This week, with several worthy films set to hit Canada's big screens, I made the odd choice of "The Karate Kid", as the best. Stop laughing. No, I'm serious. Stop laughing. This film was not a failure, as a vanity project promoted by the parents of a “star” child should have been, but rather the opposite. The Karate Kid remake is a very, very good film no matter how you judge it. In many respects it is significantly superior to the original. Yes, the title is completely inadequate and made for purely marketing purposes - in the film the total amount of karate takes up about ten seconds - in the TV show “Teach Yourself”. But aside from that particular flaw, everything else is done very well.
UPDATE: Added a clip of a new film with 48-year-old “cult martial artist Ralph Macchio.”
Jaden Smith, the son of Will and Jada Pinkett, the film's producers, stars as Dre, a thirteen-year-old boy from Detroit who is forced to uproot and move to China when his mother is transferred to another job. There are only two of them, and Dre is extremely unprepared for this. He can't speak Chinese, he doesn't know their culture, he doesn't even know how to use chopsticks. And of course he doesn't understand Chinese gender politics. She immediately gets him into trouble when he starts flirting with a sweet and receptive classmate, angering the local boys who decide to drive the foreigner away.
Like most thirteen year olds, Lre is a bit cocky. Unlike his former peers, his new classmates know kung fu. Most of them. And on his very first day in China, he comes home with a black eye, having made himself a large number of enemies. As it turns out, the only person who can help him survive and protect himself is Mr. Khan, who is looking after his house.
This pretty much covers the major differences between the two versions of the film. This time, the child is like a fish out of water, thrown into the middle of an alien culture and forced to learn that the world is much larger than she previously imagined, and in order to survive in it, she must adapt. Other than that and a few technology updates, things are mostly the same. A brash boy becomes the target of a ruthless martial artist's students and begins to learn humility and modesty in order to protect himself while demonstrating the proper use of martial arts. Basically, you know in which direction the events will unfold, but the good thing about the film is that how they turn around.
First of all, the highest marks must be given to director Harold Zwart and screenwriter Christopher Murphy. Don't be fooled by the long length of the film. This is a deftly shot, well-paced work with extraordinary specification of characters and a minimum of any frills. Zwart balances character and action well, no doubt putting more focus on the characters, and makes the audience care about the characters first, presenting small blows as big moments of triumph.
What about the characters themselves? While Jaden Smith never reached great emotional heights, he did come pretty close in his attempts when the script called for it. The rest of the time he proved himself to be more than just capable, proving himself to be a capable performer. A lot of people hate this guy solely because of his parents and often express their opinions in incredibly rude terms. I call these people assheads, they deserve it. Smith is imperfect as a dramatic actor, but he is more than capable, gifted and has natural talent. Moreover, more importantly, he clearly takes his work seriously and is not afraid to put in the hard work for a quality result. This is most noticeable in training and fight scenes, which required him to spend a huge amount of time and effort. This cannot be faked. He's completely believable as a performer and looks significantly better than original star Ralph Macchio in both dramatic and martial arts departments.
And Jackie Chan? An aging clown whose witticisms dried up ten years ago? Well, Zwart and Murphy added a significant amount of complexity to his character, and Chan took advantage of the opportunity to play the role in such a way that it may well become the best dramatic role of his career. Undoubtedly, this is his best role he has ever played in the English language. Chan, thank God, was finally allowed to play a character his age and forget about the stupid farce. And guess what? Having been on film sets longer than most of his fans have been alive, he's learned a thing or two about acting. Those expecting Jackie Chan's signature fighting will be disappointed - he only has one significant fight sequence in the entire film. But those who value a new level of acting performance will be extremely satisfied. Chan plays the role of Mr. Han with just the right amount of gravitas and pathos. While Smith falls a little short in the emotional department, Chan does the job perfectly. He's great.
Well-written, well-acted, well-shot, “The Karate Kid” is one of those rare remakes that truly surpasses the original.
Author: Todd Brown
Source: showcase.ca
Wax On, F*ck Off with Ralph Macchio
Translation: EvilDollaR
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Tags: The Karate Kid, Jade Smith, Jackie Chan
Tags: The Karate Kid, Jade Smith, Jackie Chan
and the video about the boy from the original is good! I laughed until I cried.
The film earned 56 million in the first weekend (budget - 40 million). Not bad.
Do you guys already have a camrip online in English?)
By the way, today is the premiere of the film in America.