Karate Kid: Legends Review!

Karate Kid: Legends merges two of the Karate Kid films together with the story of new fighter, Li! The franchise began with The Karate Kid (1984) with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, then The Karate Kid Part II (1986), and then The Karate Kid Part III (1989). The trilogy was directed by John G. Avildsen with writing by Robert Mark Kamen. Then, The Next Karate Kid (1994) had the franchise running out of steam. There was a remake with The Karate Kid (2010) with Jackie Chan now as Master Han teaching kung fu. Cobra Kai (2018-2025) picked up 34 years after the first movie with Ralph Macchio’s character and his rival played by William Zabka.  It ran on You Tube Red and You Tube Premium before Netflix continued with the third season to the final, sixth season. Now there is a new Karate Kid in the form of Li, the first Asian American lead in the films. 

Jonathan Entwistle is the director of Karate Kid: Legends. He had directed the comedy sci fi series Hello Tomorrow! (2023). The film’s writer is Rob Lieber who co-wrote the comedy film, Peter Rabbit (2018). It opens to “Okinawa, Japan, 1986.” We see a Japanese house, the Miyagi family dojo, by the sea with Mr. Miyagi (Morita) practicing. This scene is from The Karate Kid Part II. 1986 was the year it was released, but the film has six months after the tournament in 1984. Daniel (Macchio) enters and asks about a portrait of Shimpo Sensei. In 1625, he was drunk, fell asleep and then woke up in China. Shimpo Sensei returned with the secret of Miyagi-Do karate. This goes into stylized animation and Miyagi explains that the karate is from “two branches, one tree.” This is an interesting flashback to open and the animation may be for the changes to the scene. It also tells one of the themes of the movie. 

This shifts to #Beijing, China, Present Day”, we have the lake and the Han School of Kung Fu with students practicing. We get the young students using the “Jacket On, Jacket Off” technique from the 2010 movie which we see in sub-titles. Also using kung fu on a wooden Wing Chun is Li Fong played by Ben Wang. Jin Wang in the show, American Born Chinese (2023) was played by Wang. He doesn't need to start out learning martial arts, but Li still needs training. We see the approach of his mother, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen) in a dark coat. Wen has many strong roles and earlier starred as Chun Li in Street Fighter (1994). A Young Girl (Olivia Yang Avis) warns Li and then Master Han (Jackie Chan) who tells her to delay Dr. Fong. Very funny! Chan is a martial arts legend who also happened to play Chun Li in a parody sequence in the action comedy adapting the manga, City Hunter (1993), one year before Wen! He wears a blue suit, blue and red are thematic colors, blue must be something traditional and Kung Fu. Red may represent something new and Karate. 

 

She tells Mister Han that she doesn't want Li to end up like her other son. Li overhears the conversation in the next room. His mother is getting a new start working at a hospital in New York. She has two hats including a blue Mets hat for Mister Han and also for her son. Dr. Fong knew that Li was listening in, he goes over to his mother angry at the move, and her secret is countered by his secret training. We move to New York with overhead shots at a taxi crossing a bridge and then through the city's Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. They enter their apartment and later Li slumps against his window with a photo which he took with his brother, Bo, both in blue shirts. He tells his mother that he is going out for pizza in his red, plaid jacket. Li walks down the street and manages to find Victory Pizza. He goes to the counter and meets the owner, Victor, played by Joshua Jackson. Dr. Max Bankman was the lead played by Jackson in the show, Doctor Odyssey. Li orders a stuffed crust pizza which Victor tells him can be found somewhere in New Jersey. Mia (Sadie Stanley) takes over for her father. Kim Hushable was a mini-series that starred Stanley as the teenage spy from the cartoon series, Kim Possible. 

Five Wing Chuns out of Five! 

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