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The karate kid (2010), common sense media reviewers.

movie review karate kid

Remake has new stars, new country, but same winning spirit.

The Karate Kid (2010) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

As with the original, the Karate Kid 2010's me

It's very very obvious who's "good&qu

The new Karate Kid boasts just as much bullying an

Dre, who is 12, is obviously interested in Meiying

Aside from the word "ass," which Karate

Since the movie takes place in China, there's

In one scene, Mr. Han looks and acts drunk (a bott

Parents need to know that this Karate Kid remake is a faithful adaptation of the original but because the central character is 12 instead of 16, the language and romance is appropriately scaled back, even though the violence is a bit more startling. There's not much cursing (a few uses of the word "ass…

Positive Messages

As with the original, the Karate Kid 2010's message is supposed to be that violence doesn't solve problems and that pure martial arts are about peace and self reflection, not fighting or revenge. While there is a lot of of violence, the overall theme of the film is a positive one.

Positive Role Models

It's very very obvious who's "good" and who's not. Mr. Han considers and discusses martial arts almost like yoga -- a sacred practice that should never be abused. Meanwhile, Master Li is a competitive zealot who espouses the importance of "No weakness, no mercy!"

Violence & Scariness

The new Karate Kid boasts just as much bullying and martial-arts violence as the original, but these characters are middle-school aged, not high-schoolers. There are black eyes, cracked ribs, and broken bones. Plus, one scene features an adult against five eager-to-brawl tweens and teens.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Dre, who is 12, is obviously interested in Meiying, and they flirt with each other quite openly. After some hand holding, they play a dance video game, and during her hip-hop dance, he stares at her wide-eyed and tells her "You're dancing is HOT." They eventually share one brief closed-mouth kiss.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Aside from the word "ass," which Karate Kid Jaden Smith says about four times, there's the occasional "stupid," "loser" and the like.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Since the movie takes place in China, there's not a whole lot of visible consumerism, but some brands that stand out include SpongeBob SquarePants (in Mandarin!), Volkswagen, and Air China.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In one scene, Mr. Han looks and acts drunk (a bottle of Chinese alcohol is shown).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this Karate Kid remake is a faithful adaptation of the original but because the central character is 12 instead of 16, the language and romance is appropriately scaled back, even though the violence is a bit more startling. There's not much cursing (a few uses of the word "ass") or sexuality (mild flirting and one chaste kiss), but there are a whole lot of fight scenes. The Chinese bullies are pretty merciless both off and on the mat. They're even willing to do some unethical moves to secure a championship. But when it comes down to it, this is a friendship story between old and young, East and West, and that's a fine message for young kids. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

  • Parents say (91)
  • Kids say (136)

Based on 91 parent reviews

Great movie. A must watch.....

What's the story.

Twelve-year-old Dre Parker ( Jaden Smith ) moves with his widowed mother ( Taraji P. Henson ) from Detroit to Beijing, China, where he has to learn a new language, acclimate to a new school, and deal with a completely different culture. Early on, he shows an interest in Meiying, a pretty young violinist, but his flirtation brings him face-to-face with a crew of kung fu-practicing bullies who taunt Dre and beat him up pretty mercilessly at every possible turn. Like in the original, the bullies all take advanced martial arts at a scarily competitive kung fu studio led by Master Li (Rongguang Yu). Just when Dre's about to be attacked by six of the bullies, he's saved by his apartment complex's maintenance man, Mr. Han ( Jackie Chan ), who hesitantly agrees to train Dre for a kung fu competition where he'll face all of his nemeses. Their mentor-mentee relationship develops into strong friendship that helps both Dre and Mr. Han grow past their insecurity and pain.

Is It Any Good?

Surprisingly, this remake is not only incredibly faithful to the original (except for the protagonist's age, the setting, and the style of martial art), but also incredibly entertaining. Viewers are sure to clap and hoot throughout many, many scenes. What makes the kung fu reimagining work is the stellar performances by Smith, who channels his father Will's intensity and charm, and Chan, who finally seems in his element and gets to show some dramatic acting skills. They may not have some of the humorous exchanges (or lines) that made Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita so lovable, but their friendship is believable and strong enough to carry the story.

The movie, even with its unncessarily long run time of nearly two and a half hours, proves that Smith is a natural-born entertainer, which isn't surprising considering he's basically Hollywood royalty. He may have initially gotten the part because of his parents, but he's funny, at ease, and can even nail tween angst. The rapport between Smith and Henson as mother-and-son is realistic, and his flirtation with Meiying is adorable. The antagonists are perfectly played (at last, Asian boys aren't portrayed as geeky!), and Master Li is a slick, Chinese version of John Kreese's "No mercy!"-spewing Sensei. While it's unlikely that Chan's "take off the jacket/put it up" bit will become the cultural touchstone that "wax on!/wax off!" was, the spirit of the original -- the triumph of a multi-generational, multi-cultural friendship -- makes this underdog story hard to resist.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how this is ultimately a fish-out-of-water story. How is Dre even more of an outsider than the original's Daniel? What are the cultural differences that make it difficult for Dre to fit in? Do outsiders always meet with bullying , or are there ways to make it easier to get along?

