Heading into its opening weekend, “Karate Kid: Legends” has Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) teaming up to train the next karate kid, Li Fong (Ben Wang), on the big screen.
If you’re wondering if this new addition to the “Karate Kid” franchise is worth watching, here is what critics are saying about the film.
What are critics saying about ‘Karate Kid: Legends’?
“Karate Kid: Legends” received mixed reviews from critics, resulting in the film getting a score of 55% on Rotten Tomatoes and 51/100 on Metacritic.
The good
- “It’s warm, it’s breezy — it’s a burst of summery family fun that is sure to inspire long looks back at the old movies and Cobra Kai episodes while sparking renewed interest in martial arts apprenticeship,” said Andrew Lawrence from The Guardian. “Anyone would get a kick out of it.”
- ScreenRant said that the film “strikes a good balance between heartfelt and fun” that is accompanied by great chemistry among the cast and interactions that are “joyful and dynamic.”
- Additionally, Variety applauded the film for being “unapologetically basic and wholesome,” noting that its contrast to “your average ’high-powered’ teenage/kiddie flick.”
- Various critics on Metacritic pointed out the great performance from Ben Wang was refreshing as it was accompanied by sentimental nostalgia from previous works.
The bad
- “This latest addition to an apparently unkillable franchise adds nothing original to the formula,” stated Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a formula that works, to be sure, making for a pleasant enough time filler. But that’s about it.”
- IndieWire expressed that the film was just a retelling of Daniel’s journey and didn’t add anything new to the original “Karate Kid” film that audiences saw 40 years ago.
- The Associated Press criticized the new installment for lacking “the heart and grit” that the earlier films had. In addition, they said the film “takes itself so seriously” and completely forgetting about the humor found in “Cobra Kai.”
- “I can’t imagine anyone remembering Karate Kid: Legends four decades from now. Or next week,” stated Bilge Ebiri from Vulture.
