Movie Review: "The Karate Kid"

Seen on: June 13, 2010

The players: Director: Harald Zwart, Writer: Christopher Murphey, Cast: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson

Facts of interest: Zwart also helmed "One Night at McCool's."

The plot: Dre and his mom move to China, where is beaten to the ground and ends up learning kung fu to fight back once and for all.

Our thoughts: In the mood to watch some kids beating the hell out of each other? Then Harald Zwart’s remake of “The Karate Kid” is just the right movie for you. There is indeed a solid dose of hardcore punching and kicking in this family film, and yet viewers young and old keep clapping until the last kid on the big screen is knocked to the ground hard. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

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New 'Karate Kid' trailer is nothing special

Let me tell you this right away: I've pretty much hated the idea of a new "The Karate Kid" ever since I first heard about it. After a couple of trailers, I still haven't changed my mind, and, oh surprise, this brand-new feature preview hasn't won me over either.

The film, a remake of John G. Avildsen’s 1984 version, follows a boy (Jaden Smith) who gets his ass kicked by some mean Chinese kids and eventually learns all there is to know about karate with the help of a tough but enthusiastic mentor (Jackie Chan).

I agree this trailer boasts some decent visuals in terms of landscapes, but that's pretty much it. Tons of fighting won't do the trick anymore, and at this stage, the new "Karate Kid" looks like it lacks punch and fun. The film is set to open everywhere June 11, 2010.

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'The Karate Kid' remake gets lame trailer

Columbia Pictures decided to develop an unnecessary remake of "The Karate Kid," and a first trailer for the upcoming flick has hit the Web. See it below if you dare, because in my book, this looks lame!

The film, a remake of John G. Avildsen’s 1984 version, follows a bullied boy (Jaden Smith) who learns all there is to know about karate with the help of an enthusiastic mentor (Jackie Chan).

As you can see in this trailer, Smith fancies a chick but gets beat up by a bunch of kids, which leads to a tough training with karate master Chan, who puts on his regular show. None of this looks compelling at all.

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First 'The Karate Kid' remake images roll in

Columbia Pictures is currently making an unnecessary remake of "The Karate Kid," and the first pictures from the upcoming adventure have surface on the Web. Check out some of them above and below.

The film, a remake of John G. Avildsen’s 1984 version, follows a bullied boy (Jaden Smith) who learns all there is to know about karate with the help of an enthusiastic mentor (Jackie Chan).

The original “Karate Kid” was followed by three sequels. As terrible as this may sound, we'll probably see more remakes if this one ends up scoring big at the box office. I hope that won't happen though.

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Movie Review: "The Pink Panther 2"

Seen on: February 7, 2009

The players: Director: Harald Zwart, Writers: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, Steve Martin, Cast: Steve Martin, Aishwarya Rai, Andy Garcia, John Cleese, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno

Facts of interest: Zwart also directed "Agent Cody Banks."

The plot: Inspector Clouseau is assigned to lead a team of detectives trying to track down a thief who stole precious treasures, including the Pink Panther diamond.

Our thoughts: “The Pink Panther 2” is just as worse as its disastrous predecessor. Nope, Steve Martin is still not funny as Jacques Clouseau, and yes, the script is still incredibly amateurish and utterly boring. Indeed, if you cherish your money, don’t waste it on this sequel.

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Jackie Chan to join 'Karate Kid' remake

Jackie Chan is in talks to join Coumbia’s remake of John G. Avildsen’s 1984 hit movie “The Karate Kid.”

Written by Chris Murphy, the film follows a bullied boy (Jaden Smith) who learns all there is to know about karate with the help of an enthusiastic mentor (Chan).

Harald Zwart is on board to direct the remake, which is set somewhere in Asia and borrows several elements from the original flick. Filming is set to start this summer.

The original “Karate Kid” was followed by three sequels. As terrible as this may sound, we'll probably see more remakes if this one ends up scoring big at the box office.

Chan, who recently starred in "The Forbidden Kingdom," will also be seen in Brian Levant's upcoming comedy "The Spy Next Door." Last November, the actor also boarded a project entitled "Junior Soldiers."

As for Zwart, his directing credits include "Agent Cody Banks," "One Night at McCool's" and the upcoming "The Pink Panther 2" (which looks absolutely disastrous, by the way).

Source: Variety