After the monumental success of ‘Cobra Kai’, it’s nice to see that the ‘Karate Kid’ legacy still lives on. This time around, we are merging universes with the original ‘Karate Kid’ universe (including that of ‘Cobra Kai’) now joining up with the Jackie Chan/Jaden Smith version of ‘The Karate Kid’ from 2010. What follows is a brilliantly entertaining and enjoyable action film that echoes the original classic whilst introducing us to some wonderful new characters.
Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) now runs his own Karate school in Beijing. His nephew Li Fong (Ben Wang) has been secretly training there, unbeknown to his mother (Ming-Na Wen) who disapproves of fighting after a recent family tragedy. When Li and his mother are whisked away to New York City after she gets a new job promotion, Li settles into his new surroundings. That includes making friends with Mia Lipani (Sadie Stanley), a local girl who works in her father’s pizza restaurant in the neighbourhood. After clashing with her ex-boyfriend, Li finds himself preparing to fight in a local tournament. Mr. Han comes over to New York to help him prepare and enlists the help of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) to also help Li learn the ways of both Kung-Fu and Miyagi-Do Karate.
The action in ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ is wonderful, with a realism to the art of fighting that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. The combat in ‘Cobra Kai’ was admittedly not as brutal and intense as it should have been, but this film echoes the amazing fight choreography seen in the 2010 ‘Karate Kid’ movie, merging Kung-Fu with Karate and giving the viewer a far more visceral and tangible experience. Throw in some great comedic moments, gorgeous location shooting, cool montages and a fantastic soundtrack and you have a movie very much in-tune with its 80s roots.
The cast ensemble is excellent. The ageless Ralph Macchio is great (although he doesn’t show up until halfway into the film). But the strength of this movie comes from its new characters, and you actually don’t notice that he and Jackie Chan don’t feature much in the opening half. Ben Wang is a wonderful lead, with charisma and screen presence that easily carries the weight of this franchise. Sadie Stanley is wonderful as Mia, a love interest who captivates throughout. The martial arts legend Jackie Chan is as entertaining as you’d expect and it’s wonderful to see him onscreen in another major summer blockbuster (hopefully another ‘Rush Hour’ movie is on the cards soon too!). ‘Dawson’s Creek’ legend Joshua Jackson provides stellar support too. I’ve always been a huge fan of his, and the undeniably charming actor steals all of his scenes as Mia’s father Victor Lipani, a former prize-fighter who asks Li for training tips.
Fans of Cobra Kai may be surprised to see that it isn’t referenced (much) in the movie. I found this to be the right move. The show has had multiple years in the spotlight and this film is about launching a new set of characters in a new location, and with new sensibilities. The ‘Karate Kid’ universe is just that – a huge expansive space where new stories and characters will hopefully continue to develop over time. The legacy of Cobra Kai will no doubt resurface in the coming years, but for now it was nice to get a completely fresh angle to explore.
‘Karate Kid: Legends’ is an excellent summer blockbuster that is both crowd-pleasing and very engaging. Hopefully this marks a new series of films for the ‘Karate Kid’ brand, after ‘Cobra Kai’ proved that there is still so much love out there for the 1984 classic that originally launched the legacy. If there is downside, it’s that the film is far too short. There’s a lot of story threads here that could have certainly benefitted from much more screen time so it’s a shame the film wasn’t 30-45mins longer. Don’t miss ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ and celebrate the 40-year legacy of this fantastic franchise – one that is still vibrantly alive and kicking.
Cast: Ben Wang, Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan, Sadie Stanley, Joshua Jackson, Ming-Ne Wen, Aramis Knight, Wyatt Oleff Director: Jonathan Entwistle Writer: Rob Lieber Certificate: 12A Duration: 94 mins Released by: Sony Release date: 28th May 2025