What do Dre and Mr. Han teach each other? Is it believable that an older man and a 12-year-old would become best friends?

While the first Karate Kid dealt with class, this one subtly deals with race and culture. How does Dre's different background affect his ability to fit in? Why? Did the movie challenge or reinforce any stereotypes ? Kids: How do you treat people from different backgrounds or those who are new in town?

Movie Details

  • In theaters : June 11, 2010
  • On DVD or streaming : October 5, 2010
  • Cast : Jackie Chan , Jaden Smith , Taraji P. Henson
  • Director : Harald Zwart
  • Inclusion Information : Asian actors, Female actors, Black actors
  • Studio : Columbia Pictures
  • Genre : Family and Kids
  • Topics : Sports and Martial Arts , Friendship
  • Run time : 132 minutes
  • MPAA rating : PG
  • MPAA explanation : bullying, martial arts action violence and mild language
  • Last updated : January 28, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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movie review karate kid

  • DVD & Streaming

The Karate Kid

  • Action/Adventure , Drama

Content Caution

movie review karate kid

In Theaters

  • June 11, 2010
  • Jaden Smith as Dre Parker; Jackie Chan as Mr. Han; Taraji P. Henson as Sherry Parker; Wenwen Han as Meiying; Zhenwei Wang as Cheng; Rongguang Yu as Master Li; Luke Carberry as Harry

Home Release Date

  • October 5, 2010
  • Harald Zwart

Distributor

  • Columbia Pictures

Movie Review

Twelve-year-old Dre Parker and his mother, Sherry, are the newest residents at the swank-sounding Beverly Hills Luxury Apartments. But this abode is anything but swank. And they’re a long way from California. The mother-and-son duo now calls Beijing, China, home, after Mom’s automobile-manufacturing job gets transferred there.

For Sherry, it’s an exotic new start. For Dre? Well, the pintsized African-American expat has a different perspective. “I hate it here!” he soon screams at his mother.

Things had begun with promise for Dre. A new friend named Harry seemed eager to show him the ropes. And an intriguing young violin player—who speaks English!—had caught his eye. Maybe China wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Or maybe it would.

Dre’s chemistry with Meiying instantly attracts the unwanted attention of a young thug named Cheng. No problem , the headstrong Detroit native thinks. I’ll show him who’s boss.

Dre does find out who’s boss—at just about the same time he finds out what asphalt tastes like.

Enter Mr. Han, an aloof-but-kind maintenance man who takes notice of Dre’s trials … and who bails him out of a lopsided, six-on-one beatdown. With Han’s help, Dre negotiates a truce with Cheng’s kung fu teacher, Master Li. There’s only one condition: Dre must face his tormentor in an upcoming kung fu tournament. (Yes, it’s kung fu , not karate in this Karate Kid remake.)

And so Dre’s training commences.

Positive Elements

Dre’s mother is conscientious, and she wants the best for him. She tries to understand why being in China is hard for him, even if Dre isn’t always interested in talking.

But Dre’s relationship with Mr. Han, of course, is the movie’s emotional focal point. The older man is a recluse—until he takes Dre under his wing. Stepping into those mentor shoes brings new life to Mr. Han. Near the finale, he tells his protégé, “You have taught me a very important lesson, Dre. Life will knock us down, but we can choose whether or not to get back up.” Dre responds, “You’re the best friend I ever had, Mr. Han.”

Some of Mr. Han’s teachings about kung fu involve spiritual elements (noted in more detail below). But Dre’s teacher also sees the marital art as a philosophical framework for a certain way of living:

Because Dre often fails to hang up his coat, Mr. Han initiates a training exercise for him that involves the boy dropping his coat, picking it up, hanging it up, then repeating the process. Those movements, of course, become a template for defensive maneuvers in a fight. But in explaining his training rationale to Dre, Mr. Han says, “Kung fu lives in everything we do. It lives in how we treat people. Everything is kung fu.” Mr. Han also teaches his pupil to see that “kung fu is not about fighting. It’s about making peace with your enemies.” We also hear Mr. Han’s belief that “there are no bad students, only bad teachers.”

Regarding Dre’s conflict with Cheng, Mr. Han believes that standing up to him is what matters, not victory. “Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. Fight hard, earn respect, boys leave you alone.”

Dre and Meiying’s relationship is complicated by cultural divides. Meiying’s parents forbid her to see Dre after he accidentally embarrasses their family, for example. But Dre takes the initiative to apologize to her father for offending him. Meiying’s father softens and allows his daughter to keep her promise to go to the tournament.

Spiritual Elements

Mr. Han teaches Dre that kung fu depends upon tapping into the concept of chi , which he calls “eternal energy and the essence of life.” He says that chi “moves inside of us … inside our bodies” and “gives us power from within.” Dre translates: “I get it! It’s like the Force from Star Wars .” Some of Mr. Han’s teaching also includes telling Dre to “empty your mind” to connect with these internal energies.

Mr. Han leads Dre up a mountainside staircase to a place he calls the dragon well. There, we see a water basin bearing the yin and yang symbol. Mr. Han calls the basin’s contents “magic kung fu water,” and he says that after you drink it, “nothing can defeat you.” The well is located in a temple of sorts, where people practice martial arts. One woman stares down a cobra while balancing on an ornate stone outcropping.

