I was a fan of the original movie and when I heard they were doing a remake I was convinced that Hollywood has ran out of ideas. After watching the trailer and following some reviews I decided to catch a showing at the mall. For those who are unfamiliar with martial arts the movie title is a misnomer. The movie has nothing to do with Karate, which is a Japanese martial art, and everything to do with Kung fu, a Chinese martial art. Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith, plays Dre, a 12 year old kid who moves to China because his mother’s job has been relocated. Unfamiliar with its culture Dre gets beat up and bullied. And then come Mr. Han, played by Jackie, to teach Dre Kung Fu and compete against those bullies in a martial arts tournament.
This movie is exciting, funny, and emotional that carries a serious tone to it. One would expect over the top slap stick comedy from Jack Chan, but his stoic character is anything but. Jaden, even at this young of age has serious acting talent, did a great job in The Pursuit of Happyness, and he does an even better job in this movie. He plays a very believable 12 year old kid loss in a world much different than his own, but does everything he can to fit in. It’s always the case when there’s a girl involved. Whether or not you’ve seen the original go see this movie. It runs a little long than it should, but it doesn’t disappoint.
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