By: Jamie Steinberg
As a child of the 80’s, the Karate Kid films are so nostalgic for me. Knowing that Jackie Chen would be returning to Karate Kid: Legends gave me some comfort as the man is an absolute legend in the art of karate. However, this film mixes his legacy with our hero Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and his spin-off series “Cobra Kai” – attempting to unify both of his worlds. Unfortunately, there is not enough screen time for that to happen. What we find with Karate Kid: Legends is an overstuffed film that doesn’t properly offer our new hero, Li Fong (Ben Wang), his true time to shine.
Li Fong (Wang) just moved from Beijing to Chinatown in New York when his mom (Ming-Na Wen), a doctor, is hired by a Manhattan hospital. Viewers get some insight into his studies at kung fu school where he is mentored by Mr. Han (Jackie Chen) – the successor to Mr. Miyagi. Li’s biggest problem is that he suffers from PTSD after the murder of his older brother, which manifests itself during life and death moments. When Li starts to get bullied, he begins training at a nearby school where karate prodigy Connor Day (Aramis Knight) is the star. Add in a love interest (Sadie Stanley) and you’ll see where the Karate Kid plot formula comes full force.
Wang is incredibly acrobatic and has a gift for comedy, both of which are trademarks for the Karate Kid films. My qualm is that there are too many storylines and not enough Daniel LaRusso. Yes, there are great battles where Li tries to take down Connor at the Five Boroughs tournament to get the money his girlfriend’s father (Joshua Jackson) needs, which will prevent them from having to move away. But LaRusso doesn’t appear until it is only a week before the tournament is set to start. LaRusso, as noted in the series “Cobra Kai,” runs Mr. Miyagi’s dojo in LA and, thus, is connected to Mr. Han – both were Miyagi students. It’s a lot to focus on for one film.
Karate Kid: Legends was written by Rob Leiber and director by Jonathan Entwistle, both of whom were clearly determined to make the most of the storyline and film legacy. There is heart to it and Entwistle does justice to the action and origin of the filmography. Entwistle and Leiber even made sure there was a unique finishing move – signature to the franchise. And, certainly, Chan continues to highlight the art of karate for which he remains incredibly talented – if a little less striking.
Karate Kid: Legends lacks the power and poignancy of its predecessors. It’s got a great leading man who could surely find himself a future as the next iteration of Chan, but that is not enough to carry a film that attempts to pack too much into the time allotted. Instead, I recommend rewatching the initial Karate Kid films to remind yourself where these movies started and what you wish you had gotten to see.