My Thoughts On The Karate Kid Remake

By Edward | Thursday, June 10, 2010 | 61 Comments

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The Karate Kid Remake the karate kid remake 9578142 512 770 398x600 My Thoughts On The Karate Kid Remake So as many of you know, The Karate Kid is opening this weekend. When this remake was first announced, I placed this film in what I call the “Hollywood Movies That Will Possibly Make Asians Look Bad or Not Have Asians At All As Main Characters” box, which also contained The Last Airbender, The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Sex & The City 2, and the Red Dawn remake. These were films that I would be hard pressed to pay $12-15 for and even if word of mouth for these films were spectacular, I would rather go watch Glee or my roommate’s bunny eat the carpet floor.

But out of all the movies in my absurdly named box, I didn’t feel so strongly against The Karate Kid remake like I did for the others. I liked that Jaden Smith was playing the kid and Jackie Chan as the grizzled mentor because it meant two people of color were the main stars in a Hollywood movie. However, I would still be hesitant enough to actually pay to watch the remake, so it was something I would just check out on DVD or on TV, if I ever was that bored.

But last week on June 4th, CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and Sony invited people to a special press screening for this film. The nifty thing was that the event was free and at the very least, I can watch the film to see for myself if this is yet another exercise in Hollywood Asian stereotypes.

About two hours later, I came out of the theater shockingly surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. Immediately, I became shocked at how I actually liked it. The two emotions battled each other for the rest of the night but eventually, I found myself enjoying the film because I was happy that it was one Hollywood movie that didn’t treat Jackie Chan as a joke. In this film, Chan shows off his serious acting chops in the portrayal of a deeply flawed yet noble character. At one point, one profound emotional moment with Jackie’s character absolutely floored me. I also enjoyed how Jaden Smith took his craft seriously, which not only made me believe he was a real kid but that he also worked his butt off to prepare for the martial arts segments. Most importantly, the chemistry between Jackie and Jaden was honest and genuine, giving this film a lot of heart that I otherwise wouldn’t expect.

Before I go into my final verdict for this film, I would like to address the many controversies with this film that I have heard from the APA community. I asked members of the community such as Aly Morita on what their concerns were for the film after noticing that the remake upset a lot of people. Aly is the daughter of Pat Morita (the original Mr. Miyagi) and is spearheading the protest to boycott The Karate Kid remake. From my conversation with her and with several others, I learned there were four major points why folks were not too happy with this remake (along with my own opinions on these concerns after watching the film).

For starters, the “Karate Kid” title is still attached when Jackie Chan’s character is clearly teaching kung-fu to Jaden Smith. Is this laziness on the filmmaker’s part where mainstream audience members can’t tell the difference between the two different martial arts styles with their own unique cultural history? Or is this a marketing ploy slapped on to attach an established franchise to this remake?

Jaden repeatedly makes the difference between the two styles, and it’s repeated to the degree that even if I had no idea if the two styles were different, I definitely do now. But yeah, it would have been better if they just called it “Kung Fu Kid”.

While Jaden Smith is African American and a person of color, the old Hollywood dynamics are still the same where the American guy gets the Asian girl with his “liberating” and “fresh” American ways. Insert Asian antagonists in the form of jealous bullies who beat Jaden up and disapproving parents of the Chinese girl. These elements are present in The Karate Kid, but to what degree?

The bullies end up becoming good/redeemed at the end and although Jaden and the girl do kiss, their relationship is very innocent as they are only 11 year old kids, after all. All of the kids are young and I did not get any real “the bad guys really gets it at the end” negative feelings. I did not see any issues with this concern here.

The film gives off the impression that everybody in China knows kung-fu. Jaden’s character makes a joke that all Chinese people knows martial arts and while that may be said from a cute, ignorant adolescent point of view, is this humor for the audience members who are aware that this is clearly not the case, or is this comedy because it’s yet another slapstick Asian joke?

I didn’t really get that impression at all. Although it would have been nice to see a Chinese person who had no knowledge of kung-fu whatsoever, the film did not make direct inclinations that everybody is a martial arts expert.

Another concern that people have is that there was some serious Hollywood nepotism going on with Will Smith and his wife flexing their producing powers and putting their own child as the main star while Jackie Chan received second billing. Jackie Chan has been in over 100 movies while Jaden has been in two (The Pursuit of Happiness and The Day The Earth Stood Still). Why is it that a more reputable actor gets second billing to a 11-year old kid? Is it because he’s Asian?