Twice, Mr. Han sets what looks like a cotton ball on fire, then uses this “magical” fire in some mysterious way to heal Dre of injuries he’s received. He calls it “ancient Chinese healing.”

Sexual Content

At a festival that celebrates love (Mr. Han calls it the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day), Dre and Meiying lean in for a kiss in the middle of a puppet show about a lovelorn goddess who’s separated from her lover.

On a date, Dre and Meiying play a dance video game that blares portions of two songs with sexual lyrics: Flo Rida’s “Low” (which is about strippers sliding down a pole) and Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” (which merges gambling metaphors with sexual suggestiveness). Meiying, who looks as if she’s barely entered adolescence, does a suggestive dance to the later song, complete with sexualized hip movements and seductive facial expressions.

Violent Content

In Dre’s first showdown with Cheng, he lands one punch … which, of course, sets Cheng off. Dre then absorbs about 10 punches and kicks before being flipped hard onto the ground. Later, Dre unwisely picks another fight with Cheng by throwing a jug of water on him. As Dre flees, he makes a mess of a marketplace. Cheng and his posse catch Dre, and they administers five or six severe blows with fists and feet. Mr. Han arrives to save the day, initiating a lengthy kung fu battle in which he mostly tricks his assailants into repeatedly hitting one another.

Several matches in the kung fu championship are surprisingly savage, with opponents trading nasty blows. Dre gets pretty beaten up en route to the final match with Cheng. And in the semifinal, Master Li instructs one of Cheng’s lackeys to take Dre out by hurting him. “I don’t want him beaten,” Li says. “I want him broken.” The student obliges by delivering wince-inducing strikes to Dre’s knee.

[ Spoiler Warning ] But Dre perseveres and meets Cheng in the final. A heavy hit early in the match forces Dre off the raised combat platform. When things go badly for Cheng, Li instructs him, “I want you to break the leg. No mercy.” The resulting kicks to Dre’s wounded leg send him tumbling—in agony—to the ground. Then, using the “cobra technique” he’s been practicing, Dre delivers a backflip kick to Cheng’s head to win.

Elsewhere, Cheng flips Dre’s food tray up in the air at school in an attempt to provoke a fight; later he and his lieutenants menacingly empty Dre’s backpack. Master Li wickedly slaps a timid student who refuses to finish off an opponent. Li’s philosophy: “No mercy. … Our enemies deserve pain.”

In an intense scene, Mr. Han takes a sledgehammer to the Volkswagen Scirocco he’s been restoring. Every year, it seems, Mr. Han restores the car (in which his wife and 10-year-old son were killed), then mangles it again in a violent explosion of unresolved grief.

Crude or Profane Language

One use of “d‑‑mit.” Twice, Dre complains about not wanting to get his “a‑‑” kicked, after which Mr. Han tells him, “Don’t say a‑‑.” Later, Dre says the word again, then remembers he’s been told not to. God’s name is improperly interjected two or three times.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Han gets drunk on the anniversary of his wife’s and son’s deaths. The camera gives us a close-up of an empty liquor bottle.

Other Negative Elements

Dre ignores a text message from his mother to come home, and he often displays a bit of a resistant attitude when it comes to obeying her.

For anyone who grew up in the ’80s, the thought of remaking a film that introduced an appreciative generation to the catchphrase “wax on, wax off” seems risky at best. Why tamper with something that’s so iconic to so many? The cynical answer, of course, is that Hollywood seems short on good stories. But that’s exactly the point: This is a pretty good story, and Columbia Pictures knows it. That’s why it’s back, 26 years later.

As far as how the new film stands up against the 1984 version, my rose-colored view of the original renders me incapable of providing a completely unbiased answer. But I can say that the narrative trajectory and the moral messages are similar, remaining solid and inspirational. The emphatic emphasis on perseverance, friendship, discipline and mentoring is still impossible to miss.

The biggest difference between the two films, apart from the shift in setting from California to China, has to do with the age of the characters. Whereas Daniel LaRusso was a senior in high school (as were his girlfriend, Ali, and his blond-haired arch nemesis, Johnny Lawrence), Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker is supposed to be 12—though he looks like he could be as young as 9 or 10. Instead of adolescents on the verge of adulthood, then, we see children on the verge of adolescence. That changes the feel of things, even if the feelings the film eventually elicits are similar.

Before writing this review I watched the original again—mainly to try to give new perspective to my emotional reference points. And I suspect most parents will think the new version feels more family friendly, largely because there’s less profanity and no drug abuse. (The original had a couple of s-words and uses of “g‑‑d‑‑n.” It also included a scene in which Johnny rolls a joint in a school bathroom stall.)

That said, this new Karate Kid’ s kung fu scenes are in fact amped up. And the same can be said of the story’s spiritual content, which is both more specific and more frequent. In 1984, Mr. Miyagi made one joking reference to Buddha. In 2010, Mr. Han waxes eloquent about chi and dabbles in some very mystical-feeling rituals. And then there’s Meiying’s maddeningly unnecessary sensual dance scene—easily the most disappointing moment of the film for me because of the way it projects grown-up sexuality onto a character who’s still mostly a little girl.

