After successfully launching the core franchise, reintroducing the premise with 2010’s The Karate Kid, starring Jaden Smith, and dominating Netflix charts with Cobra Kai, another chapter of the martial arts saga hits theaters this weekend. We would like to know if it’s another gem in the Karate Kid crown or if Jonathan Entwistle’s Karate Kid: Legends deserves to lay face down on the mat after a swift Crane Kick to the breadbasket.
The official synopsis for Karate Kid: Legends reads: “In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.”
There’s no shortage of movies in theaters, with titles like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Sinners, Thunderbolts*, Bring Her Back, and Lilo & Stitch occupying silver screen real estate. Sony is likely banking on nostalgia for the original Karate Kid films and love of the Cobra Kai series to put asses in seats for Karate Kid: Legends, hoping that affection translates into ticket sales.
According to Deadline, Karate Kid: Legends banked $2.3M from Thursday previews with a forecast of $25M-$30M. Will any of those dollars be yours? Where does the Karate Kid franchise rank in your list of priorities at the cinema? Please let us know what you think of Karate Kid: Legends in the comments below. Oh, that reminds me. I’m not sure how many plot points could be considered spoilers, but maybe be cool and give folks a heads-up before you post anything too revealing.
