THE KARATE KID 21st century style - Out with the Old, In with the New.

“Wax on wax off…...” now that’s a classic! As a child, I loved the old Karate Kid (1984). I mean, who didn’t like to hear Mr. Miyagi go, “…..wax on wax off….!” I especially loved the flying crane kick, at the end of the of the first installment of the original, which for me was the highlight of The Karate Kid (1984). I mean back then in the early 80s, martial arts movies were all the hype. From “No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)” to “The American Ninja (1985)” Movies like The Karate Kid were for me the “Matrix” of their day.

So I was understandably uncomfortable when the new Karate Kid movie hit cinemas. This was one of my best movies growing up as a kid in Port Harcourt. It had all the elements of what I considered a “good film”. So I didn’t know what to expect when the new one was released. Considering that so many remakes this year were major, major, MAJOR flops. I was scared. I’m a little superstitious when it comes to movie sequels and remakes. My philosophy is simple, “Lightening never strikes the same place twice!” So when you have a hit the first time, you might not get a hit a second time. So don’t push it!

Now don’t get me wrong, there have been some fantastic sequels and remakes in film history such as Terminator 2: Judgment day (1991), and X-men franchise (2000 – 2006), to mention but a few. But I had had so many disappointments this year (film wise) so I said a silent, “The Lord is my Shepard….” and tightly crossed my fingers as I approached the cinema.

Of course, the movie had some potential. It had in the lead role JADEN SMITH (The Pursuit of Happynesss), which was a good thing. I remembered him in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) starring opposite his dad, Will Smith (Bad Boys). Jaden was phenomenal in the movie and had a lot of memorable moments. Jaden’s character (Dre) replaces Ralph Macchio’s (Daniel) as the lead character. He is clearly an actor to watch out for. When I heard he’d been cast in the lead role, I felt a little relieved though I was still a little worried. “God dey!” I remember saying to myself as I entered the cinema hall. The movie also starred Jackie Chan (Rush Hour), which was another plus. His character (Mr. Han) replaces the Late Pat Morita’s (Mr. Miyagi) as Jaden’s unorthodox kung fu instructor. As a seasoned fan of martial arts movies, Jackie Chan is one of my idols right next Bruce Lee. (I’m serious) did you know he was in the movie “Enter the Dragon? (1973)” (Jackie Chan, I mean.) But that’s for another time.


courtesy Fanpop!

The movie was shot all over China and was directed by  Harald Zwart, written by Christopher Murphy and get this, Will Smith’s movie company Overbrook Entertainment, produced the movie (another plus).

I settle in to watch the movie and a couple of hours later, all I could say was Wow!!!

The movie wasn’t good, it was fantastic! Jaden Smith has truly arrived as an actor. Jackie Chan was well…Jackie Chan. He was at his most dramatic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him cry in a movie before. Yes! you heard me. Jackie Chan CRIES!! Okay, I’m spoiling it for you. But this was a really ‘gooood’ movie. The martial arts sequences, martial arts scenes were very realistic. Jaden trained for about six months for this movie. And boy was it worth it? That last kick was a real beauty. There was a lot of humor in the movie. The hilarious Taraji P. Henson (Hustle and Flow) as Jaden’s mother supplied her own special brand of humor to the flick.

Over all, this was a very very very good movie. And as remakes go, it was “da bomb”. They definitely have my vote for a sequel. If you haven’t seen it, GO SEE IT. It’s a phenomenal movie. JAH BLESS!