Actually this does piss me off — why IS Jackie Chan second billing?

These are legitimate concerns and from seeing the trailers, I can see why people are worried. But I must stress the fact that many of these concerns can only be evaluated once you actually watch the film. Although I had a great conversation with Aly Morita, I was surprised when I found out that she never actually watched the film after reading Quentin Lee’s interview with her at Film Hustler. Her concerns and criticisms are valid but to those who are curious about this film, I encourage you all to watch this film and talk to me if you found the film to be problematic in its perceptions of Asians. It may be unfair as I got a jump start by watching a free screening of this film, but in my personal opinion, I found it to be entertaining and did not believe it portrayed Asians in a negative light.

I can say that if I had it my way with this film, I would have created this film differently. This is how my awesome Karate Kid remake would go:

It would be called Kung-Fu Kid, because it’s kung-fu and there’s actually a difference. The main star, however, would be a Chinese American in high school or college, only because pre-adolescent people get on my nerves. I would keep Jackie as Mr. Han because he was fantastic but Jackie should get top billing. It’s a no-brainer for me because respect should be paid to people who’ve worked that freaking long and is a living legend. The story will still be in China, but since it’s focused around a Chinese American kid, the “jook sing” (which means ‘hollow bamboo’) reference will be used as it is a term that a lot of Chinese American people get when they come to China and don’t know the language or the culture.

This will be the reason why he gets picked on by bullies. He gets handed to him by the bullies and so he eventually learns some martial arts from Mr. Han. However, there is huge resistance in the beginning as he rather not because he believes it perpetuates stereotypes that all Asian people know martial arts. Eventually he learns the form anyways (because otherwise you have no movie), kicks some serious butt at the grand tournament finale, gets the girl with a huge make-out session, and the end.

Now THAT would be bomb!

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LindaChan

I love your ideas about how you would recreate the movie. And it would have real marketability, not to mention address some issues that some Chinese Americans go through (being a jook-sing, shying away from stereotypical Chinese activities, etc.).
leannekoh

I also watched a free screening of the film and was surprisingly entertained and did not come out feeling resentment or any ill feelings to what was portrayed. I have to say that your version of the movie would be way better. Get started!
http://www.jozjozjoz.com jozjozjoz

I haven’t seen the Jackie Chan/Jaden Smith film, but I’m not planning to, either– but only because I rarely watch mainstream films in general– not because of any specific objection to this particular film.

Is there ANY explanation in the film about the whole kung-fu/karate thing and why the title of the film is THE KARATE KID? This irritates me to no end. In terms of Asian American issues, the continuing “mixing up” of different Asians is obnoxious. While I embrace the idea of the larger pan-Asian American community, we still have to recognize the diversity and differences within Asians, so arbitrarily “swapping one out” for another rubs me the wrong way.

I like Jackie Chan, but I want to point out that he is not an Asian American actor as was Pat Morita. Jackie Chan– like many of the other Asian “Hollywood” stars that can garner top (or second to Jaden Smith) billing today are actually actors who are transplanted from Asia (vs home-grown Asian American artists). See Jet Li, Zhang Zi-yi, Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ken Watanabe, etc, etc.

No disrespect to Jackie Chan, especially knowing that he was cast for his name as well as his extensive martial arts and comedic backgrounds, but I’m just pointing out that just because there are a lot of Asians in the film, that it was enjoyable and didn’t have too many BAD representations of Asians, and that the film was made by Hollywood and in English — doesn’t necessarily mean that this film shows any more respect for Asian American issues — something that Hollywood notorious avoids.

I understand that this film is not meant to be “issues oriented” and so I’m not saying that people should or shouldn’t boycott it. I’m just saying that a film like this certainly had many opportunities to either employ and give higher profiles for Asian American actors and at the very least titled this new film with a different name to signify the differences between the classic franchise from the 80s and this one– assuming that this is a new franchise, of course.

