KARATE KID: LEGENDS (2025)

Over the past two decades, studios have made many attempts to revive or reboot beloved franchises from the 1980s and 190s. Many have failed, both in terms of bringing back the old magic and in terms of box office numbers. Others have made box office bank despite being almost entirely devoid of charm, creativity, or anything resembling the genius of their original iterations. For example, see most of Disney’s theatrical live-action remakes or anything related to Star Wars. There are occasional gems like Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and, now, Karate Kid: Legends.

While there have been some flubs from this franchise along the way—Karate Kid: Part III (1989) and The Next Karate Kid (1994) being prime examples of jumping the shark—since the streaming series Cobra Kai (2019-2025), it’s safe to say that it’s got back on its feet and made itself relevant with a new generation. Fans will be pleased to know that the new film continues in the Cobra Kai vein, providing fan service while developing new likeable characters and sticking to a tried-and-true formula. There’s no attempt to overcomplicate the plot. There’s no attempt here to reinvent the roundhouse kick. It’s just good, old-fashioned, martial arts fun.

The film brings in kung fu from the very beginning as we’re introduced to Li Fong (Ben Wang), nephew and student of Master Han (Jackie Chan) in Beijing. From there, the tried and true formula takes effect. Li moves to a new city (New York this time), meets a girl named Mia (Sadie Stanley), and gets on the wrong side of an infamously brutal dojo and its star student, Connor Day (Aramis Knight). To save Mia’s family business, he must master both karate and kung fu under the tutelage of his uncle and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Those of you who are looking for a Cobra Kai tie-in might be a bit disappointed. (Though I will say, make sure you stay until the end.) This is a stand-alone film that can be enjoyed separately from both the popular streaming show and every Karate Kid film after The Karate Kid: Part III.

Many critics take issue with this formula. It’s been seen before; there’s nothing new; it doesn’t make a statement, etc. What they fail to realise is that this formula works. This film isn’t trying to do anything new. It’s not trying to say anything about current-day politics, culture, or anything else. It espouses timeless truths about standing up to bullies, refusing to back down, showing mercy even when people don’t deserve it, and fighting for what matters to you. Though we all, in theory, know about these truths, any venture into an internet comment section will show you that we need to be reminded every now and then.

Aside from the formula, another thing that makes this film work is the chemistry between its stars. The two lead teens, Wang and Stanley, are beyond sweet together which makes us root for them all the more. Not to mention, Li’s friend Alan (Wyatt Oleff) is probably the most committed and loyal wingman in movie history. His neuroticism and loyalty show through in a way that is both amusing and endearing.

Jackie Chan is every bit as good as you’d expect him to be. The kung fu skills he still manages to display without the benefit of a stunt double (as both Ralph Macchio and Ben Wang have) are nothing short of astonishing. And, while Daniel LaRusso does feel a bit shoehorned into this franchise entry, and he doesn’t even show up until slightly past the mid-point, it’s still interesting to see the two different martial arts on display side by side. One of the best comic scenes is one on the roof where both martial artists are debating over the benefits of each style while demonstrating disabling techniques on their put-upon student.

For fans of things that are new and different, there’s a slight deviation from the formula in a subplot involving Mia’s father Victor (Joshua Jackson) as a former boxer, looking to win one more fight to save the family business. Li teaches him kung fu techniques to improve his mobility and give him an edge against the competition.

While it seemed superfluous at first, I was surprised to find that this plot line was integrated surprisingly well into the old formula. This is, in part, due to Jackson’s believability as a loving but grizzled former fighter and the fun that Ben Wang clearly has in acting as the teacher rather than the student. That said, if we’re going to get nit-picky, this is the one plot line that could have been either condensed or significantly altered to give us more time to flesh out a compelling bad guy, as the villains are the one area where Karate Kid: Legends is truly lacking.

There’s a black-belt karate teacher/dojo owner/loan shark named Daniel O’Shea (Tim Roson) who’s in a grand total of three scenes. He does send thugs after Victor, who owes him money, but, like many movie henchmen, they are as incompetent as Stormtroopers and just as quickly dispatched. Though O’Shea is supposed to have the same dynamic with our main villain Connor Day (Aramis Knight) as John Kreese had with Johnny (William Zabka) in the first film, we only see the student and teacher interact once.

Connor, at least, has some more screen time and does get to show off his skills against Li, proving that he is, indeed, skilled and formidable. But, aside from being a jealous ex to Mia and a dedicated student at his dojo, no other aspects of his character or humanity emerge. Now, I’m a big fan of villains standing as archetypes of evil or an idea rather than being fleshed out characters.

The idea of Connor standing in for toxic masculinity or bullying in general would have worked if Knight didn’t struggle to come off as intimidating in his non-fight scenes. He’s a very good-looking kid, but his jealousy came off as whiny and annoying rather than sinister. And, though Mia tells us that he wasn’t as bad before he started at the evil dojo, he doesn’t give us any moments of light to see the former good in him. Thus, while it’s entirely believable that Mia would fall for Li, it’s almost impossible to see what a smart, kind, street-wise girl like her would see in a whiny, annoying, toxic personality like Connor.

The good thing is, this lack of a strong central villain and the boxing subplot never really bogs the film down. It moves at a quick, exciting pace. Nothing ever feels drawn out or superfluous while you’re in the cinema. There’s just enough depth to make us care about our core protagonists and more than enough spectacular fight scenes to leave us cheering. When it comes to movies that entertain, this one does its job and does it well.

I said this when I reviewed Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024): something is refreshing about a franchise that knows what it is and doesn’t try too hard to be anything else. The Karate Kid is a perfect example of this. With Legends, the creators are saying, we know our audience, we know what they like, and that’s what we’re going to give them. The result is an entertaining popcorn flick that has the potential to become a favourite of young people in the 21st-century, the same way the original became a staple for kids at the end of the 20th-century. Normally, I tell people to stay away from nostalgia bait. But when that bait’s attached to The Karate Kid, you can feel free to indulge knowing that you’re likely going to get a fun, entertaining product that stays true to its roots.

USA • CANADA | 2025 | 94 MINUTES | 1.85:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

director: Jonathan Entwistle.
writer: Rob Lieber (based on ‘The Karate Kid’ by Robert Mark Kamen).
starring: Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, Ralph Macchio, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight, Wyatt Olef, Shaunette Reneé Wilson & Tim Rozon.