The Karate Kid

[alythonian]

Saw this at Ocean Terrible in Edinburgh yesterday on the Sky deal.

Weather here was lovely and Shrek was on elsewhere so I presume that accounts for the 50%+ empty seats.

Well, they missed a great film.

This in my mind was better than the original and there were great performances from Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.

I liked the China they showed and I'm assuming there was so much of the country and the language so they can get round the classification issues for foreign films in CHina to allow this to be screened there? It was all good.

A solid 8/10 from me.

[mandmc10]

Good quality movie! I agree with everyone - the boy was VERY GOOD! and Nobody mentioned the girl! I liked the girl! Very sincere acting... Didn't the girl's father played a villan somewhere recently? I can place him in the scene... but the name of the movie completely escaped from my mind....

[yogi]

Really enjoyed this.
Got real affection for the original, so was a bit wary of seeing this remake, but it was great fun.
Setting the movie in China helped make the remake different enough, even though the plot is very similar.
Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith and the young girl were all good and had very believable sweet relationships - plus there some great fights and good laughs.
Top quality entertainment.

[Preston1990]

Went to the Silverlink tonight to see this. I was a bit disappointed if I’m honest – No Free Dre popcorn, lemon muffins or Chan tattoos to be seen anywhere. What were you thinking Silverlink!! The Metrocentre wouldn't treat its customers so shabbilly.

Nice to be able to wave to so many FMUkers and to even be introduced to some I hadn't met before. Even several rows of the audience between us proved to be no obstacle. LOL.

I’d seen so many trailers for the film that there were very few surprises left in it for me – but hey, that was my own stupid fault. Fortunately I still enjoyed the film a lot despite this.

It’s another great film for breathtaking scenery. The Great Wall of China looked magnificent, but I suppose that goes without saying or it wouldn’t be called the “Great” Wall.

Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan put in a couple of first rate performances, I was especially impressed with Jaden though – he seemed to have a certain gravitas despite being so young. And there was some great support too from the actors who played the evil Cheng and the sensitive Meiying.

You don't have to dig too deep to spot a number of flaws in the plot, but overall this is an action packed feelgood film where predictably good overcomes evil, despite it being outrageously unlikely - so just suspend your disbelief and enjoy the film for what it is. It's quite a long film (I was surprised to see how late it was when I got out) but the time had just flown by.

Saying “hang up your jacket” to the kids will never seem the same again!

I’m giving it 8.5 out of 10.

[Cortone]

Well, passed on tickets for yesterday to neighbours, as I had to collect my cats from the vets (again!). Will not be able to p*y for a film for the next year, given the vet bill (not all chargeable to Petplan..). But thanks will be added to the thanks thread.... (honestly!)

But Peteyork sorted me out with tickets for this for tonight (thanks Pete!) and I saw Steve (with the numbers I forget) in the cinema when I arrived. It got really busy too - only a few seats left, and the audience were really noisy with popcorn, and the woman with the mobile phone going off did not realise that she was in mortal danger...

This film was a load of tosh really, albeit an enjoyable load of tosh. I am glad that the Smith family are able to educate and indulge their child, who is a real cutie, in a tax deductible way. It apears there is a follow up already on the cards - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3924219/news#ni2879568 (sorry if someone else has posted this. I have been away for a while.)

My GD loved the film, couldn't understand why the boys were so 'nasty' to him and didn't like the Jaden being beaten up. She had her head in her hands towards the end - couldn't bare to see him loose. This is with her seeing the original film several times.

The other children were fine and the 'bad' boy was acting well.

I too have been to China and would like to go back and see more. The running up the wall of China is well OTT. The steps are not set at a regular height and make running almost impossible going up hill - not that I tried running!!

