Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Dre Parker could have 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 but the cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make him an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is a kung fu master. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.
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Cast
- Jaden SmithDre Parker
- Jackie ChanMr. Han
- Wenwen HanMeiying
- Wang ZhenWeiCheng
- Yu RongguangMaster Li
- Taraji P. HensonSherry Parker
- Wu ZhensuMeiying's Dad
- Wang JiMrs. Po
- Zhiheng WangMeiying's Mom
- Tess LiuHistory Teacher
Recommendations
- 91
Tampa Bay Times
What's fun is how the new Karate Kid embraces and vastly improves the cliches, keeping the plot cleverly updated for a generation that never heard of Ralph Macchio. - 80
Boxoffice Magazine
Jaden Smith is destined to be a star by the force of will (and wallets) of parents Will and Jada Smith, both producers on The Karate Kid. But he's also got the raw material. - 80
Time Out
Given the dreck we’ve seen this summer, it’s nice to be reminded of the virtues of clean storytelling and cultural curiosity. - 75
Entertainment Weekly
Fun, and believable, on the most important level: It convinces us that Jaden Smith has what it takes to fight his way to the top. - 75
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The kids in the movie, from musicians to marital artists, are unusually skillful, and Smith seems assured of more starring roles. By the end of The Karate Kid, we can't help cheering, even when we know we've been sucker-punched. - 70
Variety
It's a sign of that pic's dramatic durability that "Kid" manages to be as absorbing as it is, despite its nearly 2½-hour running time. - 60
Arizona Republic
Does the movie have anything new to say, anything different from John G. Avildsen's 1984 original, with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita? Not particularly. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
It's a measure of the times that the new version of The Karate Kid manages to be longer and bigger-budgeted than the original while having lesser impact.
