Trailer for 2010 The Karate Kid Remake with Jackie Chan Released

By jozjozjoz | Saturday, December 26, 2009 | 24 Comments

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Which is awesome, how they’re totally doing karate. Oh, wait.
–Ernie

Oh, where to start with the mockery?

Let’s start with the whole karate/kung-fu thing. Simply put: Karate = Japan; Kung-Fu = China. Martial arts nerds can go on about all the various details and differences, but on the surface, the biggest thing that stands out about this movie entitled KARATE KID, is that it’s being set in China with a well-known Chinese martial artist who is known for his kung-fu background. I’m hoping there is some explanation in the movie about this — any guesses as to what it will be?

Next, let’s talk about the fact the original Karate Kid is a classic, and any attempts to remake it will be lame. Okay, so I’m biased: the movie may have been called “The Karate Kid,” implying that the “kid” was the main character. No offense to Ralph Macchio or his Daniel-san character, but let’s face it — Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi made those Karate Kid movies what they were; you could replace Ralph Macchio with Hillary Swank, but you couldn’t do any of those movies without Mr. Miyagi. (He was even selected as the #1 Greatest Fictional Angeleno in 2006 by blogging.la.)

Jaden Smith is a cutie-patootie, but I’m not interested in watching him “take his jacket off” and “put it on” again — it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as “Wax on. Wax off.”

I’m going to stop ranting because I realized I sound like one of those old people who talks about how great things “used to be” and hates everything new. So I pass the torch to you: what do you think of the new trailer?

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Facebook Comments (Beta)

http://twitter.com/yogblog yogblog

This is just wrong. I love Jackie Chan, but moving the movie to China is just not going to work. I have heard that racism is a big problem in China (especially among the many ethnic Chinese groups that live in the country), but being a bully is not normally tolerated in Chinese society and that is the driving point of the plot. If you wanted to move the movie to a different location, why not New York? Karate would not be so glaringly out of place there and you can have reasonable explanations for the plot.
csc3

methinks hollywood should just quit it already with the remakes
xxxtine

I dunno, it looks entertaining and it’s better than having someone like Steven Segal and Lil’ Romeo as its principals. Who knows, it may surprise us. After all, if I’m not mistaken, Will Smith DID help produce an Asian American film (Saving Grace). That gives him and this film an automatic chance in my book. I really like the ending of the trailer tho.
http://www.littleyellowdifferent.com ErnieAtLYD

I’m also REALLY curious if they address the Karate/Kung Fu thing at all; from my understanding, the working title was going to be The Kung Fu Kid; I can see some Hollywood executive easily putting a kibosh on that as an attempt of 80s kids like us seeing if it’ll be anything like the original. Boo to them for that.
maria

I may too sound like “one of those old people” (ahhhhh!!!!) but I grew up with the original and am still entertained by the many uplifting and hilarious scenes of the three installments ( like catching the flies with chopsticks or kicking the brick wall decoration to pieces). I’m always ready to take a cynical view ( and a little sense of annoyance) when Hollywood is unable to sharpen their pencils and write an original story thus “remaking” a perfectly good one.
Leo the Yardie Chick

I usually lurk, but the news about this film stuck in my craw the very first time I heard it.

I’m sick and tired of remakes. I thought Hollywood couldn’t come up with original stories to save its life, but Avatar proved me wrong. I don’t see the need to rehash classics, or give foreign films a Hollywood make-over.
http://www.8asians.com/author/ancientone95131/ jeffat8asians

I don’t categorically dislike remakes, especially if they add new and creative twists, such as the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. If this new version added new creative twists and insights, such as insights into racism in Chinese society, I’d wouldn’t object. But by starting off by not even differentiating between Karate and Kung-fu, I really doubt that we’ll see something highly creative or insightful. I hope the movie proves me wrong.
Leo the Yardie Chick

But by starting off by not even differentiating between Karate and Kung-fu,…
There’s that too. I’m not even Asian and that irritates the bejesus out of me.
http://blog.tarynzhang.com AppleSidra

Hi Joz!

