The Karate is a fan favorite from the 80's. It was only a matter of time before Hollywood decided to remake the film. Most remakes are always inferior to the original. However, this remake of the Karate Kid is decent, but still has spme noticable flaws.
The movie's plot is simple and surprisingly faithful to the source material. In the original a handyman/martial arts master Mr. Miyagi (Pat Norita) agrees to teach a bullied boy (Ralph Macchio) karate and shows him that there is more to the martial arts than fighting. It's predictable, but still heartwarming. The only differences is that Macchio is replaced by Jaden Smith (son of Will Smith), Jackie Chan steps into the role of Mr. Miyagi, and that the setting is moved from America to China. The movie has the heart of the original and still has some nice karate scenes. There is good chemistry between Smith and Chan. The film has some humorous moments also. Jaden Smith stars as the main character and this is the young actor's first leading role. Smith has charm, but he just tries to hard. Some of his dialogue feels forced and he tries to be smart and charming, but unlike his father, it doesn't come naturally to him.
In the latter half of thew film Jaden started feeling more comfotable with the role. It is his first real role as an actor and it shows. In addition, the film clocks in at about two hours, which really drags the film down. The first act of the film is okay, but nothing exciting happens. The film has to set up the story, but there still could have been some significant cuts. The film doesn't pick up until the second act and it leads to a satisfying, yet predictable ending. The audience can see all the points coming from a mile away, but the second half of the film almost makes up for the first half. This remake is decent and could have been worse. If you are into a feel good movie then Karate Kid might be up your alley. Nevertheless, this still doesn't match up to the original.
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