I thought it was frightening too - as I was clunking my joints just sitting in the seats for so long, and could not begin to think about all the blows! (surely some would have caused internal bleeding????) Totally agree that the 'bad' boy was terrific, as was the girl. I'm not entirely convinced about whether the Chinese family would accept a black boy so willingly (again, based on HK experience), but could relate to the Tai Chi, Kung Fu etc. from what I have seen in Asia. (And... the food, too ... yikes! My friend (????) took me for a meal of snake and pigeon - former was expensive, but I will NEVER order again. The latter tasted good, but I have them in the garden, so will not eat again.)

A friend walked the Great Wall of China for a charity, and I feel embarrassed at how little I donated - when she said it was so steep, I did not really appreciate HOW steep. But I am ever so grateful that I did not go too!

[prettyxcool]

I agree with that! Although if they really didn't want mobile phone use, they should have confiscated them. There was one bloke wandering around telling people to turn their phones off, but as soon as his back was turned, some took it out again.

I saw this yesterday morning at Islington and the manager came to introduce the film briefly, saying we were the first people to see it etc and then actually threaten that if anyone had their phones on they would be thrown out, and that there were infra red equipment being used to check! And then during the middle of the film they actually had someone stand against one wall, with their infra red camera trying to catch people out!

Loved the film, the scenery, great acting and chemistry between Jaden and Jackie Chan, was sad Jaden got bullied, got emotional when he made that speech in mandarin, and a great advertisement for China. 10/10

I'm not entirely convinced about whether the Chinese family would accept a black boy so willingly (again, based on HK experience), but could relate to the Tai Chi, Kung Fu etc. from what I have seen in Asia. (And... the food, too ... yikes! My friend (????) took me for a meal of snake and pigeon - former was expensive, but I will NEVER order again. The latter tasted good, but I have them in the garden, so will not eat again.)

Yes, I too felt a very rosy picture was painted with the Chinese family's willingness, but I think China is much more open now, so it may be true. Mixed relationships were often frowned upon in the past, but this can be true in most cultures lol. The food did make me laugh as it was so true, my OH has been to China and he was offered delicacies of silkworms and cocoons!

[sarahjc78]

Saw this also at the Silverlink tonight... whooo hoo at last i meet the geordie FMUKers.... felt a bit bad staring at Andrews boob trying to make sure the badge she had on was an FMUK one.... lovely seeing all the others too even if it was shouting across rows... hopefully tomorrow i may get to say hi and not have to rush off.

Okay as for the film, it was okay i thought, still missed the wax on wax off and paint the fence and did not think it was as good as the original... perhaps it was cus I was so much younger and fancied Danielson.. kind of wrong to have a crush on Little Mr Smith. Spent alot of it translating Jackie Chan to my friends 7 yr old son. Thought the little girl was fab in it and Jayden has so much of his dads facial expressions...

all in all a nice feel good movie but would not rush to watch it again 6/10 for me. :O)

[andyparmo]

Saw this at Silverlink last night. Brilliantly remade, visually spectacular during the Great Wall and mountain scenes, excellent performances from Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, all spoiled by the fact that Odeon staff didn't let anyone into the cinema until 6.22. A further blunder by the girl serving the popcorn meant that my wife missed the first five minutes of the film. Meh

[jmbblue]

Saw this too at Silverlink last night - lovely to meet sarahjc78.

Negatives: the teenagers behind me who never bl**dy shut up all the way through and kept kicking the seats - they obviously dont get out much!!

Positives: I loved this movie -was much better than the original and not nearly as corny. The acting was fantastic (especially Jaden Smith and the little Chinese girl) and fight scenes had me cringing throughout and were beautifully choreographed.

I was also looking forward to seeing this as I went to China in 2008 and wanted to see which part of Beijing etc was included in the film - it captured the culture, lifestyle and scenery with great effect. It was great to say "I know exactly where that is - I've been there!" (All except that huge stairway to the wonderfountain -thank goodness - that would have killed me off - the Great Wall was a hard enough hike - lol)

All in all - a real bad triumphs over evil flick -I loved it 10/10

[opas]

Really enjoyed it, this was a classic franchise when I was growing up and I think it was a fantastic retelling of the story. All the characters worked well together. 9/10 from me.