Karate Kid
by Dante Rosario on July 14th, 2010
Plot – When Dre Parkers Mother is offered a new job position, the two of them move to Beijing, China. Although his mother views the move as an opportunity to start a new chapter in their lives, Dre is struggling with adjusting to life in another country. Making matters worse, Dre attracts a bully, Cheng. Cheng and his friends target Dre when they see him fraternizing with a young female classmate Mei Ying. Feeling isolated in a place that he does not understand, Dre turns to a maintenance man Mr. Han, who teaches him the art of Kung Fu. As Han teaches Dre that Kung Fu is not about winning fights, but about focus and inner strength, Dre realizes that it will take Hans teaching and techniques for him to stand up to the bullies.
The movie utilizes long close up shots of the characters faces as well as body language that helps the audience to connect to the characters feelings and emotions. The movie is filmed in a way that gives the audience a feel for urban society and the cultural differences in China. The action sequences are quick, crisp and powerful which adds to the dynamics of the martial arts in the film. The editing of the film for the most part is seamless. The plot develops smoothly and holds his/her attention on the film with cool action sequences and unique quips.
The actors perform well in this film. It has an even balance of drama, humor, and action scenes. At points in the movie Jaden Smith gets a little too into his character at parts, trying to portray a kid from the United States by pop locking and other dance moves. He does though show a great talent for his witty humor and the ability to perform, at points, a dramatic role that is very moving to the audience. This was one of Jackie Chan’s more serious roles. Usually viewed as a star in martial arts comedies, he really showed that he is capable of playing the serious mentor role. Taraji P. Henson does a good job of playing a single mother trying to give direction and guidance to her son. She has some good one-liners that enable the viewer to connect to something their mom might have said. Wenwen Han’s acting debut wasn’t bad. Playing the role as Wei Ying, she is a little girly at times, but then again, she’s 12 in the movie.
For director Harold Zwart this was a change of pace for him as far as other movies he has directed, such as Pink Panther 2 (2009), and Agent Cody Banks (2003). He has done some international films, but not on the scale of this film or this stage level. He has shown great improvement in this film compared to others and that he can direct a possible blockbuster hit film.
This is a 8 out of 10 movie that people should see and enjoy.
8 out of 10
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