The Karate Kid

[Sinead]

I saw an advance showing of this on June 3rd, and I disagree with most points of the review that I saw on Yahoo. It said that the Forbidden City was picturesque and didn't really need to be in the film, same as the Great Wall of China. I agree with the idea that it was extra minutes used up for the Forbidden City, but c'mon ... it was so darn pretty! As for the Great Wall, well, it was showing the pinnacle of a training regiment that Jaden Smith's character went through. They said that the accents were hard to understand, but that was only if you weren't paying any attention at all to the dialog. Jackie Chan was fantastic as Mr Han, and he played the old-bowlegged-master part fantastically. It was a real treat to see him play a serious role instead of the goofball roles that he normally takes on.

Besides, it was a real joy to watch. It's not the original Karate Kid, which I grew up watching, and I didn't expect it to be anything like the original. Anyone who does would obviously be disappointed. However, that being said, they did a great job bringing you through the ups and downs of Dre's journey from complete foreigner to becoming part of the community, even if he was still from America. It's a great story, no matter the location or the details. It's inspiring because of the humanity, the understanding of what it's like to be an outsider and to slowly make the connections with people on new turf. Having been there many times myself, I really enjoyed the accuracy of the emotional ups and downs that someone new to any area experiences.

I'd say watch it and give it a chance. It's a fun story.