Out of curiosity, have you seen the original Karate Kid film, Edward? Certainly you were not old enough to experience the immediate impact the film’s success gave to a generation of Asian Americans to see Pat Morita on the screen. Of course, there were flaws with the original film(s), but the original Karate Kid had so much mainstream impact– including popularizing karate and other martial arts to Americans and also giving new understanding that martial arts wasn’t just about the “action sequences” seen in Hong Kong martial arts films. We take for granted today that children all over the country can take classes in various martial arts, and it’s easy to balk at the suggestion that a movie could change things like that– but I remember being in grade school at the time and what a huge thing it was for karate to suddenly be “cool” and how many of the boys (and some girls) in my class began taking karate or kung-fu or tae kwon do classes after this movie came out.
http://hellomoye.com/ moye

Does this mean you’re going to watch SATC2 and Prince of Persia now?
http://www.littleyellowdifferent.com ErnieAtLYD

“Is there ANY explanation in the film about the whole kung-fu/karate thing and why the title of the film is THE KARATE KID?”

It bothered me enough that I actually spent an hour Googling it two weeks ago. The Kung Fu kid reasons this out by saying that Jaden Smith’s character had studied Karate really badly, tries to use it on the playground and gets his ass handed to him by the bullies, where they call him The Karate Kid mockingly.

Somehow, I don’t think the irony will play well with all the other people watching this film.
johnklin

Well, I think most people who have seen The Karate Kid (the original), remember the title, and may or may not even make a reference to the original if the movie were named The Kung Fu Kid (but I can understand people’s dismay for the name).

My impression is that most Chinese and Asians in general have a negative impression of Asian Americans (due to bad stereotypes in American television). So I think the fact that an African American kid is playing the role of the American kid and actually kisses a Chinese girl is actually somewhat groundbreaking – especially if and when this movie premieres in China.

I had blogged previously that when I was growing up in Western Massachusetts, some kids did ask me if I knew karate / kung fu. The fact that Pat Morita’s daughter is making this assumption and negative comments without watching the movie is mind boggling. A high school a-hole classmate who had a locker near me my freshman year used to call me Daniel-san…

Hollywood nepotism – what do you expect? If you are the producer, you get to call the shots! If Jackie Chan produced the movie, I’m sure he’d have a say as to who was going to be in the movie.

I saw an Oprah episode recently where the whole Smith family was interviewed. Jaden definitely seemed to have trained hard before going to China and while he was in China.
http://www.jozjozjoz.com jozjozjoz

Yes, I’ll watch SATC2 if the “City” is New York City and Prince of Persia if the prince is “Persian.”What?! No on either count?! Guess I’m not watching either film then.
http://www.littleyellowdifferent.com ErnieAtLYD

“Actually this does piss me off — why IS Jackie Chan second billing?”

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Jaden Smith gets first billing because his mom and dad are the producers.
http://hellomoye.com/ moye

I don’t think it’s mind-boggling. She’s trying to protect the legacy of her father. Was she going to wait and pay to watch this movie in theaters before speaking out? Of course she’s going to speak out now.
http://www.jozjozjoz.com jozjozjoz

I just want to point out that Pat Morita had second billing to Ralph Macchio. I don’t think Mr & Mrs Macchio were the producers of the first film, though. I’m going to have to chalk this up to the fact that the KID is in the title of the movie, even though we all know that Mr Miyagi was the REAL heart of the original film.
Pingback: the finer dandy » Blog Archive » Apparently ‘The Karate Kid’ is NOT a remake
http://www.mastercko.com Chieze Okoye

Good article. I enjoyed reading it. I heard that they were considering “Kung Fu Kid” but willfully decided to go with Karate Kid to make the “remake”-ness of it obvious. Not ideal, but hey, I can understand the reasoning and I think that the complaining is much ado about nothing, given that they address it in the context of the story (which it sounds like they do). Also, Jaden Smith gets top billing because he’s the titular character (jozjozjoz mentioned this already).Finally, while your rewrite idea sounds good, it also doesn’t really sound like a Karate Kid remake at all. That’s fine, though (I would probably still watch it because it would definitely be a cool movie). 8^) Cheers.
johnklin

I find the whole idea of criticizing something before actually seeing something *is* ridiculous. Sort of like opponents to health care reform who have no idea what is being reformed.
http://hellomoye.com/ moye

Right, I see what you’re saying. But there’s a big difference between reading facts about health care reform that are readily available vs. a project that promotes itself through news, sneak peaks, previews, trailers and interviews, all to drive consumers to spend their money on seeing the final product.