A postscript: The Karate Kid deals with the issue of bullying, a subject that’s been in the news a lot lately. For generations, the conventional wisdom has been this: Stand up to a bully, and he’ll learn to leave you alone. That’s the message in the original film, and that’s the message this time around. In today’s world, though, standing up to bullies may be riskier than it used to be. Most might indeed back down, just as the films suggest. But, sadly, an increasing number of teens or even tweens might be just as likely to bring a gun to school and shoot someone who stands up to them. Whether the so-called conventional wisdom still applies, then, should be carefully dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

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Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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movie review karate kid

The Karate Kid (2010)

Dove Review

“The Karate Kid” will have you cheering! This inspiring movie features homage to the original movie which starred Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, but it has altered enough elements so as to reflect the fact that it is a modern story in an ancient location, namely China. In this film the karate kid is named Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and his mother moves them to Beijing as she accepts a new job and they leave life in Detroit behind. Soon Dre meets a girl he likes named Mei Ying but is also introduced to a group of bullies, led by a kid who is a powerful kung fu student named Cheng. Cheng attends kung fu training under a master who believes in inflicting pain on an opponent and allowing “no mercy!”

Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han, the kung fu master who trains Dre to meet the young bully in a tournament, is a more serious teacher than Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi was. But his kung fu is razor sharp and he does have his own humorous moments in the movie. He teaches Dre respect and to have a proper attitude as well as moves which would make Bruce Lee proud. It should be noted that Jaden Smith does an outstanding job playing Dre Parker.

The ending is remarkable and left the audience I screened the film with cheering. It is a satisfying movie-going experience. It includes some mild language and some martial arts violence, but the themes of loyalty, the power to change one’s attitude, and the idea of discipline and even forgiveness are all featured in this fantastic film. We award our Dove Seal to this movie for ages twelve plus but consult our content listings below. Some parents will feel comfortable in taking children under twelve to see a movie which contains important life lessons. How many movies do that these days?

Dove Rating Details

Martial arts violence and some bullying; kung fu teacher has to fight off teens who gang up on him; some bruises and a bit of blood; street fight in which bullies inflict pain on a character.

Kissing between a couple; mild innuendo.

A-4; D-1; G/OMG-2

A character experiencing emotional anguish on a painful anniversary drinks and cries but another character gets him to train him and takes his mind off his pain.

A character uses an ancient Chinese practice involving flames to heal wounds; death and grief are featured in the life of a character; a character trains using a cobra which repeats her movements; a boy has an attitude toward his mother when she wants him to hang up his jacket but he changes toward her.

More Information

Film information, dove content.

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Movie review: ‘The Karate Kid’

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“The Karate Kid” is a kung fu kick of a film that hits more than it misses, with its fresh prince of Beijing in Jaden Smith, its scene-stealing grand master flash, Jackie Chan, and a shiny-happy China travelogue thrown in for good measure, or tax incentives, one of the two.

The grit and the grime of the 1984 original are gone, swept under some Oriental rug no doubt in the spit-shine director Harald Zwart has given every nook and cranny of the production. But the bones of Robert Mark Kamen’s story of a struggling, fatherless boy and the man and martial arts that help him is still very much the heart of the matter — screenwriter Christopher Murphey’s just gone global with it.

Though the new job takes mom, the always sassy Taraji P. Henson, and Dre (Smith) to kung fu central, the producers have kept the “Karate” name and thrown in some bad dialogue to explain it. For the record, and for all the parents left to search for classes the kids will probably clamor for, the highly choreographed fighting style used here is wushu , a kind of power kung fu that frankly looks pretty brutal, so be prepared for the kids to give and take a lot of punches.

Giving the movie even more currency today is its key dilemma of how to deal with the school bully. While cyber-bullying has become all the rage, for most kids reality is that bigger boy with a bad attitude who pushes and pummels them on the playground. For Dre, it’s Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), who doesn’t like the new American interloper or his interest in pretty violin prodigy Mei Ying (Wenwen Han).

A few losing rounds with the Cheng gang sends Dre on his journey to find himself, honor and an enemy-crushing kick, with help from Chan’s Mr. Han and plenty of nods to the original that fans will recognize along the way.

The critical piece of this Chinese puzzle is Mr. Han, the maintenance man at Dre’s apartment house and a secret kung fu master. It’s a wonderfully nuanced performance with Chan hiding the pain of old wounds in the dark recesses of his eyes, moving with an old warrior’s limp that would make House envious. Though he masters and mines Mr. Han’s interior, there is great fun in his face-off with the young toughs who are after Dre, which channels the battle magic that has made him a martial arts movie legend.

Meanwhile, Smith is a chip off the old charismatic block of daddy Will (he and mom Jada are producers on the film). The 11-year-old has a few credits under his black belt, most prominently playing his father’s son in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” but “Karate Kid” is his first starring role and the film hangs largely on his slight shoulders. Smith is surprisingly at ease with the more emotional notes — real tears after Cheng’s well-aimed blows to both his body and his ego. He trained for months with Wu Gang, the stunt coordinator for Chan’s martial arts team as well, and that athleticism is much on display.

