Anyone who looked at

the title “Karate Kid: Legends”

and felt even a hint of skepticism could not be blamed for that reaction.

The original from 1984 is personally one of my favorite films from my late teen years. The second in the series was a serviceable sequel.

The rest? Let’s not discuss them.


What’s surprising about “Legends” is just how thoroughly enjoyable it is

. It’s not without faults, but as a diversion it’s a solid piece of entertainment that takes a couple of unexpected twists while mining the original’s basic story of a new kid in town and in a new school, in this case Li Fong (Ben Wang), who finds himself having to face a bully after leaving Beijing for New York City.

A kung fu prodigy, Li and his mother (Ming-Na Wen) leave their home city after Li’s older brother is killed in an act of revenge by a competitor he beat in a kung fu tournament. Both teens were coached by their uncle Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) from the 2010 reboot of “Karate Kid.”

Moving to New York represents a new start for Li and his mother, allegedly, but they arrive with plenty of baggage related to their loss. It doesn’t help that the only outlet Li has for dealing with his mental trauma — training with kung fu — has been taken away because of a promise he made to his mother to not fight.

He does find another means of coping after befriending Mia Lipani (Sadie Stanley) and her father Victor

(Joshua Jackson),

a pizza shop owner and a boxer who was on the path to championship status prior to Sadie coming along, in that Li finds a secondary family.

Friendship comes at a cost on multiple levels, however. With respect to Mia, the former girlfriend of Conor Day (Aramis Knight), New York’s “5 Boroughs” karate champion, it puts a bullseye on Li’s back. As for Vince, the former pugilist convinces the 17-year-old Li to train him for a fight that could potentially save his pizza shop from a local loan shark, an individual who also owns the karate gym where Conor trains. Things do not go well in that matchup as Vince’s opponent is under control of that shady character and does anything to win.

During all this, Li maintains contact with his uncle, who senses something is awry and shows up in New York. After his arrival, they jointly decide the only way for Li to achieve balance in dealing with his past and reconciling what happened to Vince is by entering the “5 Boroughs Karate Tournament.”

Han, calling in a very old favor owed to him by Mr. Myagi (the late Pat Morita), enlists the help of his student, the original karate kid (Daniel LaRusso), to train Li in both their disciplines.

If we’re being honest, much of “Legends” is stitched together by a very thin and fragile narrative thread. Plot development for much of the film is passed over for focusing on other aspects of the story. That isn’t necessarily to the film’s complete detriment.

While Conor is basically a stock character and lacks any depth beyond the ability to sneer, other aspects of the film work. Even the training sequences, though laced with humor, take a backseat to the unexpected development of the friendship between Li and Vince, which works due to the easy rapport between Wang and Jackson.

It’s the one aspect of Rob Lieber’s script, which often feels overstuffed, that works to great effect. Surprisingly, director John Entwistle takes that script and brings it in at under 100 minutes.

“Karate Kid: Legends” gives the franchise a modern sensibility. Yes, it can be a mixed bag, but it possesses the right blend of nostalgia for fans of the original while bringing in a younger audience.

George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.

‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Review


Movie:

“Karate Kid: Legends”


Cast:

Ben Wang, Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Joshua Jackson


Directed by:

John Entwistle


Running time:

1 hour 34 minutes


Rated:

PG-13 for martial arts violence and some language.


Grade:

B

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal:

‘Karate Kid: Legends’ joins past, present in solid piece of entertainment | Review