In the case of the latter, I think it’s okay to have people speak up against a film before it’s released, just like how critics are boycotting The Last Airbender based on the casting news, etc. They haven’t seen the final product, but they believe there’s enough for them to protest.
xxxtine

wow … several things … I actually saw the film too … (post will be coming in a couple hours time because of film critic ethics at play)

1. The film is partially funded by China. That was one of the first things my friend and I noticed. This is probably to ensure that it gets released in China where there are only a set number of foreign films that are allowed to grace their screens.
2. The film isn’t about karate or kungfu, it’s about bullies and standing up for yourself.
3. Honestly, you can voice your concerns, but don’t criticize the film if you haven’t seen it. I remember the Catholic church boycotting Kevin Smith’s Dogma. In the end, that film actually sent people BACK to church with a renewed strength in their faith, myself included.
4. Will Smith backed the Asian American romantic comedy film SAVING FACE. Therefore I gave him a chance and he didn’t disappoint.
filmhustler

The original Karate Kid is a quintessential American suburban teen romance with a martial arts twist. Missing from the remake are both the Americana sensibility and teen romance angle that made the original a smash hit. And of course, the Asian American lead. I can’t imagine Jaden Smith being more of a teen/tween heartthrob than Ralph Macchio at the time.

We should have Justin Bieber play Karate Kid and reset it in Toronto, Canada. We could still have Jackie Chan play Mr. Miyagi and keep the Karate angle to be faithful to the original.
http://twitter.com/bohemianeddy Edward Hong

I choose not to watch Prince of Persia not because of its content, but because of its casting decision. The movie itself may actually be damn good, but I choose not to watch it. Same thing goes for The Last Airbender.

With SATC2, I’ve had my gal friends confirm to me that it’s just a godawful movie, even without the Arab stereotypes that are littered throughout. Oh, and the Arab stereotypes? It’s confirmed, it’s there, and it’s terrible. That and I really don’t like SATC so there’s that.
Pingback: 8Asians.com » Daughter of the Late Pat Morita Protests Karate Kid Remake
Aly_Mo

Edward, thanks for this fine and very thorough critique of the remake and of the controversy surrounding the movie. I want to be VERY CLEAR, though… I am simply asking that people not pay to see the film at the theaters. Wait for it to come out on DVD or Netflix.

And I am sure it is a very charming, very entertaining movie. How can it not be? It’s a formulaic cash cow and Will Smith knew this when he bought the franchise for his son to star in.

I’m glad that you’ve written this, though. Thanks for thinking about these things…
http://freezetag168.blogspot.com Jarrett C

I think the purpose of the boycott if successful would be to utilize the dollar power and leverage more opportunities in creating more projects like the one you actually proposed. In other words Hollywood dictates how Asians appear to the mainstream instead of the Asian Am community dictating to Hollywood how the members of the community is to be portrayed via the almighty dollar. I would like to address the arguments you presented in rebuttal to the concerns that were raised:”Immediately, I became shocked at how I actually liked it….I found myself enjoying the film because I was happy that it was one Hollywood movie that didn’t treat Jackie Chan as a joke. In this film, Chan shows off his serious acting chops in the portrayal of a deeply flawed yet noble character. “The fact you were “shocked” at Jackie’s acting chops speaks volume on how your expectations have been shaped through past Hollywood projects. People are shocked that Asians can act, but then again how often has Hollywood created a space for that to happen? “it’s repeated to the degree that even if I had no idea if the two styles were different, I definitely do now.”Imagine if Hollywood were to remake God of Cookery and renamed it something like “Sushi Chef,” yet throughout the film the fact that they’re not making sushi was repeated to the degree that if the audience had no idea what sushi was…(on the stereotype that “everyone in China knows kung fu) “Although it would have been nice to see a Chinese person who had no knowledge of kung-fu whatsoever, the film did not make direct inclinations that everybody is a martial arts expert.”There’s an ethnic studies model called the “identity of exclusion” or its variant “absence of versus presence of” meaning that some ethnic stereotypes are reinforced in a multi-media setting whenever characteristics of people or actual people were not presented. “The bullies end up becoming good/redeemed at the end and although Jaden and the girl do kiss, their relationship is very innocent as they are only 11 year old kids, after all. All of the kids are young and I did not get any real “the bad guys really gets it at the end” negative feelings. I did not see any issues with this concern here.”Were the bullies NOT Asian and male? Here’s a real concern: The fact that the main character is 11 and all of the kids are young means that the large age group percentage of the audience will be that age. Kids don’t need a “bad guy really gets it” message in order to learn HOW TO IDENTIFY THE “BAD GUY” I’ll add more after I actually see it through a pirated copy. Thank God and thank China that I can still “boycott” a film and still see it.
http://twitter.com/bohemianeddy Edward Hong

