The Karate Kid - Movie Review

I never saw the original - oh, sure, I've seen enough clips and stills to know its iconic scenes and who doesn't know the plot? - so the new version of The Karate Kid wasn't hampered by any comparisons to anything else other than the archetype the plot adheres to. Highly entertaining, the leads - Jaden Smith and the always-wonderful Jackie Chan - are engaging and re-tell the tale of an underdog overcoming impossible odds. Filmed on location, I was reminded of the film in the China pavilion of Epcot - modern China living and thriving alongside ancient China - though you don't get a real sense of how the populace might really live under a Communist regime. The climax is inevitable but because it's still thrilling and suspenseful, it shows how well the filmmakers know their material and craft. Well done.