Film: Karate Kid: Legends

I’ve never seen the original movie, although I did watch the reboot a few years ago. I don’t recall much about it—was it the same story again? Regardless, I would have watched this film anyway because of Jackie Chan, and there wasn’t anything else on at the time.

The movie includes every cliché: a young man moves to a new city and makes no friends at school, yet somehow manages to get a girlfriend right away. Her ex, of course, becomes his immediate nemesis.

The kid, Li Fong, only knew Kung Fu in Beijing, thanks to his mentor (Jackie Chan). Despite his doctor mother forbidding any fighting, Li feels compelled to intervene when an injustice occurs. He has to learn karate.

Although I could predict many of the tropes you’d expect in a kids' martial arts movie and anticipated several lines, I left the cinema smiling.

Part of my enjoyment stemmed from having one of the most comfortable cinema experiences I can recall. It started at 4pm, the perfect cinema time. I had a big flask of coffee, chocolates, a pile of biscuits, and for once, the theatre was at the perfect temperature. Maybe it was Jackie Chan, or perhaps it was just good old-fashioned cinema magic.

8/10