SourceI woke up this morning with an urge to watch a good movie in the theatre, and saw that Karate Kid: Legends was still playing. Sunday morning movies are starting to become my thing, and I haven't been disappointed in any of the films I've watched so far.
I'm a '90s kid who was introduced to the series through The Next Karate Kid starring Hilary Swank, but still enjoyed the Karate Kid movies of the '80s when I got around to them. I also remember watching The Karate Kid with Jayden Smith and being amazed at how good he was in that movie. And I just can't say enough about my love for Jackie Chan. I've got all the love, respect, and appreciation that an average guy can have for an entertainer when it comes to Jackie Chan; I'll support anything he's a part of.
Although I hadn't seen any of the Cobra Kai series due to not having Netflix, it wasn't at all necessary to enjoy the Karate Kid: Legends movie. They kept the feel of the movie consistent with the feel of the previous movies and gave you everything you'd expect from a Karate Kid movie. Karate, some Kung-fu, cool senseis with interesting personalities, a little teenage puppy love story, bullies, a concerned parent, a tournament... Literally EVERYTHING you'd expect from a Krate Kid movie.
But although the movie is exactly what you expect, they put it all together to make for a solid movie that leaves you feeling good by the end. The comedy throughout the movie landed without them trying too hard to be funny or being corny. They got their point across with the moral messaging without being annoying about it. And the fight scenes we pretty good, outside of the boxing match, but that's probably because I watch way too much boxing.
The acting was really good too. Everyone was perfect in their roles. Jackie Chan was cool as Mr. Han. I also liked how they paid tribute to Jackie Chan with some of the comedy they put in the fight scenes. Much respect to them for that. The new Krate Kid, Li, is dedicated to his craft, witty, and talented as can be. Li also has his flaws and things that he has to work through in the movie as well, which helps to make him feel real. The girl, Mia, was funny and on top of things. And the guy who played the bully, Connor, did a good job of playing an asshole of a character...
The story throughout the movie was solid. Each character had mistakes that they had made in the past that they had to overcome, and leaned on another character in the movie to learn, grow, and overcome those mistakes. Some had to decide to relocate to support their friends, some characters had to realize what they had in the people in front of them, and some characters had to decide to fight for what was important to them. But they all approached their problems and overcame them in believable ways. My only critique about the story is that I feel that they kind of rushed us into the tournament at the end, but other than that, it was an entertaining story.
But overall, Karate Kid: Legends was a solid movie. I was entertained throughout the entirety of the movie. It was a good coming-of-age drama that used karate and kung-fu to help bring the characters together and help them overcome their challenges. Everything you'd expect from a movie in the Karate Kid series, delivered at a high level. I give the movie Karate Kid: Legends a rating of:
7.8/10
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