Dre’s heartbreak, after finally discovering something he loves in his new home, to discover that his bullies are among the students of the local kung fu school is something you’ll be fighting back tears for, matched in the film only by Mr.
In the role of Dre, Jaden Smith also nails it and it proves to benefit the film that he’s a bit younger than Ralph Macchio was as Daniel-san.įirst-time leading child star or not, Jaden Smith is consistently believable as a scared twelve year-old not only facing down bullies, but having to do so in a completely foreign land.
Han has clearly internalized the agony of his family tragedy far more deeply than the more well-adjusted Miyagi, and his relationship with Dre proves to be much more reciprocal in how much growth the two experience from one another. Han is easily among his best acting performances. Han prepares Dre old school for the challenge to come It’s kind of surprising to consider how infrequently he’s taken on the role of martial arts mentor, though it’s hardly surprising that it fits him like a glove here. Putting the film within the context of the rest of his career, “The Karate Kid” actually marks something of a turning point for Jackie Chan. Miyagi and Daniel-san, and that ultimately proves to be the greatest strength of “The Karate Kid” remake. ActionĪny rendition of “The Karate Kid” is going to live or die on the strength of the relationship between its respective Mr. Han, Dre’s rescuer takes him under his wing as his kung fu disciple, and prepares Dre to face his tormentors at an upcoming kung fu tournament. However, after being rescued from a violent beating at the hands of Cheng and his followers by his apartment building’s maintenance man, Mr. Han takes a unique approach to teaching kung fuĭre is further heartbroken when his hopes of joining a local kung fu school are destroyed when he learns that his bullies train there. However, Dre soon finds himself targeted by a gang of bullies under the leadership of the merciless Cheng. The young American outsider does his best to fit in and make friends in his new home, along with developing a crush on his classmate and violin student, Meiying. It’s a culture shock to say the least for Dre Parker, when he and his mother, Sherry, move from Detroit to Beijing after Sherry’s car factory job gets transferred to China. Zhenwei Wang appears as Dre’s relentlessly vicious bully in his new school, Cheng, while Rongguang Yu of “ Iron Monkey” fame rounds out the cast in the role of his take-no-prisoners martial arts coach, Master Li. Henson portrays Dre’s mother, Sherry, while Wenwen Han tackles the role of Dre’s Chinese classmate and budding love interest, Meiying. Han, played by the living legend, Jackie Chan. Jaden Smith steps into the role of the young martial arts prodigy, Dre Parker, who comes to be nicknamed “Xiao Dre” by his wise kung fu mentor, Mr. By shifting the setting, the martial arts content and adding the one and only Jackie Chan into the mix in the mentor role, “The Karate Kid”, (title issues aside) delivers a worthy modern take on a tale near and dear to the hearts of millions.
However, the 2010 remake of the beloved martial arts coming-of-age story is cognizant of how to properly bow at the altar of a sacred cow without tipping it over. Remaking a classic is always a dicey proposition, and one that becomes trickier still when the revamp in question is a cultural touchstone on the level of “ The Karate Kid”.