Karate Kid Legends is the culmination of the original Karate Kid films starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, student of the karate sensei Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), now all grown up, and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han, kung fu sifu, from the 2010 film where he starred opposite a young Jaden Smith.
In Karate Kid Legends, the new film brings these two martial arts teachers into the one universe where they both teach Li Fong, played by the super talented Ben Wang, who has recently relocated to New York City from China. In a new environment and forbidden from practicing martial arts by his mum Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen), Li finds familiar ground and friendship amongst his neighbours and pizza shop owners Mia (Sadie Stanley) and her father Victor Lipani (Joshua Jackson).
Joshua Jackson’s Victor is great. He’s Mia’s kind, thoughtful and loving father and independent struggling family business owner. Watching these two characters provide Li his solace in their Italian restaurant was so lovely to witness, with Li trying to adjust not only to a new city but new country. I recall how difficult this was for me when I reluctantly moved and lived overseas for over a year with my family, and I was sent to an international school. I unfortunately never found my footing and miserably longed to go back home to Australia. Thinking back now, that’s probably because I never had a support system, nor found any real friendships while abroad. Fortunately, in this film, Ben Wang’s Li Fong does.
Sadie Stanley’s Mia is likable and lovely. The chemistry between Wang and Stanley feels real, thanks to these young talents. A new connected, friendship, or maybe something more… either way, Mia is a solid part of Li Fong’s support system and a fierce friend. Even when she is mad at him.
Ming-Na Wen is famous for her action roles and being the voice of Fa Mulan from Disney’s Mulan (the most kick ass Disney princess ever, hands down), but in Karate Kid Legends, I feel she’s severely underutilised. Ming-Na Wen is an incredible actress, but the script provides her a very limited and two-dimension scope. She’s only used to quietly pivot the plot forward, when it has already hit the ground running.
It would have been nice to for Karate Kid Legends to provide the iconic actress with more room for character growth and depth. Ming-Na Wen chemistry with Ben Wang’s Li is never truly solidified as their scenes together are brief. Li even spends more time at the pizza shop with Mia and Victor than with his mum, so as the audience, we feel more connected to literally everyone else. Emotions run high in Karate Kid Legends, but not for the deeply rooted reasons that the film wants you to be touched by, as they don’t really feel earned. At least, not between Li and his mum anyway. It doesn’t hinder the film by any means, nor is it a dealbreaker, it just feels like a waste.
Even Wyatt Oleff as the scene stealing Alan, gets more laughs, love and attention. Although, Oleff never feels forced with the scenes that he’s in. His character is super awkward, but his presence always feels welcome, natural, and it helps that Alan is wholesome, thoughtful and hilarious. It was also just super nice seeing someone in Li Fong’s corner, the way that Oleff’s Alan is. Oleff makes Alan memorable, and we can’t help but want our own Alan on our side.
Perhaps almost completely replacing Li Fong’s mother (at least in the film), are his uncle, Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han, and Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso. The two, important to the Karate Kid franchise in their own ways, with Macchio being an incredible inspiration to fans of the original films, and Chan being the heart of the 2010 ‘reboot’, it’s surprising yet comforting that the pair can positively coexist in the same world. It works. It’s also great seeing the two bounce off each other while also guiding Wang’s Li Fong on his journey. I honestly want more films and more of them both.
As someone who grew up with Hong Kong cinema, loving their signature martial art and action unique flair, Jackie Chan return to Hollywood and the big screen, in a film that has martial art elements, honestly feels like a homecoming for both Chan, and film fans like me.
This is reigned in by the sheer talents of Ben Wang. The film isn’t just actors pretending to do martial arts, there is real talent, discipline and expertise involved in Karate Kid Legends, and Ben Wang is the real deal. It is enhanced further by Wang’s fine acting. We love Li Fong from the very start, we feel for him, we cheer for him, we understand his trauma, and we genuinely want him to win, as if we too are right up there at the match alongside all Li Fong’s loved ones.
Karate Kid Legends is wonderful for bringing martial arts back to the forefront of cinema, and in a refreshing and modern way. This fun and entertaining film reunites long-time fans with a franchise that many have come to love, while masterfully pulling in new fans along the way into its world. With both legendary and new characters to enjoy, plus Easter eggs sprinkled in for the die-hard fans to look out for, Karate Kid Legends is one film that’s bound to be a winner for everyone.