The Karate Kid: A Movie Review

Mr. Han instructing Dre to have shower switch in America to save planet.

Several months ago I downloaded the movie The Karate Kid and was dismayed when I was about to play and watch but there’s no audio in it. I already made several troubleshooting stuff and yet I wasn’t able to play it with the audio that’s why I downloaded it again from the original file. Now it is perfect with subtitle on it. The Karate Kid is a remake of the 1984 movie with the same title. Pat Morita playing Mr. Miyagi was nominated as Best Supporting Actor for Academy Awards during that time while Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso is opposite of Jaden Smith in the 2010 remake.

Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and his mother move from Detroit to China when his mother was offered a job there. She has a wonderful job, but Dre is not accustomed to life in the new country. He meets a beautiful Chinese who is practicing playing violin at the park for her audition to be accepted in Beijing Academy of Music but he encounters a gang of bullies who makes his life a living hell. This further dampens Dre's spirit as he just wants to go home. He is continually bullied and is afraid to show his face around the high school. Master Li’s students, all of whom train at the local Kung Fu studio, are out to get Dre, who is eager to prove himself courageous and not be scared off by the bullies, but also isn't keen to blindly be punched up by the gang.

Mr. Han cures Dre after he receive beating from the bullies in his school.

Dre manages to talk his way out of some fights, but he is finally cornered by several who belongs to the same Kung Fu school. As Dre is passing out from the beating he sees Mr. Han (played by Jackie Chan), the elderly maintenance man of their apartment, leaps into the fray and save him by outfighting half a dozen Kung Fu teenagers. Dre soon asked Mr. Han to teach him Kung Fu in order to defend himself against the bullies in his school. But Mr. Han teach Kung Fu depends on the reason. Real Kung Fu is for knowledge and defense not to make war but to create peace. Kung Fu and life aren't all about power and strength. It's something deep within your soul that makes you what you are. He said that there are no bad students, only bad teachers.

Together they agreed to proceed to the Kung Fu studio and make peace with the Kung Fu teacher and his students. Master Li (Kung Fu teacher) told Mr. Han to leave the issue to the kids but Mr. Han answered “one is to one, no problem but six to one, that’s too many to ask”. So the two agreed to have the kids fight one to one but during the Open Kung Fu Tournament. Mr. Han asked Master Li to leave Dre alone until the tournament and so they arranged.  Mr. Han told Dre there’s good news and bad news. The good news is the gang will leave him alone while the bad news is he will fight on the Open Kung Fu Tournament. Mr. Han assures Dre to teach him real Kung Fu.

During the first day of training, as Dre gets excited to go on for the Kung Fu practice, he was dismayed since he doesn’t understand what Mr. Han is trying to teach him. Instead of teaching him Kung Fu, he trained him how to put off, put on, drop and pick his jacket. It isn't long before Mr. Han demonstrates how these simple tasks are powerful Kung Fu moves, and Dre becomes exceptionally good at learning about balance, both in life and in Kung Fu. Mr. Han and Dre then developed a father and son like relationship. Dre found out that the wife and daughter of Mr. Han were killed in a car accident.

Seeking revenge for his students' previous loss and Mr. Han’s beating the students, the coach of the opponents of Dre wants to destroy him and Mr. Han anyway he can, no matter what it takes, fighting clean or dirty. The annual Open Kung Fu Tournament, which Dre has entered, is the perfect venue for this retribution. Dre succeeds through all the levels of competition, demonstrating skill and grace, and exercising all the control that Mr. Han has taught him. He advances to the semi-final and final round. In the final round, Dre is matched up against the champions, his foes. Master Li on the other hand instructed his student to break the leg of Dre and so he does as ordered. The boy sprained the leg of Dre so badly. Dre’s opponent was about to declared winner by default but Dre wants to prove that it is possible to win fairly and fights on through the pain. Mr. Han asked Dre why he still wants to fight despite he was already a winner at heart by doing Kung Fu the real way and fighting fairly. He answered that he is still afraid and in order to keep his fear away he must win the tournament. Mr. Han performs a mystical act on Dre's sprained leg, causing the pain to disappear. Still hobbling but determined to win, Dre performs a skillful move to beat his opponent, winning both the championship and the everlasting friendship of Mr. Han. Dre’s opponent accepted the defeat and handed the trophy to Dre by himself.

Cheng breaks the leg of Dre during their final match.

The movie was one of the best I’ve watched. It teaches about life. When you have the determination to win even you gets beat up you have to stand and fight no matter what. And whenever we experience fear inside us, cure that fear by taking action and face the reality. The theme song at the end of the movie (Never Say Never by Justin Bieber) also adds to the awe-inspiring story of the movie and it even made my hair at the back of my neck stands. Indeed, great movie. Two thumbs up Dre and Mr. Han.

Never Say Never

Justin Bieber feat Jaden Smith

Never say never, yeah, yeah

Never ever ever ever oh oh


See i never thought that I could walk through fire

I never thought that I could take the burn

I never had the strength to take it higher

Until I reach the point of no return

And there's just no turnin back

When your heart's under attack

Gonna give everything I have 

It's my destiny



(Chorus)

I will never say never, no no

I will fight

I will fight till forever, to make it right

Whenever you knock me down

I will not stay on the ground

Pick it up

Pick it up

Pick it up 

Pick it up up up

Never say never

(Ne-never say never)x3

(never say it, never never say it)



I never thought that I could feel this power

I never thought that I could feel this free

I'm strong enough to climb the highest tower

And i'm fast enough to run across the sea, oh

Cause there's just no turnin back

When your heart's under attack

Gonna give everything I have 

Cause this is my destiny



(chorus) 



Here we go, guess who Jay Smith and JB, uh huh

I got you little bro, I can handle them, hold up, aight, i can handle them

now he's bigger than me

taller than me

and he's older than me

and stronger than me

and his arms a little bit longer than me

but he ain't on a JB song with me

I be tryin' to chill

maybe trying to side with the thrill

no punn intended was raised by the power of will

like luke with the force if push comes to shove

like kobe in the fourth, ice, water and blood

gotta be the best

and yes, we're the flyest

like david and goliath, i conquered the giant

so now I got the world in my hands

I was born from two stars, so the moon's where I land

I'm gone



(chorus)x2