Review: 'Karate Kid' heralds a never-say-die spirit

Film: Karate Kid
Cast: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson
Director: Harald Zwart
Rating: ***

A remake of the original cult hit Karate Kid, this one tweaks the story a bit- Teenage Daniel and his Mom who resettle in Reseda, California are replaced by Detroit youngster 12 year old Dre (Jaden Smith) and his mom (Taraji P Henson) who gets transferred to far way Beijing where Dre is looked upon as an oddity with his braided hair and natural arrogance.

The film handles the transition with ease giving us much more of a sociological depth to chew on. Dre’s friendship with a musically inclined Chinese girl and the complications arising thereof are also well delineated. His violent encounters with Kung-fu savvy Chinese kids who toy with him and push him around till he seeks out the maintenance man Han(Jackie Chan) to teach him a wealth of tricks in order to defend himself, is at the heart of the story.

It’s a simple uplifting tale, one that heralds a never say die spirit and commends hard, grueling all out effort.

Cinematographer Robert Pratt makes China look fabulous- the forbidden city and the great wall look ever so enchanting.

It’s the actors, though charismatic who take a little bit away from the original’s charm. Jackie Chan we all know of as a self-defence expert so his transformation from the dowdy, shuffling maintenance man to a skillful kung-fu trainer doesn’t come as a surprise. Jaden Smith is charming and plays the role quite effortlessly but he has this all-knowing affectation that sometimes makes Dre just a little less believable. Creditable effort though not as fulfilling as the original  Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morito starrer.