Review of The Karate Kid (2010) by David L — 24 Jan 2013

I've never actually sat down and watched the original all the way through so complete comparison isn't fully possible yet. However, they are very few sequels or remakes that actually surpass their original in terms of quality, therefore if that statement is to remain true here, the first karate kid must have been one hell of a film! I thought it was going to be a case of the son of a well known actor being thrust into a role and not being able to fulfil it with a great deal of conviction.

However, there's something very likeable about this character and to boot there's also something very unlikeable about his Chinese opponent, who he is bullied by at school. This just makes you root for the character all the way through, and although you pretty much know it will turn out with a relatively happy ending, you still feel for the kid as he is smacked to pieces during and before the tournament.

An ageing looking Chan (not sure if this is make up or just life taking its toll) takes the role of the Kung fu tutor, and although he is a legend in this arena, it won't surpass the original Mr Miyagi that made a name for himself in the 80's, purely because that's an impossible feat.

I have to admit though, having seen a snippet of the original Karate Kid ending, I did appreciate the alternate conclusion in this version, which showed our champion Dre Parker (and his tutor) finally earning the respect of his foe, as opposed to him disappearing into the ether.

It's certainly a well constructed film as we follow the strains of Dre from start to finish, as he struggles to cope with building his life and friends in a completely new environment. He definitely has his dads swagger, and admittedly his acting ability too, and all in all, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this bearing in mind that it was taking on what is considered to others as a classic 80's movie.

Not sure the soundtrack is as good as back then as you can't compete with the legendary vibes of 'You're the best', especially if you're pitting Justin Bieber in on the title song, but at least he's only heard and not seen as well!