Karate Kid: Legends (2025) Columbia/Drama-Action RT: 94 minutes Rated PG-13 (martial arts violence and some language) Director: Jonathan Entwistle Screenplay: Rob Lieber Music: Dominic Lewis Cinematography: Justin Powers Release date: May 30, 2025 (US) Cast: Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight, Wyatt Oleff, Tim Rozon, Shaunette Renee Wilson.
Rating: ***
Can you believe it’s been 41 years since The Karate Kid hit theaters and roundhouse kicked its way to a robust box office take of $100M? That’s what was going through my mind as I sat down to watch Karate Kid: Legends, the sixth film in the series. The original Karate Kid Ralph Macchio isn’t a kid anymore. The 63YO actor’s character Daniel LaRusso has gone from student to teacher, stepping into the role once occupied by the late Pat Morita whose presence still lingers in this new story centering on another kid trying to navigate new surroundings.
Full disclosure, I’ve never seen a single episode of the Netflix series Cobra Kai. I know, I should have been watching it from day one, but I’ve just never gotten around to it. Maybe I’ll make the time this summer. ANYWAY, that didn’t stop from enjoying Karate Kid: Legends. It’s actually pretty good. In fact, it’s the best KK sequel since Part II back in ’86. That’s the installment that serves as a springboard for the plot of the new movie. The prologue takes us back to Daniel and Mr. Miyagi in his family dojo in Okinawa where, through the magic of retcon, we learn of the connection between Miyagi and Mr. Han (Chan, Rumble in the Bronx), the shifu introduced in the 2010 remake-turned-sequel. That’s right, it’s now officially part of the KK canon.
With the shift of narrative now established, we move onto the plot. The new teen protagonist Li (Wang, American Born Chinese) has been having a difficult time of it since his older brother was murdered a year ago. He trains at Han’s kung fu school against the wishes of his mother Dr. Fong (Wen, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) who’s just accepted a position at a hospital in Manhattan meaning they’ll have to leave Beijing. In light of what happened to his brother, she makes Li promise to give up kung fu.
They move to New York where Li becomes friends with Mia (Stanley, Kim Possible), the daughter of local pizzeria owner Victor Lipani (Jackson, Doctor Odyssey). Her ex-boyfriend just happens to be NY’s answer to Johnny Lawrence, karate champion Conor Day (Knight, Into the Badlands). He immediately dislikes Li and makes no attempt to hide it. In addition, he trains under O’Shea (Rozon, Schitt’s Creek), a merciless loan shark who’s owed money by Victor.
Li’s painful past continues to haunt him. It finally reaches a point where Han has to come to New York to intervene. Despite the mother’s objections, he trains Li for the Five Boroughs Tournament, a big martial arts competition with a huge cash prize. With only a week to get ready, Han recruits Daniel to help train Li. Naturally, this new karate kid will face off against his chief rival in the final match.
Directed by Jonathan Entwistle (I Am Not Okay with This) making his feature film debut, Karate Kid: Legends took me back to a simpler time when teen movies didn’t involve kids texting back and forth all the time. It’s nice to see young characters actually interacting with each other face to face. It also benefits from not having a ton of CGI. Chan, at age 71, still does all his own stunts. Wang himself is proficient in several forms of martial arts. The movie is a nice showcase for authentically choreographed fight scenes (with a little bit of digital tweaking). I like the scene where Li takes on a group of O’Shea’s thugs in an alley when they try to shake down Victor. My only real complaint in this area is the editing in the scene where Han and Daniel fight the same thugs at one of the matches. You can’t really tell what’s going on.
Wang does a fine job in the lead. He’s not just some bullying victim. He’s a traumatized kid with PTSD and a fractured relationship with his mother (no word on the dad’s whereabouts). He freezes up when things get too intense. He has to work his way through his trauma. Stanley is very good as Li’s romantic interest, a witty sort who admits to making bad choices like Conor. In the role, Knight is perfectly mean and sadistic. We don’t get anything in the way of background on him, but the same could be said of Johnny in the first KK. Wen is great as the tough mom who pushes her son to succeed academically to keep him safe. Jackson does solid work as Victor, a former fighter who asks Li to train him in kung fu for his planned return to the ring.
Chan still has serious moves. He’s also a terrific mentor if somewhat mischievous. He’s a great stand-in for Morita. Even better, he works well with Macchio. It’s nice to see Daniel pass down his master’s teachings to a new student. It makes you realize great wisdom is handed down through generations.
Running a lean 94 minutes, Karate Kid: Legends is solid early summer entertainment. Entwistle makes great use of the NY locations much like John G. Avildsen did with South Philly in Rocky. You really get a feel for the place. The final match, which takes place on a building rooftop, is both exciting and well orchestrated. Sure, Karate Kid: Legends lacks in the way of character development, but maybe they’re saving it for the sequel should this latest movie make money. I really hope it does. It’s a good movie.
