Karate Kid - We’ve Changned Almost Everything

[american_arcane]

Originally published at Toob Talk. You can comment here or there.

First, go and watch this trailer for the new Karate Kid movie staring Jacki Chan and Wil Smith’s talented son Jaden.


If this weren’t being billed as The Karate Kid, I don’t think it would be that bad.

My problem is that, once again, we’ve taken everything except the most very basic

Comments

[leiacat]

I would be unsurprised if it turned out that it was written for an older kid, and then rewritten after casting Jaden.

Also, this is not just any bullying this is about - it's trying to fit into a new place, and finding yourself too different for it and not accepted. Basically, this is the opposite of Twilight, a variant on the same fantasy. There the main character moves and everyone in the new place immediately loves her. Here the main character does the same, nobody likes him, he learns to kick ass. Two sides of the same coin. And I am sure will by the end of it find his place in something-or-other and be friends with the cute girl not appearing in this preview.

In other words, if they called it anything else, everyone watching the movie would complain that it's just like Karate Kid, and whomever owns the Karate Kid franchise would be displeased. This way with only a small stretch they've gained identification with franchise, ability to riff on the recogniseable moments, and I am sure they'll hang a lampshade on the martial art of choice being kung fu rather than karate.