You know, the Rocky and the Karate Kid series have a lot in common for me. Besides both first movies being directed by the same person (John G. Avildsen) I mostly mean that I’m not beholden to the idea that the first movie in each series is necessarily the best, since I actually think the best Karate Kid movie is the most recent one, Karate Kid: Legends.
And yes, I know, I know. NOBODY else thinks this. When ranking the Rocky movies, as well as the Karate Kid films (which I myself ranked), I’m pretty sure the vast majority would say that 1976’s Rocky and 1984’s The Karate Kid are the best movies in their respective franchises. However, before Karate Kid: Legends, my previous favorite Karate Kid movie was the 2010 one, so I’ve already bucked the trend.
Well, Karate Kid: Legends is my new favorite, and here’s why.
First, I Think New York Is The Perfect Setting For The Karate Kid
You know what’s interesting about the Karate Kid franchise? It likes to switch up locations, and quite often. In the first film, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) moved from my home state of New Jersey to Los Angeles, making it a fish-out-of-water story. In Part II, Daniel and Mr. Miyagi went to Japan, with them returning to L.A. in Part III.
The Next Karate Kid is primarily set in Boston, and the 2010 movie takes place in China. So really, the Karate Kid franchise is all about leaving somewhere you’re familiar with and adjusting to a new environment. It’s essentially in the series’ DNA. Well, Karate Kid: Legends follows this trajectory, as our new protagonist is a young martial artist named Li Fong (Ben Wang). At the start of the film, he lives in China with his uncle, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who was in the 2010 film but is now a highly revered kung fu shifu (Though it’s frustratingly never explained how this came to be).
Anyway, due to circumstances involving his mother getting a job in New York, Li Fong has to leave China and adjust to his new life. Can I just say that this is a breath of fresh air for the franchise? New York is really vibrant and alive, and it makes the story feel unlike any other Karate Kid film. In some ways, I’m biased since I’m very familiar with New York, but things like subways, pizza parlors, and rooftop fights just feel super unique to this franchise, and I love it.
If there’s another Karate Kid movie, I wouldn’t be opposed to it taking place in another borough of New York. It works!
I Love The Melding Of Kung Fu And Karate
Okay, so one aspect that I know a lot of people harp on is that the 2010 Karate Kid movie was incorrectly titled since Jaden Smith is not doing karate. He’s doing kung fu (which is why it was more appropriately titled The Kung Fu Dream in China). Well, anyway, even though I think karate is cool, I think kung fu is an even cooler martial art (Sorry, not sorry).
That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel-San and Julie-San the ways of Miyagi-Do, as I did! The early Karate Kid movies (Yes, even The Next Karate Kid) all have their merits, and I think it was cool seeing them do the crane kick (which is absent in Karate Kid: Legends). However, be that as it may, I’ve always been more fascinated with kung fu, which is why I really loved the 2010 version, since I found the fighting to be more engaging.
Well, thankfully, Karate Kid: Legends is the best of both worlds, as Li Fong has to learn karate if he wants to defeat his rival, Conor Day (Aramis Knight), who is a karate master. Li Fong finds himself enamored with a local girl named Mia (Sadie Stanley) who works at a pizza parlor. That said, Mia’s ex is Conor, and he doesn’t like Mia’s new affections for Li Fong. So, Conor, in true Karate Kid fashion, bullies him.
This all culminates in Li Fong entering something called The Five Boroughs Tournament, to which Conor is a perennial champion. Li Fong has to combine his kung fu skills with his newfound knowledge of karate, which I’ll get into next.
It Combines My Two Favorite Characters From The Franchise
The major selling point for this movie is that it features Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, as Li Fong already knows kung fu from Chan’s character, Mr. Han. It’s the karate element that he needs to learn, which is where Macchio steps in as sensei LaRusso. Upon first seeing the trailer, I, like many others, I’m sure, thought this new movie was going to be nothing but a cash grab. But, similar to my colleague, Alexandra Ramos, I was “pleasantly surprised.”
That’s because Ralph Macchio isn’t just a walk-on cameo. Sure, he’s not in the movie for most of the film, but once he’s here, he’s here to stay. Plus, one thing that I really love about him is his friendly rivalry with Jackie Chan, as both feel their martial arts style is superior to one another’s.
Sensei Daniel believes that Miyagi-Do is the premier martial art, and the one that Li Fong should rely on the most. Meanwhile, Shifu Han feels that all of the best aspects of Miyagi-Do were the elements that Miyagi borrowed from kung fu.
All of it is really playful and fun, and I think it’s cool that both of my favorite Karate Kid characters make an appearance in this film. What’s especially noteworthy though, is that we also get to see Mr. Miyagi with some new dialogue through the power of A.I. (So, maybe A.I. isn’t all bad). So, that’s another reason why this is my favorite Karate Kid movie. Three master martial artists for the price of one! You can’t beat it!
I Also Really Like How Boxing Is Included In This Film
So, this one really threw me off, but not only does Karate Kid: Legends feature a mixture of kung fu and karate, but it also features a whole segment dedicated to boxing as well! Let me tell you, I did not see that coming. You see, Li Fong moves in next to a pizza place, and the owner of the shop (Joshua Jackson) is in deep debt with some bad dudes.
Well, since he can’t pay it off, he’s constantly dodging his creditor’s goons, but one asset that he does have is that he used to be a really good boxer. And, you probably already know where this is heading. Or maybe not. Since yes, the owner gets back into boxing, but Li Fong actually adds some kung fu to his training. In this way, the aged boxer moves differently in the ring, and it looks like things will go well until he’s given some dirty blows, which really gives him a hurting.
This might all sound like it doesn’t belong in a Karate Kid movie, but it surprisingly ties back into the plot. I won’t say how, entirely, since it’s pivotal to the protagonist’s journey, but it really does fit in.
It’s for this reason and for everything else I already mentioned that Karate Kid: Legends is my favorite in the series. Have you seen it yet? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if not, it’s currently on a Netflix subscription plan. Catch it while you can!