KARATE KID: LEGENDS

A reboot to the film franchise in an attempt to capitalize on the hugely successful COBRA KAI TV show finds Li Fong (Ben Wang) plucked from his home in Beijing and now living in New York City due to his mother's (Ming-Na Wen) new job. He studied martial arts back home under Shifu Han (Jackie Chan) but when a family tragedy struck a year prior, his mother forbids him to fight now. However, trouble soon finds him in the concrete jungle in the form of 5 Boroughs champion Conor Day (Aramis Knight). The 5 Boroughs tournament in New York is similar to the All Valley tournament in California. In order to quiet his personal demons as well as get Conor off of his back, Li is left with no choice but to fight. After 6 seasons of COBRA KAI and the franchise being one of only a handful who were able to take a franchise from 40 years ago and still make it not only relevant today; but also respectfully expand the universe for the generation who grew up on the original films while at the same time, introducing it to a new generation. With that in mind, it's only logical a film would follow to continue to capitalize on the IP. And while whispers of spinoffs have been mentioned but none confirmed, as of now, this is the best we've got and unfortunately, it's a mid entry to the franchise. I've never seen THE NEXT KARATE KID or 2010's THE KARATE KID but compared to the original trilogy, this film is the worst of the bunch. It's the same toy in a new package. Same story we were introduced to in 1984: a young outsider, new to an area and having a difficult time making friends, continues to get bullied by the film's baddie before a final fight between the two in order to settle their beef. Plus, his only friend is also his love interest who happens to be the ex-girlfriend of said baddie. The formula didn't change much here and the film focuses more on Li's relationship with Mia (Sadie Stanley) his love interest, her father Victor (Joshua Jackson), and their pizza shop that they own more than on his feud with Conor. By doing so, the build up to their final fight is thin while the tournament action, which was set against the classic song YOU'RE THE BEST by Joe Esposito in the original, is a microwave version of it with again, very little time afforded to it. Not a great first outing in the now post-COBRA KAI world. 6/10