The Karate Kid (PG)

Dir. Harold Zwart, 140mins, US/China, 2010

Cast: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han

Review by Matthew Rodgers

There was every chance that this latest remake to come off the 80's conveyor belt would turn out to be Hong Kong Pooey, that would be kicked out of bounds by the hazy mist of misplaced nostalgia that remembers the initial adventures of Daniel Larusso as a classic, when in reality the against-all-odds 1984 Karate Kid was the original cheesy sports movie and a blackbelt in quotable lines that echo through the quarter of a century franchise gap - “ sweep the leg, Johnny ” and “ wax on, wax off ”.

It is therefore refreshing to report that this reboot is shorn of any knowing winks, nudges, or over-stylised production values that have undermined other recent rehashes (we're looking at you, A-Team ), and simply wants to tell a familiar story to a new generation.

Relocating the action to China , our wannabe dojo Dre (Jaden Smith) is finding life tougher than a kick to the solar-plexus after his mother (Henson) changes jobs and countries, moving herself and her son from their Detroit home.. Unable to speak the lingo and the target of some basketball court bullies, he forms an unlikely friendship with dishevelled building supervisor, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who teaches him to channel his frustrations through the ancient art of Karate.

Don't bother asking why, just accept the slew of uninspired rehashes. There really wasn't any need to resurrect this VHS classic but it's here now in all its slightly too long two and a half hour glory and you'll be kind of glad it is. It's still by-the-book coming of age stuff that smacks of Grange Hill during the opening exchanges – “look inside yourself” and all that - but done with a restraint and unforced narrative style that'll charm the black belt off you.

Much of this is thanks to the central pairing, a duo which, when initially announced, raised many an eyebrow as to whether they could fill the boots of Ralph Macchio and the late Pat Morita. Jaden Smith is unrecognisable from the annoying moppet he played in The Day the Earth Stood Still , and has clearly been chilling with The Fresh Prince, a.k.a. Dad Will, because he scarily has all of his father's mannerisms and charisma. He carries the film with ease and is thoroughly convincing with the lightweight material. Chan is not here the Chan that Western audiences will be familiar with. There is very little gurning or comedic acrobatics It's a chance for him to actually act and he makes it work, even if his more dramatic scenes – drunken crying – don't convince.

The violence is also quite hard-hitting, with the sound effects team cranking up the impact. Dre's initial beat down is quite brutal for what is essentially a kid's film, but the script makes sure that the fighting is always justified and grounded. Chan even gets the chance to fight a group of youths that inventively involves him never once hitting them.

Despite a saggy second round (middle section), The Karate Kid really is one of “the best [remakes] around”, sweeping the leg of nostalgic parody and even ending with an 80's style freeze-frame and a guaranteed grin on the viewer's mush.