Karate Kid: Legends

After his older brother Bo (Yankei Ge) was murdered after winning a Beijing Kung Fu championship, Li Fong (Ben Wang, "Mean Girls") was forbidden from fighting by his mother Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen), yet continues to train on the sly with Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). When she announces a move to New York City, Li thinks his martial arts days are really over until he stops in at Victory Pizza, whose owner, former boxing champ Victor Lipani (Joshua Jackson), asks him to help him train for a bout for its much needed prize money in "Karate Kid: Legends."
Laura's Review: B
Writer Rob Lieber ("Peter Rabbit") already had a template for this crowd-pleasing nostalgia trip, one which Jonathan Entwistle, in his feature directorial debut, acknowledges as 80's inspired using such devices as split screens and neon-colored graffiti-style graphics. The film's editing can be rough around the edges, but the extremely likable cast and the inclusive martial arts concept of 'two branches, one tree' add up to an enjoyable time at the movies.
Like the recent "Lilo & Stitch," the movie is essentially an expanded version of the original 1986 film, with parallel story lines pitting Victor against debt collectors and Li against the Five Boroughs karate champ using multiple styles of fighting set against the original backdrop of a life-changing move, a new girlfriend and a bully. It kicks off with a flashback to that year as Mr. Miyagi (the late Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) explains to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) that kung fu and karate are two branches of the same tree, the illustration of which is depicted on his headband, before moving to present day Beijing and Mr. Han's dojo. After arriving at their new NYC apartment, Li suggests getting some pizza from a place he noticed around the corner, but when he asks if they have stuffed crust, owner Vic suggests he steal a car and drive to New Jersey. Saving the situation, Vic's lovely daughter Mia (Sadie Stanley, resembling a young Jennifer Lawrence) steps in, learning that Li literally just flew in from Beijing. Soon he's helping her get discounts at a local Chinese supply outlet by teaching her Mandarin, but when she takes him around Manhattan on her scooter, they run into her ex, Dominion Martial Arts and Five Boroughs champ Conor (Aramis Knight), and he's not happy. A challenge in the schoolyard sees Li trying out his brother's expert flying dragon kick. Connor takes him down, but when three goons show up in the back alley behind Victory Pizza to demand debt repayment for Dominion owner O'Shea (Don Jr. lookalike Tim Rozon), Li takes all three out. The next thing we know, Li's training Victor to find his inner kung fu using unconventional items like industrial jars of olives and pizza paddles.
But when O'Shea directs Victor's opponent to use dirty tricks in the ring, landing the man in the hospital and landing his business on life support, Han, who's conveniently arrived for a visit, insists that they will help. His plan? It's obvious - enter Li in the Five Boroughs kung fu competition to win the $50K in prize money. And Han happens to have been an old friend of Miyagi's and knows just who to turn to to teach Li Miyagi's brand of karate.
Ben Wang is an appealing lead who clicks on screen with love interest Sadie Stanley, a pair worth routing for. He's given a comedic sidekick in the form of SAT tutor Alan (Wyatt Oleff, "It"), who provides the rooftop garden that will be used for Li's karate training and the tone deaf serenading to accompany romantic interludes. Chan and Macchio engage in respectful bickering during their team training, with Sensei LaRusso coming up with the way to 'trap the tiger,' bringing in another unconventional exercise involving a subway turnstile. But if Wen is stuck playing the disapproving tiger mom, Joshua Jackson adds a ton of warmth to the film, his Victor its surprise charm offensive. A pre-credits epilogue features yet another surprise cameo.
Perhaps low expectations for this movie, which admittedly boasts a fair amount of corn, helped, but "Karate Kid: Legends" surprises as entertaining family fare.
Sony Pictures releases "Karate Kid: Legends" in theaters on 5/30/25.