06-04-2010, 10:25 AM
Kung fu just stole a crown jewel from karate. When I think of karate films, there's not too much. There's Chiba's stuff, but that's fairly obscure unless you're really into the genre. Then there's Karate Kid, which defined the genre in America in the '80s. Now Karate Kid is a kung fu film. I know, I know, every martial artist has his gi-gusset in a bunch because it's 'karate' not kung fu, but as a kung fu practitioner, I can't but sit back and grin at this one. The Karate Kid dismisses that controversy with a wax-on, wax-off wave of the hand, and its on with the story.
Karate Kid 2010 has several nice homage scenes to the original, and the ending is exactly the same, so overall, it's not surprising. Jaden, Jackie and Taraji deliver solid performances, although unlike Morita's Mr. Miyagi, there's never any doubt that Jackie's Mr. Han is a total ass-kicker. The remake, like any remake, lacks the element of surprise. But still, Jaden is charismatic in the role, and Jackie handles his dramatic parts well. I was hoping that there would be more depth to Mr. Han's tragedy, something involving the Cultural Revolution perhaps, as Miyagi's grief stemmed from WWII injustices - the internment and such - but the film played a politically-neutral card there, which is just as well as like I mention in our the cover story of our latest issue, this is not about Hollywood. It's about the international release. This film is positioned to do very well in America, but it's poised to be huge in China. Even the credits are Chinese/English from start to finish. I'd like to see the Chinese version now, as they will surely tweak it a little, as mentioned in the Korean review above.
As for the action, it's actually more pro wrasslin' than kung fu or karate. Jackie delivers a signature bit of choreography - the lone fight scene. Like I said, the ending is the same, note-for-note, except a snake is swapped for a crane.
It's a great postcard of China. Beijing is portrayed well, with all its clutter and crowds, only everything is really close. Sure you could train on the Great Wall, but it's an hour+ taxi ride out of Beijing. And Wudang is called Dragon Well, which we all know is in Zhejiang, not Hubei. But none of that really matters.
Ultimately, I think this is a better film than the original in that it's more global. There's a subtle race issue, very subtle, but it's more like the original in being about being a stranger in a strange land, an innocent dealing with bullies. Of course, I'm very biased as its set in China. On a professional level, I think it will be great for our industry. It's funny, poignant, and generally entertaining summer film fare. Go see it when it comes out. It's definitely worth supporting.
Unfortunately tg and the CFs got shut out, along with dozens more of our vols. I got there at 5 and got some dinner. I got back to the theater by 5:50 and almost didn't make it in myself. That was a bummer. The screener was in a small house and there was a huge turnout.
Karate Kid 2010 has several nice homage scenes to the original, and the ending is exactly the same, so overall, it's not surprising. Jaden, Jackie and Taraji deliver solid performances, although unlike Morita's Mr. Miyagi, there's never any doubt that Jackie's Mr. Han is a total ass-kicker. The remake, like any remake, lacks the element of surprise. But still, Jaden is charismatic in the role, and Jackie handles his dramatic parts well. I was hoping that there would be more depth to Mr. Han's tragedy, something involving the Cultural Revolution perhaps, as Miyagi's grief stemmed from WWII injustices - the internment and such - but the film played a politically-neutral card there, which is just as well as like I mention in our the cover story of our latest issue, this is not about Hollywood. It's about the international release. This film is positioned to do very well in America, but it's poised to be huge in China. Even the credits are Chinese/English from start to finish. I'd like to see the Chinese version now, as they will surely tweak it a little, as mentioned in the Korean review above.
As for the action, it's actually more pro wrasslin' than kung fu or karate. Jackie delivers a signature bit of choreography - the lone fight scene. Like I said, the ending is the same, note-for-note, except a snake is swapped for a crane.
It's a great postcard of China. Beijing is portrayed well, with all its clutter and crowds, only everything is really close. Sure you could train on the Great Wall, but it's an hour+ taxi ride out of Beijing. And Wudang is called Dragon Well, which we all know is in Zhejiang, not Hubei. But none of that really matters.
Ultimately, I think this is a better film than the original in that it's more global. There's a subtle race issue, very subtle, but it's more like the original in being about being a stranger in a strange land, an innocent dealing with bullies. Of course, I'm very biased as its set in China. On a professional level, I think it will be great for our industry. It's funny, poignant, and generally entertaining summer film fare. Go see it when it comes out. It's definitely worth supporting.
Unfortunately tg and the CFs got shut out, along with dozens more of our vols. I got there at 5 and got some dinner. I got back to the theater by 5:50 and almost didn't make it in myself. That was a bummer. The screener was in a small house and there was a huge turnout.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse