Quick Movie Review: The Karate Kid (2010)

The Karate Kid (2010)

Bottomline: You will be surprised at how charming this movie is. Definitely worth your time.

Where Can I See This Movie? It's available for rent on DVD and is in rotation on movie channels.

QMR Opinion: So I'm sitting around on a Sunday afternoon channel surfing when I come across this film about five minutes in. I started watching and literally could not turn it off. I am a Jackie Chan fan so it's an opportunity to watch him. I am a Taraji P. Henson fan, so it's an opportunity to watch her (although she is wasted here). But it's the performance of Jaden Smith that took me by surprise. He's a good looking kid who has the charm that has made his father, Will Smith, a superstar. Other than being set in China, this movie follows the script of the original Karate Kid (1984) almost to the letter so you know how it's going to finish, but Jaden brings freshness to it and it's refreshing to see Jackie actually play down. He is so over-the-top in so many of his movies, it's interesting to see him almost fade into the background here -- but, of course, it's important to his role in the film. A fan criticism? In all Jackie Chan movies, he always shows a blooper reel at the end. No blooper reel here and I think it would have been fun to see.