The screening begins with the scene from “Kid II” from 1986, in which Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita died in 2005) presents to teenage Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) The history of your fighting style, connecting karate from Kung-Fu. “One tree, two branches” – he tells his pupil. Years later, Larusso will repeat it to his student – Li Fong (Ben Wang), the main hero of “Legends” who came with his mother from China to New York. When the ruthless loan shark begins to demand repayment of the debt from the father of the girl, whom the boy is enchanted, he will decide to participate in the street tournament. To defeat the recurring master (what a coincidence – a pupil of the Evil Lusions), Li will need not one, but two teachers. Next to Larusso, it will be a coming from the 2010 movie Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), uncle of the main character. Two branches, two styles, and in the middle a lost teenager who must take the best from them.
Following this trail, I could say that Jonathan Entwistle’s film has not two, but a few branches he wants to settle on. Among them is a proven formula of sports narrative (with mandatory sequences of editing from training), nostalgia for a beloved series, well -planned heroes and relationships between them, and the immortal charisma of Khan. Unfortunately, the creators cut almost each of them. “Karate Kid: Legends” lasts just over an hour and a half, and has ideas for several stories. None of them is interestingly developed. So many possibilities, and in the finale, the cliché always comes out.
After arriving in New York, Li befriends Mia (Sadie Stanley), who works in the pizzeria of his father Victor (Joshua Jackson). This, as a former boxer, decides to get money to pay the loan shark in battle. However, years, however, are not these. His dexterity decreased, but the masses came. When Victor discovers that Li has martial arts, he asks him to study. We get the diagram of the scheme – this time the teenager is a champion for an adult. It provides us with a few funny scenes, conquered by Wang with Jackson. Unfortunately, the creators decide to curb this thread – because we all know that Li must finally take part in the tournament.
So the right film only begins in the middle of the screening. This break in the narrative is very noticeable. The more that Larusso only then joins history. And you get the impression that he was pushed there by force. Han has been in her from the beginning, he has a relationship with our hero, he is part of his life. The former kid kid, now older than his master in the first film, is co -opted here under any pretext. And I understand that nostalgia, that it is nice to see the hero on the big screen again (on the little one we could watch him in the mentioned “Cobra kai”). Nevertheless, his appearance disturbs everything. Because instead of focusing on Li, suddenly we get the comedy competition of Larusso with Han about whose style is the best. There are some funny scenes here, but ultimately they have a negative effect on the work as a whole. Macchio is nice with Chan, but Wang lacks energy and chemistry. The classic hero distracts attention from a real protagonist.
In addition, we get a lot of clichés. Stereotypical is the main opponents of Li, which does not resonance over the aggression and the eternal grimace of an offended child on the face. Similarly, with the thread of the trauma of the main character – if you want to see a sad flashback again with desperate “No!” Shouted in slow motion, “Karate Kid: Legends” is your film. The relationship with his mother, who asks him to end with martial arts, is bored, but it is known that in the final she will support him the loudest.
Of course, using the cliché is nothing bad. However, when they are so worn out, you need to be able to play them. And ENTWISTLE fails here. Most of the narrative treatments and scenario decisions cause turning with their eyes, not a pleasant smile. Training assembly and relations of some heroes are good. However, it dies in a film that does everything – sometimes good, sometimes bad, but instead of focusing on what comes out, he still tries his hand in every field. It seems to me that there is a good film in “Legends”. If only someone was polished.
5/10
“Karate Kid: Legends” (Karate Kid: Legends), dir. Jonathan Enwistle, USA 2025, Distribution: United International Pictures, Cinema premiere: May 30, 2025