In this week’s episode of The Film Fix, Jeff and Jonathan review the remake of The Karate Kid.
Please note, Jeff and I had trouble with our audio this week. We got the Beachtek DSLR adapter for our Canon T2i and didn’t know how to use it. We had hoped to lav each of us and just go for it, but sound is tough.
Therefore, the sound is less than what we want. But the good news is that I’ve messed around with the settings for our Toy Story 3 show for Monday.
I saw “The Karate Kid” yesterday with three boys, ages 12-13. I admit I wasn’t very enthusiastic about seeing it, though I had enjoyed the original version. I liked Jaden Smith from his role in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” but knew Jackie Chan only by reputation, never having seen any of his martial arts films all the way through. But this movie blew me away! I left the theater thinking it was one of my favorite films ever! Jaden Smith was totally believable as Dre — a nice kid with just enough attitude, but not so much you think he’s a little punk. And Jackie Chan! Oh my gosh… he brought me to tears. (Per my son’s request, I didn’t sit with them or he would have been mortified when I brought out the Kleenex.) Dre’s martial arts training was a fascinating thread throughout the movie, and, according to one of the boys with me, Jaden Smith did most of his own stunts. I found the balletic movements of the Chinese Kung Fu masters in the mountain scenes to be almost mesmerizing, but the fight scenes made me wince. I knew if that were my kid getting beaten up, I’d be heading straight back to the U.S.A. Curiously, however, there was almost no blood in even the most brutal scenes. I’m not sure if that’s very realistic, but it made the violence seem less frightening.
I think Jaden Smith will be a huge teen heart-throb and star after this performance, and martial arts legend Jackie Chan proved to me that he is also a gifted actor. This is a first-rate film!
Thanks for your comment.
Wouldn’t you have liked to know more about the father’s passing? Had we learned more about the kid’s father, the film would have had greater impact. But when Chan shows up, the movie takes off. The training scenes are the best part. The set-up worried me, especially the initial playground scene. Critics everywhere had to be letting out a collective groan.
It does not surprise me that it beat A-TEAM last night. Both films have received decent critical reception, but KID has a wider reach.
Perhaps a KID sequel will give us more insight into Dre’s father’s death. I’d very much like to seen Dre and his mother bring Mr. Han back to the States.
I do wish I had seen A-TEAM this week. But I got married on Saturday, so, I’m lucky I saw anything at all. TOY STORY 3 is on Monday, and our mics will be ready–sorry about the bad audio this week.