Karate Kid

8 months, 3 weeks - Karate Kid: Legends reviewed by Eric Goldman.Coming off the triumph of its extension into TV with Cobra Kai, The Karate Kid franchise returns to theaters with Legends, a movie which is far less impactful than that show, yet still reminds us why the underlying story and themes of this series can still connect. Ben Wang is a strong new Karate Kid and it’s certainly fun to see Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan (eventually) team up and connect two parts of the franchise’s history, even as Joshua Jackson ends up as the surprise MVP. It’s also easy to give yourself over to a story of this type, because underdog stories are easy to invest in when done well – and few have ever been told as well as the original The Karate Kid. At the same time, an overly frenetic approach to the second half doesn’t let emotional moments connect in the way that they could. That’s often frustrating, since you can see how easily it could be re-edited to land better. But at the end of the day, everyone loves an underdog, and Li is another one you can root for. Given this franchise is clearly not going anywhere, maybe they can do better by him in the inevitable Karate Kid 7.

1 year, 2 months - Two branches. One tree. Check out the Karate Kid: Legends trailer for the upcoming movie starring Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, and Ralph Macchio. Karate Kid: Legends also stars Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ming-Na Wen.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.Karate Kid: Legends is produced by Karen Rosenfelt. Jenny Hinkey and Ralph Macchio serve as executive producers. It is written by Rob Lieber.Karate Kid: Legends, directed by Jonathan Entwistle, opens in theaters on May 30, 2025.