The Karate Kid... movie... remake thing. Discussion and Spoilers

[Dream]

I thought it was good.

Jaden Smith was decent. You can tell the kid really trained hard for the role. It was great seeing Jackie Chan do some drama instead of having a goofy smile on his face all the time. The fight scenes were well done and a little brutal. You felt every punch even though there was no blood. The audience I was with cheered many times during the tournament, especially at Dre's final kick.

 

[Stiletto]

I'm sure you guys have all seen this parody about Karate Kid and Ralph Macchio?

FunnyOrDie website http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c8ad4aa802/wax-on-f-ck-off-with-ralph-macchio
Some strong language, but that's it. Mods feel free to edit this out if necessary.

 

[Snaploud]

I'm sure you guys have all seen this parody about Karate Kid and Ralph Macchio?

FunnyOrDie website http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c8ad4aa802/wax-on-f-ck-off-with-ralph-macchio
Some strong language, but that's it. Mods feel free to edit this out if necessary.

I posted it upthread, but, lacking a description, I'm sure many people didn't bother to click. Very funny, by the way. Ralph certainly turned out well enough.

 

[Stiletto]

Good for him.

 

[Trekker4747]

Jumping in:

I saw this movie again tonight with my best friend, whom I had convinced to see it through my ravings about it. He agreed with me that the movie was good, better than would be expected and both Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan turn in good performances although he also agreed with me the pacing of the movie is a bit slow at times.

On watching it a second time I noticed a few things and also -after watching the original again recently how closely the plots of the movies match- that I didn't see the first time.

The biggest thing being the "history" implied between Han and the "Evil" Kung-Fu instructor. There's some looks and dialogue between the two that highly suggests a "past" between these two. The nerd in me is thinking of something algo Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi and at the end Han gets control of the Foot Clan back; but, then again, I'm a nerd.

I also noticed that when the "Evil Instructor" steps off the stage during the final battle he teases Han by imitaing Han's stiff, "gimpy", walk. My friend was impressed with how "brutal" the fight scenes were and he enjoyed the training scenes/montages. Upon a second viewing, a review of my review, I stand by my grade. This movie is a must-see and will likely end up in my collection upon its Blu-Ray release.

 

[Star Wolf]

Having bought and watched the original on BD this week, I dunno. Miyagi/Pat Morita are is awesome. But, part of me doubts it was Pat in the fight scene it's more likely it was a stunt double. And, yeah, Jackie Chan was just doing his usual thing in his fight scene but it was a bit longer and more interesting to watch fight scene than "kick, kick, punch they're all down!" It's really hard, I think, now to comapre the two movies. Even though both are pretty much precisely the exact same story both tell it differently with seeming different dramatic intents.

I suspect a "Nostalgia Critic" "Old vs. New" review of this when the movies comes out on DVD, should be interesting.

I just re-watched the original and noticed it was not only age. The Cobra Kai were also bigger then Mr. Miyagi. And it was a"real" fight Mr. Miyagi put then down hard and quick and the next day one kid was in a sling at the dojo confrontation.

[My friend was impressed with how "brutal" the fight scenes were and he enjoyed the training scenes/montages

That part still bothers me. Dre is at most a year older then Hit Girl.

 

[Trekker4747]

Kids Dre's age fight in martial-arts tournaments all of the time, esp. in China where laws are more.... lax.

 

[Star Wolf]

^

Just saw an episode of Fight Quest the Muay Thai instructor had been a professional fighter since age 11. Still it bothers me

 

[Keith1701]

My girlfriend wants to see it. Shes mad at me because I dont. I have seen the orginal so many times.(at least once a year or so) I really dont want to see this one. Seems more like a "catch on tv", redbox rental type of thing.

You should go see it!!!!! It is a great remake of the orginal Karate Kid.

 

[God Magnus]

I was very skeptical of this movie when I first heard it was being produced. However, after seeing the trailer and doing some reading, two things drew me in.

1. The cinematography in China. I was so happy they weren't using CG sets to "stand in" for China, but actually went there and the trailer gave an indication that a lot of shots would be wide and sweeping.

2. I like Jackie Chan and wanted to see him in something that didn't emphasize his action skills (like "The Tuxedo" or something) but rather may actually make him act as I've seen him do in past Chinese films.

After the over two hour movie, all I can say is that I was blown away. The movie captured all the beats of the original from the "fish out of water" adjustment to the bullying to the training to the tournament while expanding on certain elements in between. The mom gets to play a larger role this time and you really feel the relationships between the characters grow and change over the course of the movie.

Chan turns in a fantastic performance not only in the emotional department but also his physicality. He spends a lot of it shuffling about, a bit hunched over, seemingly harmless (a posture I see in Chinatown in older men all the time) but when he gets his "big" fight scene, he lights up into the Jackie we all know.

A bit about that scene. I went in thinking he was just going to beat up some 12 year old kids, which would have been wrong to me. Instead, a lot of that scene involves him using them against each other and generally staying out of the way of their strikes. This harkens back to some of the older Jackie Chan movies where there was some humor in his physicality. It was nice to see that come into play.

I also enjoyed a lot of the "homage" bits worked in. They were subtle enough to feel natural, but if you knew what you were looking for they stood out. The "No Mercy, no pain etc." was in there, the chopsticks and the fly, the "wax on, wax off" and even some of Mr. Han's (Jackie Chan) lines were almost the same as those uttered by Miyagi so many years ago.

The theater I saw it in was only a quarter full, but it was the first show of the morning (saw it at a cheaper matinee) so they're never full at that time. What's great however is at the end everyone was cheering. The movie really grabs you successfully.

