Hiee-YA!! Jaden Smith is genuinely likable in this remake of the 80's favorite of the same name (even though the martial art in question is not the same), starring Ralph Macchio and the late great Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi. Although reimagined (with Jackie Chan in the Miagi role), much of the storyline remains the same (though with some curious changes here and there). Chan proves his mettle as a dramatic actor, especially with a scene that will certainly bring a tear to your eye. Additionally, the fight sequences involving him deftly inject a bit of his trademark stunt work without seeming silly or farfetched in these more realistic fight sequences. This flick also makes judicious use of the training montage (even
Rocky had a montage!).
Ouch: It’s not without its problems, not the least of which is the length; at 140 minutes, it smacks of a project of pride from producers Mr. and Mrs. Smith (that Will and Jada Pinkett to you), starring their son. If you have any doubt, stick around through the credits to see gratuitous pictures of the producers sitting on the set, no doubt thoughtfully deliberating how to best posture then son as the Next Will Smith, and hugging their son on the Great Wall of China.
It was also strange how the makers stuck to certain aspects of the original, right down to our hero checking out a local dojo only to find his tormentor is enrolled there; or during the competition, the dastardly Sensei of that same school instructs one of his pupils to harm our hero, saying he doesn’t just want him beaten, he wants him broken… but then they change other things that I feel were equally important into things that didn’t work as well; namely changing “wax on, wax off” into “jacket on, jacket off”. Additionally, Mr. Miyagi in the original had a way of warming up his hands with a thunderous clap, and possibly using some form of Reiki on Macchio’s injuries in a jiffy. Conversely, Chan’s Mr. Han uses some elaborate candles, bulbs and such; certainly something he seemed to whip up in a ridiculously short amount of time as the competition’s end draws near and the clock is ticking. And in the end I just couldn’t buy the same thing I couldn’t buy in the original; that a few months of instruction enables one to take the championship title at a competition filled with kids who have been under such instruction for YEARS. This was undermined further by just how small Jaden Smith was even compared to other kids his age, and with an injury, no less.
Still, the movie certainly picks up and then carries you along, and when Jaden’s Dre finally wins, you’ll find yourself clapping along with the folks onscreen.
Movie Grade: B
Despite some flubs, a genuine crowd-pleaser.Rated PG for bullying, martial arts action violence and some mild language.
Directed by: Harald Zwart
Written by: Christopher Murphey (screenplay), Robert Mark Kamen (story)
