FILM REVIEW: KARATE KID – LEGENDS (12A) ESP RATING: 3.5/5

A gentle revival with a fighting spirit!

Karate Kid: Legends injects fresh life into the iconic franchise while staying true to its emotional core.

This time, the story centres on Li Fong (Ben Wang in his first major film role), a skilled young martial artist who moves to New York City with his mother (Ming Na-Wen from Agents of SHIELD) for a new beginning at an elite school.

He soon meets Mia (Sadie Stanley), a potential love interest, and begins to settle in – until a run-in with a local tough guy (Mia’s-ex Conor, played by Aramis Knight) throws everything off balance.

To prove himself, Li enters the city’s biggest Kung Fu tournament. With guidance from two very different mentors – Mr Han (Jackie Chan) from the 2010 reboot and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) from the original film – he trains hard, blending their styles and philosophies as he prepares for the biggest challenge of his life.

A major sub-plot – in which Li helps Mia’s father (played by former Dawson Creek teen star Joshua Jackson) for a boxing match to help pay off his creditors – is heartfelt, but takes up a significant portion of the film’s brief runtime.

As a result, the final tournament – the moment everything builds toward – feels surprisingly short, almost as if it were squeezed in at the end.

It almost felt like two separate film ideas were combined into one, when in reality, giving more depth to just one of those storylines – whichever one – would have made for a stronger, more focused film.

I must also stress that the marketing may give people the wrong impression of this movie. While the return of legacy characters is a major selling point, their roles are relatively limited. It’s not necessarily a flaw – their appearances are well-timed and impactful – but expectations should be managed going in. This is no Cobra Kai: The Movie.

But due to this being light and nostalgic, this serves up a genuinely decent ninety minutes of summer blockbuster entertainment.

Sure, it may not be packed with action, but it delivers where it counts – with warmth, charm, and a clear love for the series.

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel – or the Karate Kid franchise as a whole – but still throws a decent kick or two. 

ESP Rating: 3.5/5

Mike Clarke

Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now

Cast: Ben Wang, Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight & William Zabka

Running Time: 1 Hr 34 Mins

Director: Jonathan Entwistle

Film Review Venue: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough

For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux & Odeon Luxe cinemas go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk and www.odeon.co.uk