Karate Kid: Legends
May 28th, 2025
MOVIE: KARATE KID: LEGENDS
STARRING: BEN WANG, JACKIE CHAN, JOSHUA JACKSON, SADIE STANLEY, MING-NA WEN, RALPH MACCHIO
DIRECTED BY: JONATHAN ENTWISTLE
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 94 MINUTES
A week ago, I sat through The Last Rodeo, another wholesome sports movie with an underdog plot and predictable story beats. Nothing about it worked for me. The acting was standard, the plot cheesy, and the sentiment felt contrived. I expected more of the same from Karate Kid: Legends—and in many ways, it is. But what ultimately won me over was a surprising punch of charm that its rodeo-themed counterpart lacked.
The story follows familiar beats—almost a rewrap of the 1984 Karate Kid. But what elevates Legends just above mediocrity is its fresh characters, snappy pacing, and genuinely crowd-pleasing moments. The film may not innovate much, but it delivers where it counts.
Director Jonathan Entwistle relocates the story to New York, where young Li Fong (Ben Wang) and his mother (Ming-Na Wen) try to start over after the tragic death of Li’s brother. Hoping to leave martial arts behind—especially the tough love teachings of his Uncle Han (Jackie Chan)—Li attempts to make new friends. He bonds with Mia (Sadie Stanley) and her father Victor (Joshua Jackson), who run a pizza shop nearby. But this new friendship stirs conflict with Conor (Aramis Knight), the local bully. After a few schoolyard skirmishes, Li is pushed to the brink and decides to enter the Five Boroughs Karate Tournament, against his mother’s wishes, to find himself.
That’s the core of the story, with a few added layers—including a subplot where Li trains Victor for his boxing match, and the eventual return of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), called in by Uncle Han to provide extra guidance. Writer Rob Lieber aims to unify all branches of the Karate Kid universe: Mr. Miyagi’s wisdom from the originals, the Cobra Kai legacy, and Chan’s 2010 reboot. It sort of works, but these connections mostly sit in the background, while Li’s journey takes center stage. And that’s where the film genuinely shines.
Ben Wang is the real standout here. He’s charismatic, effortlessly funny, and has the martial arts chops to back it up. His screen presence is magnetic, and he could easily become a new face for action cinema.
Unfortunately, what holds Legends back from greatness isn’t its predictability—it’s the corporate fingerprints all over it. The film is blatantly sponsored by Pepsi, which turns parts of the production into an extended commercial. The direction also feels overly plastic and rushed. Fight scenes, rather than flowing naturally, are hyper-edited and flashy, with visual flair reminiscent of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or a Street Fighter video game. Gone is the meditative beauty of nature that defined earlier Karate Kid films; in its place, a glossy, TikTok-ready aesthetic.
It may sound like I’m being too hard on Karate Kid: Legends, but there’s still plenty to enjoy. Despite its recycled plot and commercial overtones, it’s hard to ignore the energy in the theater—the cheers, the applause, the sense that, yes, this story still resonates. Li’s journey of self-discovery, standing up to the bully, and reclaiming his identity as a martial artist hit all the right emotional beats.
No, it’s not a perfect Karate Kid film. But maybe—just maybe the story of this new legend is only getting started.
2 ½ STARS
KARATE KID: LEGENDS IS PLAYING IN THEATERS FRIDAY, MAY 30TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
