‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Movie Review: A Nostalgia-Fuelled Misfire That Wastes Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio’s Big Crossover! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Karate Kid: Legends Movie Review: So, you're a fan of the Karate Kid movies who still revels in the charm of '80s action flicks and cheesy underdog stories? You tolerated the Karate Kid reboot because you love Jackie Chan? You enjoyed six seasons of Cobra Kai because it got the legacy sequel formula right and celebrated '80s cheesiness in the modern era? Well, Sony has seen and heard you - and they’ve machine-processed a combo platter of it all, just without the spirit of Mr Miyagi's teachings. Karate Kid: Legends - directed by Jonathan Entwistle - feels like a rushed remix of the original film and its reboot, with two senseis, a likeable new lead, and a heavy reliance on your nostalgia to carry it across the finish line. 'Karate Kid: Legends': Ajay Devgn, Son Yug Devgan to Voice to Hindi version of Jackie Chan’s Upcoming Martial Arts Film.

Li Fong (Ben Wang) is the nephew of Mr Han (Jackie Chan), learning kung fu under his uncle’s watchful eye in Beijing. His mother (Ming-Na Wen), haunted by a family tragedy, disapproves of martial arts and promptly uproots their lives to move to New York after landing a job there.

Watch the Trailer of 'Karate Kid: Legends':

Li tries to adjust to a new city and new school - thankfully, he quickly strikes up a friendship (and infatuation) with Mia (Sadie Stanley), daughter of local pizzeria owner Victor (Joshua Jackson). But of course, closeness to Mia brings hostility from her bully of an ex, Conor (Aramis Knight), the local karate champ. Naturally, it doesn’t take long for Li to face off against Conor in a karate championship - and how and why that happens is where the film hopes to set itself apart.

'Karate Kid: Legends' Movie Review - A Familiar Plot With Minor Tweaks

From the trailer alone, it’s clear this movie sticks close to the old Karate Kid playbook: new kid moves to a new city, crushes on the local girl, clashes with the local bully, gets his butt kicked first, and finally earns redemption in the big tournament. The usual recipe.

There are some tweaks. For one, Li isn’t exactly an underdog - he’s already skilled in kung fu, though trauma and guilt hold him back. His experience lets the film breeze through the training sequences, despite the fact that he has two senseis. All he really needs to do is adapt his kung fu into karate - which begs the question: did we really need both Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio to guide him through that? The screenplay by  Rob Lieber doesn't justify the need to have both of them in the film, apart from the obvious need for corporate fan-servicing.

'Karate Kid: Legends' Movie Review - Legends Wasted!

Of course, they’re here for nostalgia’s sake - a "what if" crossover between Daniel LaRusso and Mr Han’s worlds. Karate Kid: Legends retcons just enough to forge a link between the two, conveniently through a man who’s no longer alive but whose legacy powers movies and spin-offs alike: Mr Miyagi.

Sadly, while we do get to see Daniel LaRusso and Mr Han rib each other over how to train Li for a while - mostly taking turns to physically assault a minor -we never see them compare notes on their strikingly similar stories: one where Mr Han is the mentor, and the other where LaRusso was the student. This means LaRusso never questions why Mr Han’s previous adventure was titled The Karate Kid, despite revolving entirely around kung fu. Of course, this 'oversight' may also have stemmed from the fact that Mr Han seems to have completely forgotten about Will Smith’s kid.

While Jackie Chan at least makes his presence felt, Ralph Macchio feels shoehorned into the film - a desperate attempt to tie into the original movies and capitalise on the popularity of the Cobra Kai series. Although that feels ironic since the best scene of the movie - that comes right at the end - is when Karate Kid: Legends links itself to the Netflix show with a cameo that instantly steals the spotlight.

'Karate Kid: Legends' Movie Review - A Subplot That Almost Saves The Film

Interestingly, the most engaging part of the film doesn’t involve Mr Han or LaRusso at all. Instead, it focuses on Li training his love interest’s father in kung fu so he can compete in a local boxing championship, win money, and fend off villainous moneylenders. Here, Karate Kid: Legends at least attempts something different by flipping the dynamic now, a kid teaches an adult. What's more Wang shares a better chemistry with Jackson than with anyone else in the film, including Jackie Chan.

Unfortunately, this subplot soon pushes the film to the same predictable, formulaic journey that seems to be in a hurry to get to the end, skipping any character development in between.

The training sequences are rushed through some lazy banter between the senseis (no drama about their differing styles of fighting, sadly), and even the main tournament is glossed over to focus on the final fight, which plays out exactly as expected. Some of the dramatic conflicts Karate Kid: Legends tries to establish are resolved far too quickly - like Mia’s anger at Li for not being there for her during a difficult moment.

And yes, the film also wastes the incredible Ming-Na Wen in a thankless role as the cautious mother, especially since she’s given little to do in the latter half. Even Conor, for the matter, is a pretty one-dimensional villain, and that makes him utterly unmemorable.

'Karate Kid: Legends' Movie Review - Action Scenes Disappoint

As for the action scenes, I’d like to take a moment to recommend a YouTube channel called Every Frame a Painting, which did an excellent video on Jackie Chan a few years ago. It’s essential viewing for anyone who adores his action-comedies. The video highlights how Chan’s fight sequences in his Chinese films feel far superior to his Hollywood work. It’s not just about the performer being in peak form - Chan always is - but also about how cinematography, choreography, and editing work in harmony to create a rhythmic, fluid fight sequence.

Karate Kid: Legends is a glaring example of why Hollywood struggles to execute great martial arts scenes. Take Ben Wang, for instance—he’s an incredibly talented young actor, both in terms of physicality and performance. There’s a small but effective moment in the film where Li struggles to pull apart the ropes for Victor to enter the ring, subtly reinforcing that he’s still a scrawny teenager and that martial arts prowess doesn’t require brute strength. ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 6 Part 3 Review: Critics Praise the Action-Packed Conclusion to Ralph Macchio and William Zabka’s Netflix Martial Arts Drama, Call It ‘Cheesy and Nostalgic’.

Wang is physically proficient in the fight scenes and brings a charming underdog quality to the role. The film even tries to inject some of Jackie Chan’s signature goofiness into his character, particularly in the alley fight scene. While Wang impresses with his agility, the overly shaky camerawork and frantic editing undercut the impact, reducing the fights to a series of disjointed moments.

The worst offender, however, is the scene where Mr Han and Daniel LaRusso take on a group of goons - arguably the film’s most disappointing sequence. In a movie titled Legends, where these iconic characters already get minimal screen time, giving them such an ordinary fight scene is nothing short of a cinematic crime. It deserves nothing less than a Dragon Kick in retribution!

'Karate Kid: Legends' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Karate Kid: Legends is watchable, sure, especially for fans who've grown up with crane kicks and Mr Miyagi's teachings, but it's also frustratingly safe and structurally lazy. Ben Wang brings charm and presence, and there are flickers of something fresh, but they’re quickly swallowed by formula and nostalgic fan service. However, Karate Kid: Legends' biggest crime is not living up to its title - it fails to truly justify why it needed to bring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio together for such an underwhelming crossover.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 30, 2025 01:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).