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The Karate Kid (2010)
Customer Reviews
The Karate Kid (2010) Customer Reviews
RRP: £19.99
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Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of Zavvi.
karate kidding
3a totally alien world.He gets on the wrong side of the local bully and Kung Fu expert largely due to his friendship with a girl classmate.Seeking help from janitor,Chan,it's no surprise that he overcomes the hardships presented to him and wins the hand of the fair maiden, while Chan's character finds redemption in his role as the wise teacher. This is amovie which confirms Jackie Chans status as a masterful kung fu star as well as a surprisingly good actor.Lots of great action from both major protagonists and comedy through the fantastically staged stunts. Good fun for the younger generation with the downside that Smith's character is really rather unlikeable as a wisecracking American smartass. Why Dre should be attending a local school when he'sclearly the son of a member of the diplomatic staff is also unclear. Fine as a stocking filler though with a probable heartthrob for young girls in Jaden Smith.
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Karate Kid
4Karate kid is even better than the original; it is funny, entertaining and fast paced. The actions scenes are superb and the scenery is breathtaking. Jaden Smith plays his role brilliantly as does Jackie Chan who added humourous touches. A great film that should be loved by everyone who goes to see it.
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The Karate Kid (2010)
3jaden Smith is really good in this remake of the classic 80s film. I would recommend if you enjoyed the original
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The Karate Kid (2010)
3The kids enjoyed this, but as an adult always comparing this to the original "classic" I enjoyed this less than I would have than if it were completely new - trouble with remakes. Alright though. Will Smith's kid is good.
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fun film to watch
4great film to enjoy as a family,superb,fun,suitable for everyone
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A Watchable Return
3A highly entertaining remake that I expect most younger people will love, but, if like me, you in the age range and grew up with the originals, this - as with most modern remakes - won't live up to your memories of the original. Certainly one for the younger crowd.
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The Karate Kid
5Saw this film with my husband, both thought it was an excellent film, Jaden Smith was fantastic, and i'm sure we will be seing a lot more of him in future movies. My 8 & 6 year old Nephew & Niece also saw the film, and they both loved it.
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As good as the original
3I was a child of the 80's, and saw all the Karate Kid films numerous times over the years. I was interested to see how Jaden Smith would step up to the challenge in comparison to Ralph Macchio who was the original Karate Kid. One word 'FANTASTIC!'. Even though Jaden Smith appears younger than Ralph Macchio as the Karate Kid, it worked just as well. I was really impressed with Jaden Smith's performance. Absolutely brilliant and I look forward to seeing him in future films. Jackie Chan was perfect as Mr Han. Although his English vocabulary is still not quite up to scratch... They have updated the film more compared to the original, and I liked the way it was set in China (The birthplace of Kung Fu). It really made all the difference to the scenery and the story. Yes the film was longer than most, but it didn't matter to me at all. For me, they couldn't possibly have edited any more out. It kept me gripped from beginning to end. The film is primarily an action film, but also contains comedy, suspense and drama. I would recommend this film for any age from about 7yrs +. Children younger than that may find it a bit violent and upsetting. Besides Toy Story 3, make sure you see Karate Kid this summer - Not To Be Missed!
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The Karate Kid 2010
4The fact of the matter is it's been 26 years since the first Karate Kid, and given how many other movies have relied on the exact same formula, a full-fledged remake is pretty fair game. By moving things to China and casting 11-year-old Jaden Smith (as opposed to the 25-year-old Ralph Macchio of the original), Sony successfully put a fresh coat of paint on the rickety old story, and despite a gargantuan running time and paper-thin characters, it's kind of nice to see yet another kid learn the crane pose. It's hard to know who to credit or blame for the film, since director Harald Zwart was brought in well after things were in development, and the film's likely true authors, Will Smith and the Chinese government that authorized the on-location production, are entirely offscreen. But even though The Karate Kid is a paint-by-numbers remake that exists so Smith can make his kid a star and China can promote itself to the West, it's also exceptionally well shot, frequently funny and touching, and perhaps most importantly, a vehicle for a great Jackie Chan performance. It's not quite enough to justify a two and a half length, but it comes close. As for the plot, imagine the original Karate Kid with a few language barriers tossed in. Dre (Jaden Smith) and his mom (Taraji P. Henson) leave Detroit for brighter job prospects in Beijing, where Dre quickly tussles with the local group of thugs who also happen to be kung fu masters. Dre starts up a showy flirtation with Meiying (Wenwen Han), who's spoken for by head baddie Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), and soon he's hiding from these kids every day after school. In the middle of one particularly mean fight Dre is rescued by his apartment building's reclusive handyman Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who reluctantly agrees to teach Dre kung fu but only after taking the arrogant tween down a peg or two. Lessons are learned, poses are struck, a friendship begins to blossom-- cue the training montage. It actually takes nearly an hour for the training montage to show up, thanks to The Karate Kid's glacial pace and greater interest in Beijing scenery than creating believable characters and letting us spend time with them. Just when Dre's training with Mr. Han picks up narrative steam, we're stuck watching Dre's baby romance with Meiying and constant shots of Beijing landmarks, so much that you can almost hear Chinese officials saying "Include that! It looks great on the postcards!" Cinematographer Roger Pratt captures the city and the surrounding countryside beautifully, but precious little of it serves the film's rote story. We get a great sense of Beijing scenery, sure, but none of how it impacts Dre and his mom, who experience so little actual culture clash they may as well be in Epcot. It's truly fascinating to watch snotty and rambunctious Dre transform into a confident warrior, and the charismatic Smith and expert Chan build a believably tender and touching surrogate father-son relationship. Unfortunately all of the other characters fall a little flat, from the villainous rival kung fu instructor who glowers like a Mortal Kombat baddie to the pretty and blank Meiying and even Dre's mom, who played by Oscar-nominee Henson feels more like a plot device than an actual human. Direct Zwart does well handling the violence of the fight scenes and the emotional bond between Dre and Mr. Han, but everything else falls victim to his experience with broad children's comedies like Agent Cody Banks. There's a lot to swallow with this new Karate Kid-- you have to accept that privileged child of Hollywood Jaden Smith is now a movie star, that a remake of a beloved 80s classic isn't automatically a travesty, and that about an hour and a half's worth of good material within a two and a half hour running time is a reasonable ratio. In any other summer, it might not be worth the trip, but summer 2010 is proving to be unusually dismal, and at this point there are worse things than sitting in the air conditioning, marveling at some beautiful cinematography and excellent fight choreography, and witnessing the acting rebirth of Jackie Chan.
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Brilliant
5The title was enough to draw my attention to this flim. I found the film engrossing so much so I was disappointed when it ended. I hasten to add this is no way a criticism of the conclusion. Each key actor/actress hones in on the characters that they play to the compliment of the film and direction. Recommend this fascinating viewing to all.
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The Karate Kid (2010) Customer Reviews
RRP: £19.99
£5.99
Save: £14.00
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