As is kung fu itself, from the school where kids stand hundreds strong in their red gis, ready to take the day, to the final showdown between Dre and Cheng in front of a roaring crowd, a complex series of scenes that Chan’s team stepped in to choreograph. The endgame — whether you kung fu for peace or to destroy — is once again on trial along with Dre. But first Dre must learn to be a patient grasshopper, picking up his jacket off the floor about a million times, which turns out to be the foundation for some of those nifty moves Mr. Han has up his sleeve.

Speaking of patience, sitting through “The Karate Kid,” at well over 2 hours, requires more than some of its target audience will have, to say nothing of their minders, who may consider revolt when everyone heads to the Qi Xi Festival, one of several unnecessary side trips. The pacing is problematic, swinging between the blinding speed and bruising reality of the fights and a meandering sightseeing tour of China that takes Dre and Mr. Han from training on The Great Wall to the Forbidden City to a mountain retreat. Director of photography Roger Pratt, with a couple of Harry Potters on his long resume, captures the vast landscape and the historic landmarks of the country, and the intimate, sweat-pouring intensity of the fights, though it’s sometimes jarring as we move between them.

For director Zwart, whose last outing was the depressingly bad “Pink Panther 2,” it’s a step up. The filmmaker has a good eye for action, but he remains too tentative with both the story and his actors, particularly the kids, and the movie gets away from him at times. Thankfully Chan is usually there to save the day, with Smith, a worthy student, right beside him.

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Former Los Angeles Times film critic Betsy Sharkey is an award-winning entertainment journalist and bestselling author. She left the newsroom in 2015. In addition to her critical essays and reviews of about 200 films a year for The Times, Sharkey’s weekly movie reviews appeared in newspapers nationally and internationally. Her books include collaborations with Oscar-winning actresses Faye Dunaway on “Looking for Gatsby” and Marlee Matlin on “I’ll Scream Later.” Sharkey holds a degree in journalism and a master’s in communications theory from Texas Christian University.

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The Karate Kid parents guide

The Karate Kid Parent Guide

This film presents a feel-good underdog story that demonstrates the value of hard work, the tenacity of the human spirit and the mutual benefits found in friendships between the young and old..

New Jersey native Daniel (Ralph Macchio) has trouble fitting when he moves to California. As bullying problems escalate, the teen turns to an unlikely friend, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), who mentors him in martial arts for self-defense.

Release date June 22, 1984

Run Time: 127 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by donna gustafson.

With dreams of a better future, Lucille Larusso (Randee Heller) moves her son Daniel (Ralph Macchio) from cold New Jersey to the sunny state of California. But what she sees as paradise quickly turns into hell for the transplanted teenager as he tries to put down roots in the foreign environment.

The biggest challenge is his peers. First introductions seem to go okay until Daniel catches the eye of a pretty blonde named Ali (Elisabeth Shue). Unfortunately she comes with strings attached to a jealous ex-boyfriend. When Johnny (William Zabka) sees them together, he and his motorcycle buddies tangle with the stranger, beating the boy until he is bruised and black eyed.

Daniel’s worst fears are realized one night when an angry Johnny and his aggressive gang corner him and start hitting, punching and kicking until the youth is barely conscious. Then a miracle happens. The elderly Japanese maintenance man from Daniel’s apartment complex suddenly appears and within minutes subdues the assailants. Realizing Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita) has some serious martial arts skills, the teen asks for lessons so he can stop being a punching bag.

It takes some lengthy persuasion to get the quiet gentleman to consent to his request, mostly because he wants to make sure Daniel understands karate is not about fighting and vengeance, but about self-defense and earning respect. Taking the problem back to the karate school, Mr. Miyagi arranges to have Daniel challenge Kreese’s students at an upcoming tournament and has them agree to a truce until the competition. In the meantime the master promises to train the boy.

The Karate Kid debuted in 1984 and quickly became a classic in its genre. Still, parents should be aware that despite pacifist professions, the movie spends a lot of time portraying martial arts violence and battles where bullying turns into assault. (A little blood and a few injuries are shown). Other content concerns include depictions of a minor drinking, a teen rolling a joint, and several uses of mild and moderate profanities.

Fortunately the film also presents a feel-good underdog story that demonstrates the value of hard work, the tenacity of the human spirit and the mutual benefits found in friendships between the young and old.

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The Karate Kid Rating & Content Info

Why is The Karate Kid rated PG? The Karate Kid is rated PG by the MPAA

Martial arts violence pervades this film about a picked on boy who learns karate for self-defense. Altercations include hand-to-hand combat, kicks and punches. Along with verbal taunting, the bullying turns into assault when the victim is outnumbered and beaten into unconsciousness. The scraps eventually move into a showdown at a karate tournament where an aggressive teacher encourages his students to use illegal means to take out their opponents. Black eyes, bloody noses, scrapes, bruises and an injured leg are shown. Frequent mild and moderate profanities are used, along with terms of deity. An adult character smokes, while an adolescent only pretends to. A teen is shown rolling a joint. A role model character consumes alcohol to the point of drunkenness and persuades a minor to drink too. An unlicensed youth drives a car, with an adult’s consent. Teen girls are shown dressed in swimwear, and males are seen with bare chests. A teen couple holds hands and kisses.

