Karate Kid Legends movie review: Jackie Chan, Ben Wang film is worth rooting for

This time round, the kid being bullied whom karate / kung fu will rescue is Li Fong (Wang), who has been plucked from Mr Han’s (Chan’s) academy in Beijing and brought to New York by his doctor mother (Wen). She doesn’t want him fighting for reasons that become clear by and by.

But, of course, there is no avoiding destiny for Li, who due to his double-quick friendship with a friendly neighbourhood pizza owner and daughter (Jackson, Stanley) lands right in the midst of the Big Apple’s karate scene.

Watch Karate Kid Legends movie trailer:

There are absolutely no surprises in Legends or its story curve, from the time of the meet cute between Li and Mia (Stanley), to her sulking ex-boyfriend (Knight), to the fights that Li loses, to the entry of Han and LaRusso (Macchio) just when needed, to even the kick that finally sets the universe right.

The trick then lies in making us believe in Li, which Wang pulls off with ease. And ease is what Legends is all about, like the comfort of a regular pepperoni pizza, which has several big moments in the film.

As he is wont to, Han offers several aphorisms to his young protege, one of them being: “In life, there is only one question: Is something worth fighting for?”

Karate Kid, certainly, is worth rooting for.

Karate Kid Legends movie cast: Ben Wang, Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight

Karate Kid Legends movie director: Jonathan Entwistle
Karate Kid Legends movie rating: 3 stars