Title: Karate Kid: Legends
MPA Rating: PG-13
Director: Jonathan Entwistle
Starring: Ben Wong, Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

What It Is: Li Fong (Wong) is torn away from his life in Hong Kong, dragged—kicking and screaming—to New York City with his mother, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen). Haunted by the ghosts of his past, Li struggles with the move. To survive, he may have to rely on a mix of old tricks and new friends to make his new home more bearable—and to fend off the bullies on his back.

What We Think: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film more devoid of heart and soul than this. It leans on the worst tropes of modern action, all watered down for a PG-13 audience. The result? Leaps in logic, idiotic characters, and dialogue that’s somehow even worse. Not even the legendary Jackie Chan can save this absolute mess.

Ben Wong is a charismatic lead—you want so badly for him to succeed. Unfortunately, the film just isn’t interesting. Worse still, it’s coated in a glossy, inauthentic sheen. The original had grit and attitude, and its rock music (modern at the time) actually added something to the experience. Here, the tacked-on “rock” tracks fall completely flat.

Our Grade: D, There’s fun to be had here, I suppose—but for the life of me, I couldn’t find it. At only 94 minutes, this should be the perfect length for a movie like this, but somehow it feels much longer. Cobra Kai this is not. It lacks the depth, character development, and intrigue of that show—though, to be fair, Cobra Kai had several seasons to build something worthwhile.

I can’t recommend this. It’s a big, old nothing-burger of a film.