Streaming Sleepers: KARATE KID Legends Shows Ben Wang Can Be The Next Great Martial Arts Star
Jonathan Entwistle’s Karate Kid: Legends is currently available on digital platforms this month. The film joins Ralph Macchio (Karate Kid 1-3, Cobra Kai) and Jackie Chan (The Karate Kid) together for the first time, along with a new face added to the roster in Ben Wang.
The film is a bit perfunctory in its revival of similar plotting like its precedessors – the story of the teenager trying to fit into a new environment only to find himself challenged by an overbearing bully after meeting a girl he knows. For this chapter, at least, there are a few more aspects to help the film contribute its own identity in the franchise to a certain extent.
Wang’s character, Lee, is already a martial arts proponent. His struggle there after lies with coping with the loss of his brother from whom he takes his inspiration, and a stringent upbringing by his mother (Ming Na-Wen) who lands a job opportunity that uprooted them from Beijing to New York City in the first place.
The story finds our protagonist befriending Sadie Stanley’s character, Mia, who shares pizzeria duties with her father and former boxer, Victor, played by Joshua Jackson. Its when Lee intervenes just as debt collectors start coming for Victor that the stakes are set, as the two prepare for a chance opportunity to re-train Victor for a prize fight that could pay off his debts once and for all.
Adding to the upheaval are the complicating factors of coming-of-age romance as Mia’s past with martial arts bad boy Conor – played by Aramis Knight – comes to a head. Challenged by Conor to a citywide martial arts tournament, Lee, still bearing a world of guilt for his brother’s death, is forced to confront his demons head on, training with the help of not one, but two masters.
Compared to its previous installments, the film is otherwise more of the same, geared as fanservice to an audience that’s enjoyed the franchise up to this point. It’s also a palatable and enjoyable movie from start to finish with Wang drawing immense potency as an actor, as well as a martial artist capable of screenfighting.
Macchio and Chan are a formidable pair as well. Chan’s character, Han, brings an amiable continuation from his 2010 entry, in addition to ekeing in some of his own action along the way. He and Macchio share at least one fight scene together well into the film’s second half which is pretty cool.
Karate Kid: Legends has some of the ingredients it needs to be its own thing if it wanted to – that is, if it weren’t a Karate Kid movie. Needless to say that simply wasn’t the direction, particularly for a franchise that’s lasted more than four decades between six studio features, and a six-season spin-off series on Netflix.
There’s a post-credits scene that occurs as well, which otherwise encapsulates on the film’s consumate fanservice approach. It feels like overkill for a franchise that’s done more than enough and has seemingly left the door open for some kind of potential, instead of closing the book completely.
What comes next after this is anyone’s guess, but don’t let that dissuade you from watching Karate Kid: Legends and bearing witness to Wang in his first major martial arts movie role. Apart from Sony’s cash cow, that kid has a future in the genre if he so sees fit.
Enjoy Sony’s ten-minute preview below, and head over to JustWatch for all available viewing options.
