Film Review – Karate Kid: Legends

2010’s “The Karate Kid” remake was a monster hit. The dramatic achievement of the picture is certainly open for debate, but audiences showed up to see Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith recreate the martial arts magic of the wonderful 1984 original film. Weirdly, there was no sequel, especially with a brand name that’s happy to go franchise with anything, including a cult television series, “Cobra Kai,” that ended earlier this year. “Karate Kid: Legends” isn’t really a continuation of the 2010 or 1984 feature, as screenwriter Rob Lieber (who did fine work with 2014’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”) is tasked with creating a blend of the old and the older, trying to make something new out of the tight formula the series is known for. The production is in a hurry to get through the details of the plot, but “Legends” is energetically directed by Jonathan Entwistle and charmingly performed by the cast, who help to make the unavoidable predictability of it all actually quite enjoyable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com