Movie Review: ‘The Karate Kid – Legends’

Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) is the highly revered master of a prestigious Kung fu school in Beijing. Among his talented students is his great-nephew, Li Fong (Ben Wang).

Li’s skill begins to suffer when he witnesses the stabbing death of his brother by a street gang. His mother is devastated by his death and decides it is best to relocate. She is a physician and is fortunate to find work at a New York City hospital. Prior to their departure, she makes Li promise to give up martial arts and violence after his brother’s untimely death.

As a result of attending classes at a prestigious English school in China, Li speaks fluent English. Regardless of his speaking skills, his new classmates still considered him a foreign outsider.

He tries, but doesn’t fit in and is harassed. Unexpectedly, he does make one friend during his first days – Mia (Sadie Stanley). She is the daughter of a former boxing champion, Victor (Joshua Jackson), who now owns a pizza shop. The friendship between the two students begins to flourish.

Riding home on the subway one afternoon, they encounter Mia’s violent ex-boyfriend who happens to be a local karate champion. After exchanging a few condescending words, he attacks Li, beating him to the floor.

Violence continues another evening when Li witnesses Victor being attacked by thugs sent by the person to whom he owes money. Li has to intervene and spectacularly defeats the attackers. The grateful Victor decides to plan a comeback into the boxing world with the idea of earning money to pay back his creditors. He asks Li to train him.

Li agrees as he feels he is not breaking his promise to his mother – he’s only training a fighter, not being one.

The two train. Victor is making progress and Li is happy to be back in the martial arts atmosphere. Competition day arrives and Victor and his team arrive at the event ready for Victor’s win. Instead, he spectacularly fails and ends up hospitalized. His opponent was told to take illegal punches to his head to ensure Victor loosing. Li is frozen as flashbacks to the time his brother was killed appear – he is unable to help. The “pizza team” must move on to a plan B.

Plan B is Han. Li has not responded to his calls, so Han travels to NY to speak with him in person. Hearing of the complex financial and emotional situation the team is involved in, Han suggests Li train for and enter the very popular upcoming Five Boroughs Tournament. He hopes Li will win to both help his friends and confront his past to move on. The two train in earnest.

Han has a favorite move of Li’s brother that he begins teaching Li. It is a feint kick that lures opponents into an awkward position. The last match of the tournament sees Li and Mia’s ex face off. If Li can successfully use his brother’s flying kick, he stands the chance of winning the prize and regaining his self-esteem.

Directed by Jonathan Entwistle (Credits: Hello Tomorrow, Seafret: Oceans), “The Karate Kid - Legends” runs 94 minutes and is a “should see” for a story of facing one’s history, new challenges and moving on to a happier life. It’s not necessary to have seen the previous Karate Kid films as this is a standalone story.