The Karate Kid was nothing short of a sensation when it was first released in 1984, so it’s no wonder that the underdog story blossomed into a multi-faceted franchise. Following the original trilogy’s conclusion, things got a bit bumpy with the almost universally maligned The Next Karate Kid (though it did help introduce the world to Hilary Swank and Walton Goggins, so we’ll give it a pass). Still, perhaps the most unusual entry in this long-running saga is 2010’s simply titled The Karate Kid. The film is essentially treated as a beat-for-beat remake of the original 1984 film, but it also boasts some strong action setpieces and a surprisingly poignant dramatic performance from Jackie Chan. It did also have one pretty big widespread criticism — the movie was called The Karate Kid, and yet took place in China and focused on kung fu rather than karate (Jaden Smith even says the exact line of “It’s not karate”).
In a somewhat fitting way, The Karate Kid franchise has had its share of ups and downs, but thanks to a certain now-beloved sequel series called Cobra Kai, things are very much on the upswing. The show’s success made a new feature film all but inevitable, and now we finally have that with Karate Kid: Legends, starring future The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping star Ben Wang. Wang is more than worthy of the Karate Kid mantle in Jonathan Entwistle’s consistently entertaining feature debut, even if some of the film’s legacy characters don’t get much to do until halfway through the action-packed reboot.
How Does ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Connect to the Rest of the Franchise?

Karate Kid: Legends takes place several years after the conclusion of Cobra Kai, though perhaps a more relevant stat is that the film takes place even longer after 2010’s The Karate Kid. Following an unthinkable family tragedy, young Li Fong (Wang) and his mother (Ming-Na Wen) move from Beijing to New York City, thus forcing Li to leave his beloved kung fu school and mentor, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). Li does his best to acclimate to his new environment, but in true Karate Kid fashion, he eventually becomes the target of a ruthless karate-abusing bully (Aramis Knight) and his cruel so-called sensei. The only way to settle this is through a good old-fashioned martial arts tournament, but the only major one in the city is geared toward karate rather than kung fu. To solve this problem, Mr. Han seeks out the aid of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) — the prized pupil of his late companion, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita).
Despite Karate Kid: Legends being the first time two beloved characters from two previously separate continuities meet, this is a surprisingly self-contained story all about Li, and a darn good one at that. Ben Wang is a great new lead for this series, not just for some stellar martial arts skills, but also for his almost effortless charisma and lovable personality. For the whole first half of the film, Karate Kid: Legends wisely focuses on building up Li Fong as his own distinct character in a story that certainly echoes the films of Karate Kid’s past, but is markedly different enough to not feel like a beat-for-beat requel. One key way the film does this is by giving Li a lengthy chance to do some teaching of his own, which is a nice subversion of a formula that’s been put to use at least half a dozen times now.
The side characters that Ben interacts with also help add some likability, even if the film’s villains are a bit of a low point. Sadly, a character named “Sensei O’Shea” is not the over-the-top borderline-Bond villain that he sounds like and is instead a decently generic plot device. Ming-Na Wen’s character of a grieving mother also doesn’t feel as thoroughly explored as it could have been. Still, Sadie Stanley as Li’s love interest, Joshua Jackson as a boxer out of his prime, and Wyatt Oleff as an unlikely best friend all make for entertaining additions to the cast.
The Midpoint of ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Is Where Things Get Dicey

Not much has been said thus far about two of the most significant characters for Karate Kid fans present in the new film — Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. That’s because neither of them really becomes a focal point of the story until about midway through the film, and neither of them is given all that much to do. Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han certainly comes across as the standout, with the action legend still capable of holding his own as a powerhouse in physicality via stunts and physical humor. Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso draws the short straw, with the Cobra Kai star simply teaching Li some karate techniques. The few moments where Han and LaRusso bicker over how to teach Li are highlights, albeit underutilized ones.
It also doesn’t help that the moment Daniel LaRusso is introduced, Karate Kid: Legends begins sprinting towards its closing moments at a jarring, breakneck pace. The film is already decently short at about an hour and a half, and yet it feels like a fairly large chunk of the movie has been Frankensteined into one giant montage that makes up the latter half. An extra half an hour could have easily kept Li’s story more consistent, but also given Han and LaRusso an arc of their own.
The Fight Scenes of ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Kick Ass

Image via Sony Pictures

Karate Kid: Legends also feels like a fairly direct answer to the last Karate Kid film that hit theaters in 2010, and its lack of karate. A consistent theme in the film centers around karate and kung fu being different branches of the same tree. This gives Karate Kid: Legends an excuse to combine the two different martial arts styles, and the film does so in a pretty marvelous way.
The fight sequences in Karate Kid: Legends can occasionally feel over-edited with one too many cuts and some creatively distracting animated additions, but on the whole, the fight choreography and stunt-work on display feels more elaborate than any of the prior films, let alone Cobra Kai. The influence of Bruce Lee and even Jackie Chan himself, and more, is omnipresent throughout the film, both in terms of the actual talent involved and the sense of fun attached. The use of wirework certainly helps with that, with one particular scene taking place in an alley being a true standout sequence.
The second half of Karate Kid: Legends very much takes more than a few stumbles when it comes to pacing, and if you’re a hardcore fan who’s eager to see Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio’s characters interact, you may be leaving the theater underwhelmed. However, the undeniable likability of Ben Wang keeps things from sinking, and the marvelous action sequences mark a strong start to Jonathan Entwistle’s feature filmmaking career. Whether this ends up sparking another new chapter in the ongoing Karate Kid saga or is a simple one-off adventure, Karate Kid: Legends marks a very strong addition to the relatively early careers of a promising filmmaker and a movie star who has the potential to be the best… around.
Karate Kid: Legends comes to theaters on May 30.

Karate Kid: Legends

‘Karate Kid: Legends’ makes Ben Wang an immaculate addition to the franchise, even if hardcore fans may be underwhelmed by Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso very limited roles.

Release Date

May 30, 2025

Runtime

94 minutes

Director

Jonathan Entwistle

Writers

Rob Lieber

Pros & Cons

Ben Wang is a more than worthy successor for the Karate Kid title.
The action choreography is stellar across the board.
Jackie Chan gets a good chunk of time to shine…

…but Ralph Macchio isn’t given much to do.
The pacing of the second half is sporadic and all over the place.
The villains feel one-dimensional even by ‘Karate Kid’ standards.