The Karate Kid

It could be argued that The Karate Kid (1984) is a classic. Even if they haven’t seen it, everybody is familiar with some of the lines or character names. Pat Morita’s portrayal of Mr. Miyagi is embedded in the public consciousness. Everybody knows about “wax on, wax off.” The number of American children learning karate increased dramatically after the movie’s release. The underdog story was given a fresh treatment by writer Robert Mark Kamen. Three sequels followed, but none of them could live up to the original.

As it happens, I like the 2010 version even better. I have to admit I had my doubts when I first heard about it. The thought of Jackie Chan and Will Smith’s son remaking The Karate Kid didn’t sound promising, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. Instead of a boy and his mother moving from New Jersey to Southern California, we see a boy and his mother (played by Taraji P. Henson) moving from Detroit to China. Talk about adding a whole new dynamic to the fish-out-of-water element of the story.

Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) can’t speak Chinese, and he’s smaller than the boys that pick on him. He quickly makes friends with Meiying (Wenwen Han), a virtuoso violinist, but his efforts are hampered by her disapproving parents and the bullying of Cheng (Zhenwei Wang). The only person who reaches out to help him is the maintenance man, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan).

After Mr. Han rescues Dre from a gang of bullies, Dre convinces Mr. Han to teach him kung fu. Mr. Han has no choice but to teach Dre to defend himself, especially after they meet Master Li (Rongguang Yu), the teacher of Cheng, and a master bully. He doesn’t teach kung fu as it is defined by Mr. Han but teaches pain and fear. Li and Mr. Han reach an agreement that Dre will compete against the other boys in a tournament in the hope that Dre will earn their respect and be left alone.

Students of the original film will recognize many lines of dialogue. The story is somehow made fresh again by the actors, and especially by the exotic locations that lend a whole new atmosphere to a familiar story. Scenes that appear familiar are given a twist to show that this is no mere retread. This version can stand on its own.

In the original, Mr. Miyagi saves Daniel from Johnny and his gang with a show of karate that is almost laughable today. I don’t say this to diminish the original, but to observe that movies have changed a lot in 25 years. When Mr. Han rescues Dre, there is a level of skill not present in the original. Combining the direction of Harald Zwart, Jackie Chan’s abilities, and the music of James Horner, this scene brings action and humor together in a way adds a new level of excitement to the movie. It’s thrilling to watch.

The scenes involving bullying are well done. We are constantly finding out what a widespread problem bullying is in our schools nowadays. The first time Dre and Cheng face off, Dre strikes Cheng in the face and knocks him down, but Cheng immediately, and impressively, springs to his feet. This is a kid not to be messed with. But Dre is not able to talk to his mother about his problems. I found this to be realistic. It’s not always easy for kids to talk to their parents about such things. If only every bullied kid had someone like Mr. Han who could step in to help and teach.

In their “lessons” together, Dre hardly feels like he could be learning kung fu. I especially like the scene where he realizes what he’s been learning all along (“Everything is kung fu.”) The timing in this scene, the music, the acting—everything comes together to powerful effect. Jackie Chan plays Mr. Han differently from his “usual” roles: He’s older, quieter, and wiser. Not to be forgotten, Jaden Smith does a wonderful job as Dre, inheriting his father’s ability to win our sympathy with humor and likeability as he makes a convincing transition throughout the movie.

The real heart of the movie is the friendship between Dre and Mr. Han. The likelihood of these two characters becoming close is very slim, but Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan make it seem plausible. Mr. Han has to teach Dre manners and respect before they can really make progress in their lessons, and he does it in small, well-observed ways. In a key scene between the two friends, Dre finds out about Mr. Han’s painful past but uses what he has learned to show his teacher great respect and offer him strength.

As in the original, the final scenes feature a tournament with not unpredictable results. Dre has to face off against many of his opponents from school, and the audience is able to follow the characters as they progress through the competition. Even when you know how events will unfold, the sequence is handled well and creates the necessary amount of suspense and tension.

To be fair, would I like this version so much if the original didn’t exist? Impossible to say. I don’t intend for this essay to only draw comparisons. I thoroughly enjoyed this take on the story. But this version couldn’t exist without the original, and it’s fun to see that it still works. Stories of underdogs and unlikely friends are always enjoyable when they’re told correctly, and The Karate Kid (2010) is a great retelling of a classic story.