Thank you Aly for reading this. I am saddened that I am on the other side of the fence when it comes to this particular movie but I just want you to know that without you and me, we would not have so many people talking about this. I think for that alone, this whole exchange of ideas and opinions is beautiful.
Pingback: 8Asians.com » Red Dawn Remake Put on Hold, Perhaps Indefinitely
ronagirl9

This is a tough call. Of course, Aly Morita has every right to complain and boycott and do whatever she wants to do in response to the lack of Asian-American representation in Hollywood. I think it’s ironic, though, that she chose to call out nepotism as the problem in this film when it seems like it’s at least partially her relationship to the Asian-American in the original ‘Karate Kid’ (the awesome Pat Morita, RIP) that’s prompted her to take action against the remake. It’s not nepotism, but it does smack of self-interest, and obviously the fact that she’s ‘Mr. Miyagi’s’ daughter gets her some added publicity that the rest of us wouldn’t get. It’s quite possible she’s been a strident activist on these issues for a long time and I just hadn’t heard of her ’til now, but if I were here I’d think it would be more politically savvy to list the host of films that are problematic in regards to Asians, and not just this one. I mean come on, LAST AIRBENDER, anyone (I’m DEFINITELY not seeing that movie)? I have a bigger problem with that film than the Karate Kid remake, which does flip some stereotypes (Asians aren’t just passive in this film, they are both the bullies and the savior! Doesn’t that count for something?) And also, I don’t get the connection to ‘misrepresentation of Asian-Americans’ in a movie set in China! There ARE no Asian-Americans in this film!

As an Asian-American writer, I’m usually the first to bitch about f**ked up portrayals of POC in movies, believe you me, but the logic in support of this boycott feels a little disjointed to me. And the fact that she won’t even watch the film before she makes these kinds of judgments is annoying.
ronagirl9

Sorry, Edward, I got so fixated on the Aly Morita thing that I forgot to thank you for your nuanced review of the movie. Having read elsewhere that Ms. Morita was boycotting the film, I had started to write it off, but your review made me think twice. Now I think I’ll see it—probably as a matinee, but I’d like to see it nonetheless. And I love your own remake idea. I’d pay to see that movie—twice!
bill poon

Although it normally annoys me when someone criticizes a movie without seeing it, Aly Morita problem with this film isn’t how good or bad it is but rather that they even made it in the first place without the the same care and impact that the original made in particular to Asian American issues (at least how I’ve interpreted her o/p’s). But there are two things I like to say in that regard. 1. The impact and importance that the original movie made to Asian Americans at that time will not be diminished or forgotten because Hollywood decided to remake this classic. People who saw the movie will never forget Pat Morita and his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi and those who did forget never knew him to begin with. 2. I’m not even sure the original film was designed to address any Asian American issues and that it was more incidental than intentional. Of course it did but should we expect this film to forward the AA cause and if so, for what reason? Legacy? Because they shot in China? Because all martial art movies are required to do so? I’m sorry but I haven’t heard a compelling reason (that resonates with me) to boycott or not pay for this movie. How about the kung fu karate thing? It perturbs me but when I see Hispanics/Whites/Non Asian cooking in a Chinese kitchen, but do I leave, no sometimes the food still taste same to me.

And while I’m on the soap box…why the hell do people bring Edwards age into this. So he didn’t “live” through the original Karate Kid days. That doesn’t mean his points aren’t valid or that he fails to understand the other side. I saw it when it first came out and all I got out of it was, “that crane kick move is bogus”.
Aly_Mo

hi there. had i been out there promoting a book i wrote or a movie i participated in, then, yes, by all means call me out on my “self-interest.” there is no publicity i am trying to garner for myself. i am simply using this as a vehicle to promote awareness about asian american issues and concerns that, i believe, may have your interest in mind, too.