Page last updated April 25, 2020

The Karate Kid Parents' Guide

Mr. Miyagi agrees to teach Daniel karate, but instead has him doing household chores. How does the elderly man respond when the boy questions his methods? What skills and character traits does Daniel learn because of his labor?

Kreese has his students recite: "Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy." How does this statement of philosophy differ from Mr. Miyagi’s view of karate? Still, both of these teachers gain the loyalty of their pupils. Why? What motivates the obedience in each group?

According to the movie, Daniel leaves New Jersey in September, has his major altercation with Johnny on Halloween night (October 31) and then competes in the karate tournament in December. Is this a realistic timeline for someone to develop the level of martial arts skill depicted in this film?

The bullying Daniel endures is very serious. How should such abuse really be handled? Do you think it is realistic to assume the aggression will stop if the boys take their grievances into a competition environment? Ignoring what the script suggests, what would likely happen to Daniel if he won such a tournament? What would happen if he lost?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

Remade as a picture book for all ages, "The Karate Kid: The Classic Illustrated Story Book" brings Daniel's story to a younger audience.

Related home video titles:

The Karate Kid was followed by a sequel in 1986 titled The Karate Kid 2 . A remake of The Karate Kid releases in 2010. Other martial arts underdog films include Kung Fu Panda , Mulan and The Forbidden Kingdom .

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the karate kid part iii.

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I think I have the message by now. It was contained in " The Karate Kid " (1984), which was a wonderful movie, and then it was recycled in "The Karate Kid, Part II." Now we have "The Karate Kid Part III," and still the message is the same. This material is wearing out its welcome. I have mastered all of the lessons "The Karate Kid" movies have to teach and all of the surprises they have to spring. I am also intimately familiar with the plot formula, so that nothing in this third film comes as the faintest surprise. Perhaps it is time, as Mr. Miyagi might say, to study something else.

The purpose of a sequel is allegedly to continue the original story, to tell us more about some characters we have already encountered. The problem with most movie sequels is that they don't continue the original story, they repeat it. They take the same conflicts, the same problems and sometimes even the same dialogue, and they try to fool us into thinking we're seeing a new movie. "The Karate Kid Part III" was made in 1989, but all of the original thinking on this movie took place five years ago. The same director, the same writer and most of the same stars are back again - to do the same things.

In the first movie, we had the pleasure of meeting for the first time one of the genuinely interesting characters of recent movies, Mr. Miyagi, a Japanese-American janitor whose secret life included mastery of the practice and philosophy of karate, and who was a wise philosopher with a foolish love for restoring old cars. As he gradually revealed himself to Daniel, the "karate kid," we met him too, and it was a pleasure to guess his secrets and be taught some of his mysteries. That first movie had an attitude about karate, and life.

The second film, which transferred part of the story to Japan, had interesting locales and a pretty girlfriend for the hero, but no new ideas about the plot, which involved Mr. Miyagi and his student being pushed so far by bad guys that they overcome their reluctance to fight. In this third film, Mr. Miyagi ( Pat Morita ) has been reduced to a standard element in a standard plot. And Daniel ( Ralph Macchio ) is no longer an interesting kid, but simply a series of predictable attitudes.

Terry, the villain (Thomas Ian Griffith ), is one of those slicked-back wise guys with a squirmy smile, who does hateful things because he's a hateful person (karate is his hobby; his real-life business is dumping toxic wastes). There's a little room left in the plot for the hapless Kreese ( Martin L. Kove ), who ran the corrupt karate school in the first movie. And then there's a new love interest named Jessica ( Robyn Lively ), who runs the pottery shop across the street from Mr. Miyagi's new bonsai store. And a new villain ( Sean Kanan ), whose job is simply to be violent, cruel and hateful.

The plot: Terry is an old Army buddy of Kreese, whose school goes bankrupt after Mr. Miyagi and the kid win the big tournament. He finances a tournament challenge by the Kanan character, who convinces a reluctant Daniel to defend his challenge by trapping him at the bottom of a cliff and threatening the life of the cute potter. Mr. Miyagi counsels Daniel to retire from competition, but after the bad guys push him too far, he thrashes all of them and agrees to coach the kid for the tournament, with the usual results.

The only fresh element this time is Daniel's brief rebellion, when he is disloyal to Mr. Miyagi by accepting the scheming Terry as his coach. Formula movies like this are only as good as their villains, and I would have liked to know more about the weirdness that glows in their eyes. But the movie doesn't care: They're not in the movie as characters, but as little pop-up cartoon characters to further the plot.

The first movie made at least a bow in the direction of a nonviolent philosophy. No more. This movie depends as much on a violent showdown as " Rocky ," which had the same director, John G. Avildsen .

It's hard to create original characters and give them interesting things to say, and Avildsen and writer Robert Mark Kamen have exhausted themselves with these particular characters. It's time to move on.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Karate Kid Part III movie poster

The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

111 minutes

Ralph Macchio as Daniel

Martin L. Kove as Kreese

Robyn Lively as Jessica

Ian Griffith as Terry Thomas

Sean Kanan as Mike Barnes

Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi

Christopher Paul Ford as Dennis

Jonathan Avildsen as Snake

Produced by

  • Jerry Weintraub
  • John Carter

Photography by

  • Stephen Yaconelli

Screenplay by

  • Robert Mark Kamen

Directed by

  • John G. Avildsen

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New ‘Karate Kid’ Movie Casts ‘American Born Chinese’ Star Ben Wang in Title Role

By Katcy Stephan

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 07: Ben Wang attends the Disney+ Original Series "American Born Chinese" New York premiere at Radio City Music Hall on May 07, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

Ben Wang is the next Karate Kid .

