When “The Karate Kid” landed in theaters in June 1984, it became a pop culture phenomenon. The pairing of Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi became instantly iconic. An Oscar-nominated box office smash, it spawned a franchise.
After the solid sequel, “The Karate Kid Part II,” and the passable threequel, “The Karate Kid Part III,” in 1986 and 1989, respectively, came the series’ misstep, “The Next Karate Kid,” in 1994. A box office flop, it was the first entry in the franchise not to star Macchio, the last to star Morita, and the first film not to be directed by John G. Avildsen.
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Fast forward to 2010, and Hollywood delivered a franchise reboot called “The Karate Kid” with new characters reflective of the previous incarnations, including action icon Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han. It received generally favorable reviews, and a sequel was announced, but then nothing happened. In 2018, “Cobra Kai” debuted, first on YouTube and later moving to Netflix, with Macchio returning as LaRusso opposite William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence. It was like the original 1984 movie, and I felt so good.
Now, 15 years after the most recent “The Karate Kid” movie, Chan returns in “Karate Kid: Legends” as Han, Macchio continues his return as LaRusso, and audiences are psyched. The pair is finally coming together in a film. What could go wrong other than this now-shared universe effectively imploding? 
“I Am Not Okay With This” helmer Jonathan Entwistle, a Brit born in the same year the original film was released, directs this sixth film in the “Karate Kid” franchise, which follows on from the 2010 film and is set after the events of “Cobra Kai.” To be fair, he does a decent job. “Mean Girls” actor Ben Wang plays kung fu prodigy Li Fong who relocates to New York City with his doctor mother. It’s not long before he attracts the unwanted attention of a local karate champion called Connor, who also happens to be the ex-boyfriend of a girl who catches Fong’s eye, Mia, played by Sadie Stanley. As a result, he finds himself on a path to the ultimate Five Boroughs karate competition with the help of Mr. Han and LaRusso. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Also, please don’t break it. There’s also a subplot where Fong helps Mia’s father, Victor, played by “Dawson’s Creek” legend Joshua Jackson, train for a boxing match where he hopes to win prize money to repay a debt and save his pizzeria. It isn’t that “Karate Kid: Legends” is bad; it’s more that it’s fine, and that’s disappointing for fans of the franchise. Given the opportunity to revive the film franchise on the big screen following the success of Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg’s “Cobra Kai” on the small screen, this film unfortunately lacks the conviction, drama, and heart that both enjoyed. What could have been a perfect storm is just bad weather. However, despite its flaws, “Karate Kid: Legends” feels like a natural conclusion to this decades-long journey. It’s acceptable.
“Karate Kid: Legends” is what you’d expect, given the narrative setup, which is both a pro and a con. There aren’t many surprises here. However, when it comes to laying things out and tying things together, such as where Mr. Miyagi fits into Mr. Han’s world and how that connects him to LaRusso, that’s done cleanly, and it’s not laid on too thick. However, Rob Lieber’s script occasionally feels too clunky and thin to add substance to the story. It’s serviceable but a little light, lacks tension and drama, and sometimes feels a touch hammy. You never really feel the stakes are that high. The characters who suffer most in this respect are Jackson, a former prizefighter turned pizza master, and Fong’s bad-boy karate rival, Connor, played by Aramis Knight. There are moments of menace with him, but the character feels somewhat cartoony. Wang and Stanley work well together and Jackson’s dad stays just the right side of cheesy. It’s also great to see Macchio and Chan finally together and interact nicely. It feels right.
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It’ll be a relief to hear that “Karate Kid: Legends” really shines in the action and training sequences, which deliver what you’d expect in a good way. Always impressive and eye-catching, they don’t provide the edge-of-your-seat intensity of other entries on the broader franchise, but they’re still a good time. Also, is it possible to have a bad Jackie Chan action sequence? Kudos to Wang, too, for his sharp skills, which make him every inch believable when he kicks into gear. It’s impressive.
Regarding the final showdown, the rooftop setting with its cityscape backdrop is a nice creative touch. That said, there are other choices, such as the ’90s Nickelodeon-meets-“Street-Fighter”-style graphics used to illustrate concepts like the passage of time or tournament rules, which can be twee and jarring. It makes it feel more like a TV movie than a theatrical one. Also, would it have killed them to have reprised or reworked one of the franchise’s classic rock tracks, such as Joe Esposito’s “You’re The Best” or even Peter Cetera’s “Glory of Love” as an homage in a montage?
“Karate Kid: Legends” licks along, and there’s not much fat on it, so kudos to whoever chose to snip out any filler. At 94 minutes, it’s the shortest film in the franchise. On the subject of duration, while Chan gets a chunk of screen time, audiences might be disappointed by the serving of Macchio, leaving them hungry for a little more. If Netflix picked this up rather than going to multiplexes, that wouldn’t have felt weird, especially with how well “Cobra Kai” played and a generation discovering the series in that space. It’s fun to see in a crowded theater, but “Karate Kid: Legends” won’t lose much in a home entertainment environment.
Overall, “Karate Kid: Legends” is a family film with moments and serves as a fun (and often humorous) send-off. That said, it feels too thin too often and a missed opportunity when it comes to tapping into the franchise’s deeper emotional legacy. The journey could have taken us to worse destinations, but this feels like a good place to stop. [C+]
“Karate Kid: Legends” opens Friday, May 30, via Sony Pictures.