should you wish to read more and inform yourself about my position before you pass judgment on me, then please take a look at this post i wrote for You Offend Me you Offend My Family:

http://youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com/the-heart-and-soul-of-the-karate-kid/

thanks for commenting…
xxxtine

You’ll be pleased with the remake’s finishing move – I didn’t even see it coming. If only I had an animated gif to express my reaction to it.
xxxtine

I can’t even bring myself to ‘acquire’ either films for the sake of my limited bandwidth usage being budgeted for Doctor Who and streaming Korean variety shows and dramas.
ronagirl9

Hi Aly, thanks for replying. I have to say, I’m honored to be ‘speaking’ to you even in this forum. As I don’t know you, of course I can’t assume to know what your motivations are, but was speaking more from a place as a writer-activist and someone who has worked on a lot of political campaigns. A call for a boycott is a strong statement, which comes off to a lot of folks (myself included) as a condemnation of said film/book/event, whatever. From what I had already read, the logic for a political statement of this weight (versus just doing a press release or a mini-media campaign or whatever) is just not there for me. I don’t doubt your sincerity or strong feelings on this issue, but just question your tactics. My bottom line: there probably are better ways that you could’ve gotten your point across, and been just as if not more effective, than if you called for a boycott. For example, I would love for you to have called for a one-on-one interview/chat with Will Smith (or Will, Jaden and Jackie) to talk about your dad’s legacy and the importance of the first film. Even if they didn’t respond, the point is, you would’ve been opening up communication about the film and wanting to raise awareness about it. In any case, it’s just my two cents.
filmhimstripher

Although I think this film was great and groundbreaking for having the leads as two people of color, I am still sick of American films constantly othering Asians by either making them the evil foreign villains or the silly goofball sidekick. Yes, Jackie Chan promotes a good image in this film, being neither of those two kinds of stereotypes, but again it is the heroic American type pitted against a bunch of Asians. And not to mention, Jackie Chan is still a stereotype of some old wise Asian dude. When are we going to see a film that shows young Asian Americans as genuine smart heroes not doing martial arts? And also this film just sort of reminds me of a younger kid friendly version of what Red Dawn seems it will be, Americans versus the enemy as Asians…
filmhimstripher

@moye. Yes, I agree. I think the ideology that “you shouldn’t really judge until you see the film” doesn’t really make too much sense. Am I going to see The Last Airbender before I judge it and protest and voice my opinions? Yeah, slim chance….I know exactly what’s going on and I’m not going to be stupid about it.
filmhimstripher

Good point. I feel like everyone is missing the obvious point that you are addressing. If we want to boycott movies coming out like Last Airbender and Prince of Persia based on obvious facts and information we have learned about discrimination against Asians related to these movies, why wouldn’t we do the same thing for The Karate Kid?

Also, I think that one of the obvious reasons to not necessarily see this movie in a hurry in the theaters (since a lot of people seem to not see a reason) is because it is still NOT breaking any barriers for Asians/Asian Americans. Yes, I think it is wonderful that it promotes a good image for blacks and yes Jackie Chan plays a worthy character for once in this one, but still it is perpetuating the same stereotype that others and marginalizes Asians as villainous or some other and I am just really sick and tired of it. So I am not completely against this movie per se, but I am not clamoring to see it….(see my post below for more)…
filmhimstripher

Although I am still mixed on the “boycott”. I am not necessarily against it. And I think Aly’s logic for wanting such isn’t unwarranted. I think this issue here is more than about getting “a point across” I think it is about effecting real change and I think that can come through with boycotts. Let’s not forget that Hollywood is about money. And if we send the message to Hollywood that perhaps we are not going to pay 10-15 dollars per ticket to go watch ANOTHER martial arts movie with inaccurate or poor representation of Asians and Asian Americans, then perhaps that will influence ways in which we will start seeing more Better Luck Tomorrows and Justin Lins making movies that truly represent Asians better. So yes, boycotting can be a very strong thing, so people do have to think twice before doing such, but they can also produce strong and life-changing results. I applaud Aly for taking such a leap. I doubt talking to Will Smith would have been just as effective in changing the Hollywood landscape. The producer isn’t going to apologize or admit anything for something he invested so much in and with his son in it. Hollywood PR is all about legitimizing, legitimizing, legitimizing all the injustices they constantly do to us and other people of color, even if yes, there are people of color who are doing it and are in power (M. Night, anyone?)
http://www.facebook.com/eddlyhong Edward Hong

Hey, were you able to see the film? I personally didn’t see the whole “evil foreign villain” vibe as the y are all just 11-year old kids and the last two minutes was the game changer for me in terms of mood. If you have, let me know what you think..
filmhimstripher

No I don’t have enough money to see any films right now as I am broke. But I will probably try to see it some other way not in the movie theaters anyway because I don’t necessarily support this film.