Final thought: the kid with the Mohawk was hilarious. I keep thinking he was based on a video game character.

 

[God Magnus]

The biggest thing being the "history" implied between Han and the "Evil" Kung-Fu instructor. There's some looks and dialogue between the two that highly suggests a "past" between these two.

Oh good, then it wasn't just me who thought that. They never picked up on the plot point so I thought maybe I was imagining it. It's a very subtle scene but the two actors say a lot with their expressions. Lots of tension and well done.

I also noticed that when the "Evil Instructor" steps off the stage during the final battle he teases Han by imitaing Han's stiff, "gimpy", walk.

Yeah, that was cruel and perhaps was the main moment where Master Li came closest to the evil cheesiness of Kreese from the original. The subtle way the actor played the role really made the character seem a lot more sinister than Kreese, which I appreciated. In that sense he reminded me of a lot of martial arts instructors I've met in the past who were very sedate and calm until you saw them practicing their art.

 

[Snaploud]

I enjoyed the film as a whole, but it tended to be most awkward when using lines from the original movie (as they tended to cut and paste lines without the surrounding dialogue). I'm also not convinced that the "jacket on, jacket off" moves really corresponded to what Jackie Chan was showing Dre.

 

[God Magnus]

I enjoyed the film as a whole, but it tended to be most awkward when using lines from the original movie (as they tended to cut and paste lines without the surrounding dialogue). I'm also not convinced that the "jacket on, jacket off" moves really corresponded to what Jackie Chan was showing Dre.

I think part of the problem is that a lot of the talk has been juset about the "jacket on/off" part. But there were actually several movements. There was put it on, take it off, drop it then hang it up. That's four movements and each of them corresponded to something he was teaching him. It was a bit forced sure, but no more than "wax on, wax off" IMO.

 

[Star Wolf]

I enjoyed the film as a whole, but it tended to be most awkward when using lines from the original movie (as they tended to cut and paste lines without the surrounding dialogue). I'm also not convinced that the "jacket on, jacket off" moves really corresponded to what Jackie Chan was showing Dre.

I think part of the problem is that a lot of the talk has been juset about the "jacket on/off" part. But there were actually several movements. There was put it on, take it off, drop it then hang it up. That's four movements and each of them corresponded to something he was teaching him. It was a bit forced sure, but no more than "wax on, wax off" IMO.

There is the racial component. Danial was used as a slve for his initial training with the waxing, sanding and painting. Dre commented he knew it was only to instill discipline. In no way could he be used as slave labor, even as payment for kung fu lessons.

 

[A beaker full of death]

I'm waiting for the remake of The Last Samurai which is about Roman gladiators.

 

[A beaker full of death]

The shock factor of Arnold from Happy Days issuing a beat down just worked better then Jackie Chan doing Jackie Chan.

QFT and general quotability.

 

[Trekker4747]

NECRO POST!

This movie came out on Blu-Ray and DVD this week and thought I'd give it a quick re-review.

Again the movie is great and the BD version looks great. The movie is light on special features, there's production diaries, a music video a 30-minute BTS featurette and some other fairly typical stuff (production notes, BD/internet feautres, etc.) so pretty light on special features.

One interesting special feature is an alternate ending:

Spoiler: KK - Alternate Ending

In the alternate ending after the Fighting Dragon kid leaves the stage after the big battle, he meets up with the "Evil" Instructor who raises a hand as if to slap the kid but is quickly stopped by Han/Chan and a fight breaks out. It's a much more aggressive fight (since Chan is fighting an adult here) that still has some of Chan's usual style of using objects on the set as weapons and shields. He gets the Evil Instructor down, takes mercy, and starts to leave but EI gets up again and restarts another short fight before Han finally beats him and has EI trapped under a bench. Chan spouts off some of EI's evil instructor dogma (no mercy, etc.) sort-of suggesting more of a past between the two in a mentor/student manner. Chan's acting as if he's going to finish EI but Dre tells Chan to stop and back off, Chan does.

He then gives the "honor bow" to the Dragon students and Chan and Dre walk off together (just as they do in freeze-frame at the end of the Theatrical Cut). Dre's mom follows, carrying the trophy, and by this time the EI has gotten back up, Dre's mom calls the guy's name and then cold-clocks him when turns around, she says something sassy and walks off.

What's interesting here is that if you watch the Theatrical Cut at the very end when Chan gives the
"honor bow" to the Dragon students and walks off with Dre into the freeze-frame you can, sort of, see EI on the ground where Chan left him in the deleted scene. (But you kind of have to know to look for it to see it or have seen the deleted scene to find it odd. Otherwise it just looks like a similar-looking may sitting on the floor.)

I think removing this scene worked as it sort of broke up the "high" and emotional momentum of the final scene and, really, just wasn't needed. Any fight or history between the two can be fleshed out in a sequel.

What's nice in the making-of feature is scene some of the stuff with Will and Jada Pinkett on set with Jaden and even Jada expressing some concern over her son's "first kiss" with the girl in the Qi Xi Festival scene. Seeing them there and how she was concerned over their son over something even minor like this shows the moral support he has from them giving me some promise that Jaden won't fall victim to a "Child Star Curse." Also some nice stuff on them selecting locations, Chan coming up with some of the moves (the jacket on/jacket off thing) and Jaden training.

Decent DVD purchase, again maybe light on the extras but I think I'm over extras anyway. BD looks fantastic and there's also available a BD combo-pack that includes both the 2010 and 1984 versions on BD discs.

Again, this -for me- is great movie and easily the best of this Summer. The only problem I think is that the pacing in the first act of the movie is a bit slow as it takes it a bit too long to get to the good stuff.