The Karate Kid
Rent/Purchase
12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying but the cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make him an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is a kung fu master. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.
What critics thought
This remake lands in genuinely mixed territory: audiences embraced it warmly while critics were more divided, largely over whether the young cast could carry the emotional weight the story demands. Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith's rapport is the most agreed-upon strength, but critics split sharply on whether the characters' ages undercut the coming-of-age drama — particularly the romance subplot — or whether the film's sincerity overcomes those concerns.
“a lovely and well-made film that stands on its own feet”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“the chemistry between Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan grounds the movie, imbuing it with sincerity and poignance”
Claudia Puig·USA Today
“the characters just aren't old enough to be convincing in their hormone-driven need to prove themselves”
Simon Abrams·Slant Magazine
Genres
Action, Adventure, Drama, Family
Cast & Crew
DirectorHarald Zwart
StarringJaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han, Zhenwei Wang
ComposerJames Horner
The Karate Kid
12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying but the cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make him an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is a kung fu master. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.
What critics thought
This remake lands in genuinely mixed territory: audiences embraced it warmly while critics were more divided, largely over whether the young cast could carry the emotional weight the story demands. Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith's rapport is the most agreed-upon strength, but critics split sharply on whether the characters' ages undercut the coming-of-age drama — particularly the romance subplot — or whether the film's sincerity overcomes those concerns.
“a lovely and well-made film that stands on its own feet”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“the chemistry between Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan grounds the movie, imbuing it with sincerity and poignance”
Claudia Puig·USA Today
“the characters just aren't old enough to be convincing in their hormone-driven need to prove themselves”
Simon Abrams·Slant Magazine
Genres
Action, Adventure, Drama, Family
Cast & Crew
DirectorHarald Zwart
StarringJaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han, Zhenwei Wang
ComposerJames Horner
Rent/Purchase