Daniel Corleone 08/11/2011 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
2.5/4 

I felt the original was definitely better. Jaden Smith has a bright future and Jackie Chan becomes the disciplined master. Cinematography was pretty, score was decent and the cast did a good job. Unfortunately, the plot was light and story too predictable. The only enticing part of the film was the training. One thing I noticed, why call it The Karate Kid when they used "Kung-Fu" in the movie?

mitchellyoung 03/09/2011 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
2.5/4 

I think Jackie Chan's acting talent is underused in this film - he could have been a more emotional anchor (his Chinese-language acting work proves this; the man just has a hard time being convincing when speaking English.) I also didn't dig the updated feel of the film - from the soundtrack, to the transportation to China (which doesn't really make sense in context of the plot), to the more intense fighting movements. Had some fun moments, but a needless retread of a film that stands on its own merits.

patjohnson76 11/28/2010 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
3/4 

A competent remake of the original, with a few subtle changes but mostly sticking to the same formula. Jaden Smith plays Jaden Smith...I mean, Dre, who moves to China with his mom and immediately has trouble with some local bullies, so Jackie Chan teaches him kung fu. The kung fu scenes are enjoyable enough and Smith does a good job here, however, the script calls for some things that Smith just isn't experienced enough for. One involves the obligatory love story angle, and Smith is way too young to make this believable, in fact it's downright creepy. The other are some dramatic scenes that Smith can't pull through. In time, I'm sure he'll be a better actor.

PsychoKing1227 10/19/2010 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Rating of
3/4 

I will say that surprisingly, I thought this movie was legitimately good. You can obviously tell that Jackie Chan is getting older, but his roles are taking on serious undertones, leaving behind much of the "kung-fu" attitude and building on more of a life-affirming personification of his art. Jaden Smith is unsurprisingly good, being that his parents are two of the most talented working actors in modern cinema, and he is doubtless going to follow his father's career with possibly a more eclectic one, but still grasping that Will Smith flair. A great film with great villains, great heroes, and a perfect ending.

Because Hollywood is running out of ideas and just wants money!!!!!