Karate Kid remake? Was it necessary? To be truthful, I haven't watch the original 1984 movie (and its 3 sequels), but judging by its looks, the movie can still stand the test of time (90% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes). So is Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan ready to replace Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita? Click "Read More!" for the full review.

THE PROS:
The plot is good, but that's because it's a remake, so there's not much innovation on plot. Jackie Chan is the best actor in the movie, showing a mix of his seriousness in Hong Kong movies and his comedic side in American movies. Action is aplenty (well, 40% of the movie anyway), especially at the end of the movie (and Jackie Chan's fight with 5 kids was the best of the lot). The movie is funny too, especially in scenes with Jaden with Chan or his mum. The visit to many of China landmarks is a good sight too, such as the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium and the iconic Great Wall.

THE CONS:

If you notice, the actors are much younger than the original movie, but the acting? Apart from Chan, most of them are just mediocre. Jaden is portrayed as a whining 12-year old kid, much more different than Ralph Macchio. There's supposed to be a love relationship between Dre Parker (Jaden) and Mei Ying (Wen Wen Han), but their development wasn't revealed much. Are they just friends, or is it something more? We'll never know (unless a sequel is made *gulp*)

THE SUMMARY:

Overall, the movie is enjoyable. The only thing that bothers me is the use of young cast for this remake, but it could've been far worse if they used some of the current teenage actors (Disney "stars" comes to mind). Jackie Chan is the star of the show in my opinion.

It's an entertaining movie, but probably not worth watching the second time.

70/100