With Karate Kid: Legends now playing in theaters, I had to check it out and see if it lives up to its iconic predecessors.
Somehow Karate Kid: Legends flew under my radar until it was nearly time for it to arrive in theaters. As a longtime fan of the original Karate Kid trilogy, seeing that there would be a film that brings together Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han, well that was something I couldn’t afford to miss.
Karate Kid: Legends
Directed by: Jonathan Entwistle
Starring: Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, Ralph Macchio, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley,
Ming-Na Wen
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Karate Kid: Legends largely takes in the present day and follows Li Fong (Ben Wang), a student of kung fu who finds his life upended after his family suddenly relocates from Beijing to New York City. As Li struggles to build a new life and make friends, he finds himself thrust into one of the biggest fighting tournaments in the city, a tournament that will require not just kung fu, but also karate.
Karate Kid: Legends is everything I needed it to be. It weaves together the original films and the reboot so seamlessly it feels like they were always meant to exist in the same world. If I’m being honest, it still skews more toward the 2010 reboot as there’s a much bigger emphasis on kung fu than karate, even with the talk throughout of “two branches, one tree” referring to how the Miyagi style of karate came to be. This isn’t a bad thing, the fight scenes scattered throughout the film are fantastic. Those not familiar with kung fu will be blown away by some of the moves pulled off.
It’s true the story does match the story beats of the original Karate Kid fairly closely; new kid in a new school, boy meets girl, there’s a bully who fights dirty, and a fighting tournament serves as the climax. Some have tried to dismiss Karate Kid: Legends because of this but I feel like they’re missing the point. The story of The Karate Kid is iconic for a reason and following the original pattern keeps it alive for a new generation of movie audiences.
Speaking of the original films, there are Easter eggs from the original films scattered throughout this one. Some of them are blink and you’ll miss it, others are much more obvious. The filmmakers did their utmost to give the original story the respect it deserves while still focusing on the new story.
The young stars of Karate Kid: Legends are great. Ben Wang delivers a standout performance as the kung fu student thrust into the wild streets of New York City, while Sadie Stanley complements him as the street-smart Mia. The sub-plot of these two becoming friends is well-written and provides some peaceful moments away from the martial arts fighting.
The fight scenes, and this being a Karate Kid film there are many, are wonderfully shot. The kung fu movements flow across the screen and it feels like you’re part of the action. The filmmakers introduced something new in the main tournament that takes up the last act of the film and I like how it transforms the tournament into something epic.
Then there’s the fact that this film has Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan in the story at the same time. I am not exaggerating when I say I could watch an entire feature film with nothing but those two interacting. They’re both great actors in their own rights, but together they are funny! Some of the scenes where Daniel and Mr. Han are training Li are hysterically funny and it’s all due to the banter of Li’s two teachers. If this film leads to any sequels being made, those two need to be in it, they were one of the best things about this story.
In conclusion, Karate Kid: Legends is one of the most entertaining films I’ve seen this year. It brings the best of the classic Karate Kid films, combines them with the new materials introduced in the reboot, and turns it into something beautiful. This is a film that will leave you feeling good as you walk out of the theater and really what more can we ask for?