Obviously they may not be specifically “evil villains” especially since they are kids. I understand that. But kids or not, I think my generalization still makes a valid point that Hollywood is constantly othering Asians along these lines. And even if they show some genuine human qualities at some point in the film, honestly I couldn’t care less. The fact of the matter is at the end of the day we are always something Other. And I am sick of it, and I don’t care if Hollywood gives us a little bone.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Le-Rico-Richardson/100000869021446 Le Rico Richardson

The original karate kid is an extortion of Asian culture. Miyagi was wonderful, but the film Americanized Asian art forms, and made it totally white. Like the Last Air Bender, there will be little to no Asians in the film at all, and as with the Stephen Seagal, Chuck Norris films. The lead is always white and in an American setting, with few to no Asians. Hollywood has raped the Asian population and then cries out when the Smith family teams up with China film group corp. to make things right. I saw the new Karate Kid, and it’s like watching a beautiful foreign film done in China.
http://www.facebook.com/eddlyhong Edward Hong

At the end of the day, when it comes to Asian/Asian American representation, this Hollywood remake is like a tasty fast food treat. It’s not bad, but we can have so much better.

If we feel that we can do better than this, then we must support our own works that are out there. Watch “The People I Slept With”, “The Taqwacores”, and any recent films featuring APA talent in real good roles. While there are exceptions of non-Asians writing good roles for Asians, it is the exception rather than the rule.

I don’t know about you but I really want to see my version be made into a movie one day. Maybe the Karate Kid sequel? And if Hollywood doesn’t give a crap, then we’ll have to do it ourselves.
filmhimstripher

Yes, let’s do it. That would be really awesome actually. Maybe we can get it into Sundance! D
http://www.myspace.com/krantzstone Krantzstone

Ever notice how few Asians (esp. East Asians) there are in Doctor Who? The new series is more inclusive, but still no Asian companions?! (Torchwood has Naoko Mori as ‘Toshiko Sato’, even if she is a stereotypical Japanese nerd ;P).
xxxtine

Yeah, from what I understand … and I have never been to the UK, “Asian” for them means those from what we consider the “South Asian” community. Asians of the “East Asian” variety I’ve only seen a total of 3 times in the new Doctor Who franchise, BUT who knows if they happened to be an Oog or Cat Nun.

I still think the BBC are more colour blind in their casting choices, particularly with Doctor Who and Torchwood.

*sigh* … I miss Tosh. Naoko Mori has got to be the most busiest actress in the UK, she’s in EVERYTHING.
http://twitter.com/cursortavi james Ok

Personally, I think if Asian Americans Boycott Movies that take a step forword like The Karate Kid (2010) , how will Progress ever be made? change does not happen overnight, Baby steps People. Now I understand The airbender Boycott, the leads in the anime were rightfully asian, and thus should be so in the movie. Well down to the Issues, first Aly Morita, while I respect her father’s work in the Original Karate kid, her problem with this remake just seems to me like a personal one, a little girl scared her father will be forgotten if the movie is remade, and then she is trying to get all asian americans aboard her personal issue, as though a remake of the karate kid, takes all asian american progress in hollywood backward 10 steps, which isn’t the case here. Personally I think Asian Americans have a lot to gain in supporting this movie.
1. This movie shows that a movie without a white lead can be successful(so the last airbender’s excuse of putting white kid’s in the role is irrelevant)
2. The movie is entirely set in China , if you actually see the movie you’s agree with me that the way it is shot, it is almost a Love Letter to China, absolutely beautiful cinematography.
3. well how about this time we have a chinese girl as the love interest in the form of the lovely Wenwen Han who plays Meiying.
4. we have Jackie Chan a legend in every regard, for the very first time he gets to deliver a serious dramatic Performance in a Hollywood movie in the form of Mr. Han, and he is pitch-perfect.
5. Chinese family are shown in a goodlight as being honorable, they don’t break promises
6. evenn the bully cheng wonderfully played by Zhenwei Wang, his character get’s to come full circle, after he loses, they break away from their bad teacher and pay their respects to Mr. han, honorably
7. This is a movie with damn near 95% of everyone you see on screen is Asian .

