KARATE KID: LEGENDS (2025)
MPAA: PG13.
Release Date: 05/30/25 [Cinemas]
Genre: Action. Drama. Family. Sport.
Studio: Sony Pictures.
"After kung fu prodigy Li Fong relocates to New York City, he attracts unwanted attention from a local karate champion and embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition with the help of Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso."
OUR MOVIE REVIEW:
Just when the tide of Netflix’s Cobra Kai has seemingly receded, we are graced again with the latest iteration of the martial arts franchise, which has lasted over 40 years. Karate Kid: Legends combines two separate stories: the story of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and his Miyagi-Do style of Karate, and the Jackie Chan story of Mr. Han, who taught Kung Fu, not Karate, in the 2010 remake.
Director Jonathan Entwistle and screenwriter Rob Lieber come together to craft a new tale that retcons the Jackie Chan remake, tying it to the original franchise. As exciting as the premise sounds, that is not the story of Karate Kid Legends.
From a storytelling perspective, this new film follows many of the same beats that we expect to see in a Karate Kid film. We do have a new protagonist, Li Fong (Ben Wang), who moves from Beijing to New York, finds a cute girl, has a run-in with a bully, and is destined to fight in a tournament in the third act. Ben Wang possesses a great deal of charisma and is a very likable hero.
There is an uneven forgotten subplot that involves Joshua Jackson, an aging boxer turned pizza shop owner who also happens to be the father of the cute love interest Mia (Sadie Stanley). Jackson’s character, Victor, recruits Li to teach him kung-fu to help prepare for a fight to save his pizza place and pay back the man he owes money. Naturally, that man runs the dojo the bully attends, who is also in a situationship with Mia.
Li leans on the mentorship of his teacher, Mr. Han, who is still in Beijing, to share the wisdom that Kung-Fu is in everything.
This left turn occurs in the first half and is then quickly dropped to make room for the actual Karate Kid story the audience is expecting. Li begins training for a tournament with the help of his former trainer, Mr. Han (Chan), for reasons that do not entirely make sense. But that explanation is not necessary. The Karate Kid films are not about plot but about situations.
Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio are not essential to Li’s journey. They both serve the film in extended cameos to provide contradictory training and watch Li prepare for his big fight. For a film boasting a collaboration between Mr. Miyagi’s legacy and Jackie Chan, this film is a missed opportunity to accomplish something truly memorable. The contrivance of Jackie Chan visiting California to recruit Daniel to help train Li is forced and silly. However, finding an opportunity to honor Pat Morita’s legendary Mr. Miyagi is always a welcome treat.
What is likely to frustrate most viewers is the breathless pace at which Karate Kid: Legends tells its story. This film speedruns and dilutes the few tender moments Li gets to share with both Mr. Han and Sensei LaRusso. The final tournament is choppy and rushed, becoming more of a highlight reel than an engrossing climax. The original Karate Kid film and the Jackie Chan reboot took their time and invested in the connection between student and master. Karate Kid: Legends lacks devotion to this, and its shortcoming is exacerbated by the Joshua Jackson sublot absorbing most of the first half.
Karate Kid: Legends is not entirely devoid of charm and fun. Ben Wang gives an inspired performance, carrying his lead performance with confidence. The fight scenes, as few as they are, light up the screen. There is a particular fight that takes place in an alley, more reminiscent of old Jackie Chan classics, such as Police Story, than the usual Karate Kid fare. Karate Kid: Legends takes some ambitious steps but retreats into familiar territory. While it does not punch as hard as what came before, it’s still an enjoyable visit to the dojo.
OUR VERDICT:
