The durability of a franchise is something Hollywood constantly likes to test. Whether it’s tried and true series that continually deliver to some degree or what feels like reaching into a bag and deciding some cult favorite flop can somehow churn a profit as a rehashed image of itself years later, this is just part of the system that audiences have accepted. No matter their cries about the sacredness of the original, it hasn’t stopped them from going in droves to see what’s familiar over something new. The Karate Kid, much like the stars of their respective films, is a bit of an underdog among film franchises. It has had three out of five massively successful entries, along with an animated series, video games, an upcoming Broadway show, and, of course, a wildly successful, multi-season Netflix series. Karate Kid: Legends, if anything, is building on what has been working rather than feeling like a desperate attempt to keep the momentum going. Fortunately, this 2025 continuation of the series is also a lot of fun, with a fine handling of how to balance the past and present.
Beginning in Beijing, China, Li Fong (Ben Wang) is a teenager who enjoys studying kung fu with his uncle, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the revered shifu who has expanded his teachings since we last saw him in the 2010 remake, which has now become a sidequel in the series. Li’s disapproving mother, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen), delivers news that the two will be moving to New York City, where he will supposedly leave martial arts behind, as Li’s brother was recently killed for reasons related to their practice of kung fu. For a variety of reasons, things don’t go as planned as far as Li’s extracurricular activities go. You see while striking up a friendship with Mia (Sadie Stanley), who works at a nearby pizza parlor, her father, Victor (Joshua Jackson), ends up needing help to become a better fighter, and of course, this teenage boy is the one who could help with that.
See Also: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Review: Jack Black’s Awesomeness Ages Well
This story, developed by Rob Lieber, isn’t exactly brimming with witty banter or neck-breaking twists and turns when it comes to the ever-so-sacred American martial arts drama genre. Still, it makes some strong choices to help it both fit into this franchise and explore new territory. Along with having an Asian American lead for the first time, the film allows him to already possess skill and mix things up by letting him train the older, white supporting character for reasons that make a level of sense. Okay, but does this film still have an aggressive antagonist and karate tournaments, you may ask? Yes, and it also plays out about as well as it can.
Along with the martial arts action, the other series staple is melodramatic plotlines that are self-serious in the right kinds of ways. This is a very earnest series, enough to have allowed the 6-season Netflix series to coast through at least a couple of seasons on goodwill before delivering a pretty solid final run of episodes. Karate Kid: Legends is no different, as we have a main bully (Aramis Knight), mentor-related past trauma, and back-and-forth drama between Li, his mother, and Mia. There’s a sincerity that is easy to appreciate, as this is not a remake that needs to question or mock its past. This series may have moved on from the 80s, but it doesn’t forget the charm that comes from simply being a movie about kids and their martial arts training.
What helps is the strength of the main cast. While Chan’s involvement is relegated mainly to the latter half of the film, it speaks to how confident director Jonathan Entwistle was with his performers and story that this film didn’t need to constantly call back to the past. Instead, the first half of this film is not only grounded in reality but also allows us to enjoy the character work. Wang is a charming lead. He’s fun to be around, even with the tragedy he’s experienced in his life. He and Stanley have good chemistry. Jackson is also solid here, going against the grain by not just becoming another Mr. Miyagi-type mentor but a (kind of) responsible father who recognizes that he needs help — and even knows when to throw in the towel. It would have been nice to see Ming-Na do more than just be the wet blanket for much of the film (Randee Heller and Taraji P. Henson were allowed to be much cheerier as the mothers in their movies). Still, the film’s paced so fast that there’s only so much time to handle everyone properly.
With all of this in mind, of course, the big selling point for the studio is that both Chan’s character from the 2010 film (which Legends is mainly a sequel to) and the original Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), would be appearing together. Wisely, this movie understands the right weight to give to their presence. They are featured as much as needed without taking over the story, and are pleasant to have around. Yes, Cobra Kai fans may be disappointed that more of that series does not have any real role to play in this film, but it’s no matter. Karate Kid: Legends has the right idea of what it means to deliver fan service, whether it’s retconning the relationship between Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi or once again delivering the same plotting regarding the final tournament.
Of course, having a good eye for assembling a film like this helps. I’m not going to say this New York-set film (shot largely in Montreal) finds all the right ways to capture some newfound grittiness as a way to separate itself from past Karate Kid movies, but it is making some choices. For what is ostensibly a kid-friendly martial arts flick, the action choreography looks pretty solid, and the violence is depicted in a manner that is not overly cartoonish. Some video game-like choices (think Street Fighter) are utilized during the tournament section of the film’s third act, which I frankly found cheesy and charming in equal measure.
Again, this is not the kind of series that requires much in terms of scope or what it needs to accomplish thematically or otherwise. Karate Kid: Legends is successful in the same way the 2010 remake was. It’s a film that understands the basic components of how an underdog story like this can work and relies on solid casting, performances, and just enough specificity to allow it to stand on its own. Not hurting is how much fun this film wants the audience to have on this journey, and seeing the payoffs that result from watching a likable lead character work with appealing role models. That all speaks to the crowd-pleasing nature of this series when it is at its best, proving once again that Miyagi’s teachings continue to live on.
Karate Kid: Legends opens in theaters on May 30, 2025.
