Without a doubt, the first thing that stands out in Karate Kid: Legends —The new franchise film that has been in the fore in recent years thanks to the already completed series Cobra Kai— es His attempt to unify what seemed irreconcilable: The classic saga of the teacher Miyagi and Daniel Larusso with the 2010 reset starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.
This objective is concretized through slogan “Two branches, a tree”which not only represents a thematic wink that includes a scene of Karate Kid II rearm – apparently with AI – to reveal an unknown conversation of the saga, but it is also The narrative heart of this new proposal directed by Jonathan Entwistle in his film debut, after being a producer and series director as This shit overcomes me y The End of the F**ing World*.
In that scenario, and according to the first scene, the ancestor that founded the Miyagi-do style suffered a maritime accident while fished, he reached the Chinese coast, met a teacher’s ancestor and incorporated influences of the Kung-Fu, thus drawing a multiple bridge between Japan, China, the two families and the two lines of the franchise.
Although that is an interesting idea in the paper – beyond the fact that they have taken it from the ass, because the 2010 movie never explained why it was called Karate Kid If I actually addressed the Kung-Fu—, in practice the result gives rise to everything He feels like two films in a. And only one of them works a bit.
The part that follows the young Chinese protagonist —Who arrives in New York and connects with a family that owns a pizzeria while loading the backpack of a tragedy that marked him with his family – manages to sustain himself within the classic mold of sports cinema. It is a story of overcoming, discipline and emotional connectionpredictable but effective.
The other halfHowever, he feels completely inserted by force. The return of Daniel Larusso and the myyagi-do mythology, which does not mention the story seen in the series Cobra Kaihence They do not need to be up to date with the franchise canonthey settle more as an obligation to fanservice than as an organic narrative integration.
The same goes for the transfer of the teacher have from China to New York, which also shows how many events in the film They feel forced and without justification.
And for that kind of thing, The final result ends up being a series of narrative grafts that do not finish curdlingsomething that is especially reflected as regards Ralph Macchio, who also It feels like fish out of water.
All of that reinforces that the attempt to create a historical continuity between the two sagas ends up subtracting more than addingdistracting from the dramatic nucleus of its young protagonist that does generate more emotional weight.
It is not surprising that the film transits along the path that connects to Karate Kid con The DNA of Rockysomething inevitable if you remember that John G. Avildsen directed both the first installment of Rocky Like the original trilogy of Karate Kid. Therefore, once again the classical structure of training, the personal obstacle and the great final challenge are present, although without too much freshness.
In fact, just add that in its final stretch, Karate Kid: Legends It is completely decomposed in a series of predictable clichés that subtract emotional impact from the resolution. Nor does it help that the excessive use of green screens underlines the artificial of its final fight between the skyscrapers of the Big Apple, which also feels taken from the rear. Yes, another one.
Worst of all is that That culminating tournament, which should be dramatic climax, feels more like a procedure than as a true transformation test. Nor does it help to try to give freshness to the challenge with visual elements taken from video games, not only because we have already seen that many times, but because it does not fit with the most classical cinematography that holds half that does work from the film.
In that sense, although Karate Kid: Legends He wants to unite generations and expand the family tree of the Miyagi-Do, ends up parting between a poor assembly nostalgia and a new story that, although correct, fails to shine on its own. And that just emphasizes that The tree cannot be leafy with a single stronger branch holding a few flowers.
Karate Kid: Legends It is already available in cinemas.
