The FHS The Flash staff was invited to go see Karate Kid Legends and had a great time. Here were their thoughts on the movie:

From Nick Ruhlman:

Karate Kid Legends is the newest installment in the Karate Kid franchise, directed by Jonathan Entwistle. As someone who isn’t a big fan of the Karate kid franchise, I had the lowest expectations for this movie. Especially because Cobra Kai started so great and overstayed it’s welcome.

Anyway, Karate Kid Legends is about Li Fong (Ben Wang) and his mother moving from Chine to New York, where Li gets into trouble over a love interest whose ex is a karate champion. So, he learns karate to win in a karate tournament against the bully. Sound familiar?

Starting with the positives, Ben Wang is very entertaining in the role of Li Fong, and Jackie Chan is hilarious in his role. I also really enjoyed when this movie tried to be something other than Karate Kid. I really liked the choreography, as the fights were very entertaining. I also thought the comedy was funny, especially the post credit scene. the animation in this movie was also a very cool touch.

With the mixed, I really thought Ralph Macchio wasn’t used well in this movie. As someone who doesn’t like fan service in movies when its plot related, that’s all that it feels like Ralph is used for. I thought they did Jackie Chan well and made his character make sense in this movie, where with Ralph it felt like an easy cash grab move, as you could get rid of him in the movie and basically nothing would change.

Now with the negatives, I Thought the romance in this movie was rushed, not very well thought out and unrealistic. It feels like they didn’t want it in the movie, but the studio wanted it in there. Also, the story isn’t that great. while it’s a fun movie, the story is lacking. I thought the story with Li’s brother was great. However, things like Li already having experience in fighting made this story less believable in my opinion, especially when Li trains an adult on how to fight better.

But overall, Karate Kid Legends is a fun movie to take the family to see. What it lacks in story, it makes up for with cool fighting, funny moments and a charming performance from Ben Wang. I will give this movie a 3.5/5 as I had fun and enjoyed myself.

From Kourtney Cifka:

A stand-out for me was Ben Wang who amazingly portrayed the grief and complexity within his character Li Fong. Wang’s character had lost his brother and the movie explored how it had affected his relationship with others. Li Fong discovers himself throughout the movie exploring how grief, change, and passion can accumulate to impact a person and their identity. Growing up through grief and being reminded of past failures is a complex task in which Wang mastered throughout the film.

A part of the film that I really enjoyed were the fight scenes. The camera would move with the actors as they fought creating an almost immersive experience. However, the cinematography was slightly all over the place as the style of filming changed throughout every type of scene. The fight scenes were fast and full of movement, while a slower scene was filmed more airy and cinematic. Also, towards the end of the movie graphics start coming up to help with the flow of the movie. Which would have been fine if they were not utilized that late into the movie. Had they slowed the final training montage down instead of rushing it they would not have needed to utilize the graphics.

Following that, my biggest complaint with the movie is the pacing. The beginning of the movie was very slow and took a while to establish the premise and plot. However, the last hour of the movie was jam packed with twists and turns. For example, the final obstacle for Li Fong did not get introduced until the last half hour or so of an approximately two hour film. Because of this it seemed like the movie was struggling to find itself. The film tried to build layers in an attempt to continue exploring how grief had affected the Fong family but in doing so it made the length of the film awkward. It was attempting to mix a coming-of-age story into a movie about fighting, kung-fu, and karate. But ultimately, they just ended up doing the same cheesy stuff that makes a Karate Kid movie what it it

Overall, I would give it a 3/5. The movie was an easy watch with a good story, but there was too much going on and not enough time. The pacing of the movie could have been more evolved to fit the story, but it was a really fun watch in itself.

From Ruby Thorpe:

Karate Kid Legends is the sixth film in the franchise, following after the events Cobra Kai, directed by Jonathan Entwistle. I have no experience with the Karate Kid franchise myself, but this film has definitely convinced me to give it a chance.

Karate Kid Legends is about Li Fong, a Kung Fu mentee in Beijing, being trained by mentor Mr. Han. However, Li Fong is forced to move to New York with his mother after the murder of his brother. Li Fong learns to navigate his novel home, and build relationships with new peers, all while questioning what the true meaning of Kung Fu is.

Firstly, the positives, and I have a lot. The general themes of the entire movie was pleasing. For example, the ways of Kung Fu and Karate are fused together into the principle “Two branches, one tree”, showing the connection of the Miyagi and Han families practices. Li Fong is mentored by Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso throughout the movie, learning both the ways of Kung Fu and Karate, reiterating the meaning. I also thought the transitions were amazing and creative, they reminded me of the Spiderman movies. And, what topped it off for me, the movie was funny!! A lot of the puns were corny, yes, but nonetheless had me, and others, giggling.

Now, for the negatives, Alan, Li Fong’s tutor and friend, felt very out of place for the entire movie. He felt like an uninteresting side character put in for the sole purpose of a few more puns. I feel like they could have gave him more character, and made him influence the plot and Li Fong more. Additionally, I also wish they expanded on the main antagonist, Connor, more. He feels like your average angry teenage ex boyfriend, with no true motives. I also noticed some of the logic in the movie is a bit off. For example, in one scene, Li Fong has a black eye, in the next he’s completely fine.

Overall, I believe Karate Kid Legends is a great movie that old fans and new fans would love. Like they said: Two branches, one tree. I would give this movie a 4/5, as it has hooked me on the Karate Kid saga and I’m looking forward to seeing this movie again.