Actually, I kinda like it, and I kinda wanta go see it. Doh. This is sooo going to be one of those guilty pleasures thing. Yeah I wonder if Jackie Chan or somewhere somehow in the movie they’re going to insert a little something to explain the kung-fu/karate distinction. I mean, JACKIE CHAN is in it! He MUST have at some point spoken up and said, “Hey guys, uh…thought I’d mention….” right? RIGHT?!
http://blog.tarynzhang.com AppleSidra

Btw AppleSidra = Akrypti. What’s up with Disqus, guys?!? It wouldn’t let me log-in as Akrypti. Apparently I can’t register for a new account as Akrypti because one “already exists,” but I don’t recall registering nor could I guess what the password is. There was a can of Apple Sidra sitting right in front of me by my keyboard. Hence. Apple Sidra.
toisan_toughman

I don’t know what’s worse: this or the upcoming remake of “Red Dawn” where now it’s the Chinese commies’ turn to invade America.

http://www.chinasmack.com/pictures/red-dawn-china-invades-america-chinese-reactions/
http://www.pinoyworld.eu/author/obiabadinas/ @Rakehell_Obi

From an article, I read, Jackie Chan was talking about a title change, but that was last March.
No idea whether they informed him that the “karate” stays.

I saw that kid in The day the Earth Stood Still and my friends agreed on wanting the spoilt brat to die.

As for the film. Why set it in China if the family is Black Americans?
It would be more understandable if the story required a Chinese American boy sent to live with his relatives in China.

If set in New York, then any race would be logical.

Plus a puppy love story between pre-teens? Are they serious???

Plus an inter-racial story with the bully being the Chinese boy who couldn’t get the Chinese girl. The Chinese girl then turns to the black foreigner, who is learning Kung Fu.

So it becomes another story were a foreigner manages to learn martial arts, within a few weeks and beats a kid who would have been learning from when he could crawl.

Why did JAckie Chan say yes to this film?
http://www.pinoyworld.eu/author/obiabadinas/ @Rakehell_Obi

Someone pointed out that China owns $2 Trillion of American debt.
I can understand if they wanted to foreclose on that debt…lol
Big Red One

Meh. The ignorant masses need something to fear, or else they can’t be subdued. Remember, peasants here have guns xD (and dislike healthcare reform)
toisan_toughman

so they’ll fear anyone with black hair and slanted eyes like you and me? gee, that makes me feel so much better!
Big Red One

Pretty much.Back to the topic though…here’s a shock: why can’t the next karate kid be….I dunno, Asian? Who’s willing to bet that the next installment of the karate kid is gonna be Hispanic

PS: OUR EYES AIN’T SLANTED. They’re Asian, dammit!
toisan_toughman

>why can’t the next karate kid be….I dunno, Asian?

because all Asians already know kung fu of course.

yes, our eyes are “Asian,” not slanty.
sparkysparkyboomman

This movie will continue to promote that
all Asians are Chinese Karate choppers.

Its so sad.
It doesn’t matter if you are Asian or not.
This insults the intelligence of the average consumer.
I know there is a large group of mindless consumers out there,
who don’t notice, and/or don’t care…
but, there is also a large group who don’t have a choice.

Jackie Chan was on Conan O’Brien the other night,
talking about how he is tired of being the “action superstar”.
He said he wanted to do more dramatic roles,
like romatic comedies and musicals.
The audience just laughed.
Jackie Chan will be forever typecasted as the “Kung-Fu Master”.
8*(
http://themoneygoround.com muckdog

I think it’s going to fall short of the original.
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http://twitter.com/Owmyballz Owmyballz

Smith was looking for a feature role for his son. That’s all. Everything else is irrelevant, including matters like having the word karate in the title.
lostinkorea

Actually, I felt that having the movie play out in China made it seem a lot more like let’s say, “The Last Samurai” than the original “Karate Kid”. That whole foreigner (ie. someone who is not Asian) going to Asia, learning the “secrets” of whatever country or region he finds himself in, and eventually prevailing over the natives really resonated within me once I saw this trailer. I mean even though the formula has been done time and time again, American audiences just can’t seem to get enough. White (and now Black) American goes to Asia, picks up a few martial arts tricks, and then beats the people who had been studying/training in the discipline for YEARS before the protagonist. Sound familiar? (think really hard and I’m sure that the original Karate Kid’s romp in Okinawa in The Karate Kid II will ring a bell). Oh and I find it amusing that Will Smith’s kid even manages to pick up a Chinese girl when he’s there, which is amusing considering that his balls haven’t even dropped yet. I mean, WHY did the producers feel the need to put that into the movie?…. because what trip to Asia would be complete without scoring a trophy Asian girl, right? Let’s see so we have pretty much every stereotype thrown in there, maybe he’ll start break dancing during his kung fu training, that would make it complete.
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http://twitter.com/YCTAMdotcom Andy

Agreed, it’s going to be lame. But the fact that Jackie Chan, the guy who did great films like Drunken Master, has agreed to be in this is even more depressing.