; but will either delight or disappoint fans of the original.
The Karate Kid opens nationally on 8 July 2010 (when Jaden Smith turns 12 years old).
The Karate Kid film trailer (courtesy Columbia Pictures):
Director: Harald Zwart
Cast: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, WenWen Han, Zhenwei Wang , Rongguang Yu, Zhensu Wu, Zhiheng Wang, Luke Carberry, Cameron Hillman, Bo Zhang, Shijia Lü, Jared Minns, Ghye Samuel Brown, Ji Wang, Rocky Shi, Tess Liu, Xu Ming, Harry Van Gorkum, Geliang Liang, Xinhua Guo
Screenplay: Christopher Murphey, Robert Mark Kamen (story)
Producers: Jerry Weintraub, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Lassiter, Ken Stovitz, Dany Wolf, Susan Ekins, Han SanPing, Solon So
Music Composer: James Horner
Cinematographer: Roger Pratt
Film Editor: Joel Negron
Languages: English, Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles
Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes.
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