to Aly Morita, your father is a Legend he will not be forgotten, the fact that this movie exists, will only get people to revisit the previous ones, notice how the year the remake came out was the same year the oriinal Karate Kid (1984) gets a blue ray release? And Jackie Chan Plays Mr. Han, your late father rests his soul is still the one and only Mr. Miyagi, so why you are trying to organize this boycott, is beyond me, this movie is a step foward for ood asian/asian-american portrayal in hollywood, so your boycott is seriously ill advised, there is a sayin that goes Pick your Battles, wisely, or you just make the entire asian community look like a lot that keeps crying Wolf every chance they get, and then you wonder why there is no change, this movie is a step forward, sure it might not be perfect, there is still a long way to go, but it is a bld step in the right direction, and this BoyCott has almost no merit.
3.
fenhkg

As a Black man living in China since 1998, I am going to boycott this movie b/c there are no Black men in the movie (only boys). In fact, the only Black man in the movie “dies” in the 1st scene! (we learn Dre’s dad is deceased) Now that is typical Hollywood — the Black guy always dies first. Is it still considering boycotting if I already saw it on youku.com???
Pingback: The Karate Kid Remake: More than Just a Kid Flick « Writing Down the Path
ronagirl9

Thought I’d post this here in case folks wanted another POV on the film: http://ronafernandez.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/the-karate-kid-remake-more-than-just-a-kid-flick/
Pingback: The Importance of Imported Asian Actors in Hollywood | Current Events | 8Asians.com
heybena

Okay, so I watched the Karate Kid today. Overall it was a good action film that didn’t need to rely on racist humor. I definitely think it could have been more critical given its opportunity to explore black-Asian relations/understanding Chinese culture. But in an effort to make this movie to appeal to everyone this was not brought up. Don’t lie to yourself, dark skin in Asian culture is frowned upon (seriously what country doesn’t have a light/dark skin complex?)

1. get over the title
2. let’s applaud the fact that black people aren’t negatively being stereotyped (minus the single parent household…). they def could have easily made dre act “hard” and talk “ghetto.” Dre and his mom are portrayed as open minded when experiencing Chinese culture. They never make generalizations/stereotypes/mock Chinese people. He only states that he’s having a difficult time adjusting b/c he has to deal with bullies-not because he has a problem with Chinese people or the culture.
3. Yes, it is endorsed by China, that is why there is no negative image of the country. The Chinese are presented in a positive manner as well. People stare and want to touch their hair because they are black, but no one makes overt racist comments. Even the traditional parents are presented as accepting when Dre wants to be friends with their daughter. And unlike the Rush Hour series, no one is mocking Jackie Chan’s accent.
4. This main characters are people of color (APPLAUSE!) and it shows blacks and Asian characters getting along. Think of other times when black/asians are interacting–Menace II Society, Do the Right Thing. The intended audience is black, asian, white, etc. as opposed to just white. The movie theater I went to was a very diverse, majority people of color audience.
5. xxxtine also pointed out, Will Smith was one of the producers for Saving Face. Let’s support each other! Not just you pat my back and I pat your back. Let’s be angry EVERY TIME blacks/asians/latinos/natives are being stereotyped.

Boycott this? Come on, how come no one got this heated when The Hangover came out? It contained the worst perpetuation of Asian men as feminized, impotent, alien, and unable to speak proper English (and this scene won MTV’s wtf award!!)
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/CC25RL6XAYSGYDNW5MKLZDY7RM K

Your version of Kung Fu Kid is great, except…it sounds exactly like the Chinese version of Karate Kid. It’s even closer now. xp

It’d be great if the second movie had some other characters like a Chinese American, but that’s up to Sony.
Angela

So in other words, if the lead kid was White you would have liked it better?

Jackie Chan did not play Mr. Miyagi by the way, there are different characters in this film.
Angela

Agreed.

As for the single parent household, the mother is also single in the original film.
filmhustler

What I meant was that Jaden Smith at 11/12 couldn’t really be a heartthrob like Ralph Macchio did (at 22/23 when he made The Karate Kid) that appeals to teens… could you imagine being romantically involved with a 12-year-old???I guess there’s always NAMBLA.