Wang, who previously starred opposite Michelle Yeoh in the Disney+ series “American Born Chinese,” landed the sought-after role after a worldwide search that saw thousands of young actors from around the globe vie for the title role in Sony’s new “Karate Kid” movie, which unites Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. Per studio insiders, Wang delivered a standout audition performance that demonstrated his deep connection to the character.

The actor, who is also fluent in Mandarin, is skilled across many forms of martial arts, including Karate, Wing Chun/Kung Fu, Gumdo, Kempo and Taekwando.

Plot details are still under wraps on the new movie, but Macchio will once again play Daniel LaRusso from the original “Karate Kid” film trilogy and the series “Cobra Kai,” while Chan will return to the role of Mr. Han, a Kung Fu master from the 2010 remake movie starring Jaden Smith.

The film will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle, the creator and director of Netflix’s “I Am Not Okay With This” and “The End of the F—ing World.” “Peter Rabbit” scribe Rob Lieber will pen the screenplay, and Karen Rosenfelt will produce.

Sony Pictures will release the film in theaters on Dec. 13, 2024.

The “Karate Kid” films have earned $618 million globally, and spawned the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Cobra Kai.” The series, created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, takes place decades after the events of the original movies, reigniting a rivalry between Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).

The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the news.

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Screen Rant

New karate kid casting promises some of the franchise's best fights yet.

The actor chosen to play the titular character in Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan's new Karate Kid movie is a great sign for its martial arts action.

  • Ben Wang's casting in the new Karate Kid film adds to the hype and excitement surrounding the action-packed movie.
  • Wang's extensive martial arts background showcases his skills in various disciplines, ensuring top-notch fight scenes.
  • Expect a perfect blend of karate and kung fu in the film as Wang's character receives training from both Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan's Mr. Han.

The casting choice for the titular character in 2024's The Karate Kid is promising news for the movie's action. Fresh off of his starring role in Disney+'s recently canceled American Born Chinese show, Ben Wang has been cast in the upcoming Karate Kid film . The new movie is set to be the sixth big-screen installment in The Karate Kid franchise .

The addition of Ben Wang adds a third name to a cast that already included Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan. From the looks of things, the original Karate Kid himself, Macchio's Daniel LaRusso will be teaming up with Jackie Chan's Mr. Han , who served as the 2010 remake's interpretation of Mr. Miyagi. The story will reportedly take place on the East Coast and center around Ben Wang's teenage character, who is likely to receive tutelage from the two Karate Kid heroes.

The Karate Kid Sequel's New Star Is Great News For The Martial Arts Action

Cobra-Kai-cast-Karate-Kid-Ben-Wang

With one of the most celebrated martial arts stars of all time in Jackie Chan co-leading the film, there was already a great deal to be excited about in terms of the action, but the actor chosen for its teen hero adds even more to the hype. According to Variety , Ben Wang " is skilled across many forms of martial arts, including Karate, Wing Chun/Kung Fu, Gumdo, Kempo and Taekwando. " The 24-year-old actor's incredibly diverse martial arts background is a positive indicator of what Wang will bring to the table when The Karate Kid arrives on the big screen.

An actor with a great deal of martial arts experience appearing in a Karate Kid movie isn't unprecedented, but it's typically not an expectation of the actor playing the movie's teenage hero. Ralph Macchio and Hilary Swank, who both held in this role in the past, weren't martial artists. Jaden Smith had taken karate for years, but Wang's wide repertoire of martial arts disciplines is impressive on another level, and a good sign that the fights with both the adult and the teenage characters will be top-notch action sequences . Having actors well-trained in martial arts on board will naturally make it easier to film intense fight scenes.

What Martial Arts Style Will The Karate Kid's New Hero Use?

A composite image of Jackie Chan's Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso from The Karate Kid movies.

Additionally, Wang's martial arts experience provides a hint at what style of fighting he'll employ in the film. While karate may seem like the obvious answer to this question, it's more likely that karate is only part of the equation. It shouldn't be forgotten that in spite of the title, The Karate Kid's Mr. Han was a kung fu master. Daniel, on the other hand, is a practitioner of karate. Considering that Ben Wang is expected to be trained by both characters, it stands to reason that his fighting style in 2024's The Karate Kid will represent a perfect blend of karate and kung fu. As someone who knows both, Wang is in an excellent position to demonstrate this aspect of the story.

Source: Variety

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The Karate Kid Part III

1989, Drama, 1h 51m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Inspiration is in short supply in this third Karate Kid film, which recycles the basic narrative from its predecessors but adds scenery-chewing performances and a surprising amount of violence. Read critic reviews

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Cobra Kai karate instructor John Kreese (Martin Kove) is still brooding over the defeat handed to him by Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita). With his slimy partner, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), Kreese plans an intricate payback that involves hiring a mean-spirited ringer (Sean Kanan) to rob Daniel of his championship title. When Mr. Miyagi refuses to train Daniel, even under threat, the boy makes the mistake of turning to Terry for guidance.

