Find out what is being said about the new chapter in the film franchise, directed by Jonathan Entwistle.
The Guardian: “It’s warm, it’s breezy – it’s a burst of summery family fun that is sure to inspire long looks back at the old movies and Cobra Kai episodes while sparking renewed interest in martial arts apprenticeship. Anyone would get a kick out of it.”
The Telegraph: *** “Chan and Ralph Macchio return to the franchise – but the film’s secret weapon is really its young star.”
Empire: *** “Krate Kid: Legends is peppy and warm-hearted enough to excuse its shortcomings. Especially if you’re already nostalgically invested in the 41-year-old series and just can’t resist a training montage or freeze-frame punch-the-air victory shot.”
Vulture.com: “The chief pleasure of Karate Kid: Legends — maybe the only pleasure of Karate Kid: Legends — is the opportunity to see Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio jointly coaching a young martial-arts student. It’s a sight charming enough to coax a few extra drops of dopamine from Generation X’s collective brains: Those of us who remember the fresh-faced Macchio from the first wave of Karate Kid films (as well as his middle-aged version from the Cobra Kai series) will get a momentary kick out of watching him collude, argue, and spar with Chan, the kung-fu action legend whose charisma powered the 2010 remake. Unfortunately, such nostalgic crossover potential seems to be the only reason for this lifeless retread.”
Roger Ebert.com: *** 1/2 “mpressive and exasperating in its determination to squeeze every previous iteration of this story into one huge glimmering chunk of lore.”
IGN.com: ” Even with the whirlwind pace and reheated story, you still want to see Li find love with Mia and kick Connor’s arrogant ass. It doesn’t hurt that the final fight takes place high up on the roof of a New York skyscraper at sunset, feeling appropriately dramatic and sensational for a series that has continually escalated things since Daniel’s relatively simple first tournament in a San Fernando Valley sports center so many years ago.”
Variety: “The film’s set-up feels a bit disconnected from the climactic martial-arts tournament: a gritty New York event called the 5 Boroughs, in which fighters from all over the city compete with each other in the streets. The director, Jonathan Entwistle, doesn’t belabor it. The film whips through the early rounds and gets right down to the finale, shot on a Manhattan rooftop at the magic hour, with Li and Conor going at each other and Li wielding the secret weapon he trained for by learning how to duck under a subway turnstile. “Karate Kid: Legends” is likable retro corn, but by the end you may just think: Ain’t that a kick in the head.”
Karate Kid: Legends is out in cinemas now.