Genre: Drama

Original Language: English

Director: John G. Avildsen

Producer: Jerry Weintraub

Writer: Robert Mark Kamen

Release Date (Streaming): Jan 9, 2014

Box Office (Gross USA): $36.8M

Runtime: 1h 51m

Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Weintraub Entertainment Group

Sound Mix: Surround

View the collection: Karate Kid

Cast & Crew

Ralph Macchio

Daniel LaRusso

Mr. Kesuke Miyagi

Robyn Lively

Jessica Andrews

Thomas Ian Griffith

Terry Silver

Martin Kove

John Kreese

Mike Barnes

Jonathan Avildsen

Randee Heller

Christopher Paul Ford

Pat E. Johnson

Frances Bay

Joseph V. Perry

Uncle Louie

Diana Webster

John G. Avildsen

Jerry Weintraub

Robert Mark Kamen

Film Editor

John Carter

Bill Matthews

Art Director

Catherine Mann

Set Decoration

Del Acevedo

Key Makeup Artist

Ron Berkeley

Makeup Artist

Hair Stylist

Key Hair Stylist

Sheldon Schrager

Executive Producer

Steve Yaconelli

Cinematographer

Production Design

Christopher Burian-Mohr

News & Interviews for The Karate Kid Part III

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COMMENTS

  1. The Karate Kid movie review & film summary (2010)

    Reviews A faithful remake, well done Roger Ebert June 09, 2010 Tweet Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith in "The Karate Kid." Now streaming on: Powered by JustWatch If you've seen "The Karate Kid" (1984), the memories will come back during this 2010 remake. That's a compliment.

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    Parents need to know that this Karate Kid remake is a faithful adaptation of the original but because the central character is 12 instead of 16, the language and romance is appropriately scaled back, even though the violence is a bit more startling. There's not much cursing (a few uses of the word "ass… Videos and Photos The Karate Kid (2010)

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    552 Reviews Hide Spoilers Sort by: Filter by Rating: 3/10 Kung Fu kid doesn't match up to its more humble predecessor joebloggscity 20 September 2019 For a certain generation like mines, there's just no way you can get around comparison to the original which is an undoubted classic of that era.

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    12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying—and the feeling is mutual—but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate ...

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    Movie review: 'The Karate Kid' - Los Angeles Times Movies Movie review: 'The Karate Kid' By Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times Film Critic June 11, 2010 12 AM PT

  17. The Karate Kid Movie Review for Parents

    Parent Movie Review by With dreams of a better future, Lucille Larusso (Randee Heller) moves her son Daniel (Ralph Macchio) from cold New Jersey to the sunny state of California. But what she sees as paradise quickly turns into hell for the transplanted teenager as he tries to put down roots in the foreign environment.

  18. The Karate Kid Part III movie review (1989)

    The problem with most movie sequels is that they don't continue the original story, they repeat it. They take the same conflicts, the same problems and sometimes even the same dialogue, and they try to fool us into thinking we're seeing a new movie. "The Karate Kid Part III" was made in 1989, but all of the original thinking on this movie took ...

  19. The Karate Kid

    The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised the action sequences, writing, themes, performances, and music. The film was also a commercial success, grossing over $130 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1984 and Hollywood's biggest sleeper hit of the year.

  20. New 'Karate Kid' Film Casts 'American Born Chinese' Star Ben Wang

    Plot details are still under wraps on the new movie, but Macchio will once again play Daniel LaRusso from the original "Karate Kid" film trilogy and the series "Cobra Kai," while Chan will ...

  21. New Karate Kid Casting Promises Some Of The Franchise's Best Fights Yet

    The casting choice for the titular character in 2024's The Karate Kid is promising news for the movie's action. Fresh off of his starring role in Disney+'s recently canceled American Born Chinese show, Ben Wang has been cast in the upcoming Karate Kid film.The new movie is set to be the sixth big-screen installment in The Karate Kid franchise.. The addition of Ben Wang adds a third name to a ...

  22. The Karate Kid Part III

    Cobra Kai karate instructor John Kreese (Martin Kove) is still brooding over the defeat handed to him by Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita). With his slimy ...

  23. THE KARATE KID (2010)

    ROAD TO COBRA KAI. "The Karate Kid" was released on June 11, 2010 and is a loose remake of the original 1984. "The Karate Kid" stars Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan and is about 12 year old ...

  24. MOVIE REVIEW: The Karate Kid

    The Karate Kid proved every pessimistic expectation I had from the marketing and production wrong. Even with a long 140 minute running time (right there with Robin Hood), your watch will stop and the time will breeze by. After Toy Story 3, this is the best family film so far this year. Boy, was I wrong and so pleasantly surprised!

  25. 'Karate Kid' Found: Ben Wang Nabs Lead in Sony Movie

    The Karate Kid launched in 1984, with the original movie becoming an unexpected hit. It starred Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, a Brooklyn kid who moves to California and finds himself an unlikely ...

  26. Untitled Karate Kid Movie (2024)

    Untitled Karate Kid Movie: Directed by Jonathan Entwistle. With Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang. Plot under wraps.