Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

valokuviajne Desperate try from Will to make a career for his son.

Banning Sorry, The 1984 original was a classic. This version pales in comparison, Jackie Chan or no Jackie Chan. Script is not as solid. When you do a remake, there's more pressure to make it something fresh and original. This doesn't cut the mustard.

Owen Ogletree I remember when this movie came out in 2010. I was so mad that they were remaking "The Karate Kid" that I didn't even bother with this movie. I decided to watch it years later after getting over it. This wasn't a bad remake by any means; it had its highs and some lows as well.Jaden Smith is actually pretty good as Drey. While not quite as engaging as Ralph Macchio, he does a good job of showing vulnerability and gradual character growth throughout the film.The best part of this movie is Jackie Chan as Mr. Han. It's actually pretty hard to compare him to Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi from the original. He is similar in some ways, but different in others, which I appreciated. Like Nostalgia Critic pointed out, whereas the original film had a teacher-student relationship, this one has the teacher and the student teaching each other, which is a nice new spin on it.However, there are many things about it that really don't work. I know that I'm not the first person to point this out, but this was really more like "The Kung Fu Kid" than "The Karate Kid." I respect that they tried to give us something new, but it still has to be karate if that's what's in the title.Another thing is that the supporting characters are nowhere near as appealing as in the original film. The main protagonist's mother, love interest, and even the villains are rather bland and forgettable.The film is too long and would have been tighter if it were maybe 20 minutes shorter.It still wasn't a bad movie. It's reasonably entertaining and will have you cheering in the end when Drey wins the tournament. However, this movie still didn't need to be made, and it pales in comparison to the original "Karate Kid." There's still enough here to warrant a slightly above-average grade.RATING: C+

YourFamilyExpert As others have noted, this remake should actually be called The Kung-Fu Kid, as it revolves around the Chinese, not Japanese, martial art. I'm not sure what's more troubling: the implication that American audiences wouldn't respond to anything less than a brand name or the fact that it's true. Regardless, a film nobody asked for, or expected much from, surprised audiences with its quality, proving itself to be one of the best live-action family films of the past decade.Jaden Smith (son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and subject of his father's hit song Just the Two of Us) continues to build on the impressive acting chops he displayed in The Pursuit of Happiness. Jackie Chan, who has long been one of my favorite action stars (based on his Hong Kong films, not his American ones) makes good on his stated intention to reinvent himself as a dramatic actor, showing a range of emotions (subtlety, warmth, and grief) that is truly impressive. There's a great deal of thought in the storytelling, as well as a complexity to the characters, that is missing from many family films today. The cinematography captures the lush beauty of China and messages about inter-cultural appreciation, self-discipline, and the abhorrence of misused violence, are well conveyed.The film's weaknesses are far from fatal. Its two and a half hour running time causes it to drag ever so slightly (it could've lost 10-15 minutes for a better pace). Also, after spending an entire film distinguishing itself from the 1980's classic and standing as its own film, this new Karate Kid (SPOILER) stumbles slightly by essentially copying and pasting the ending from the original. This may be fine for those who've never seen the older movie, and for those who have it is still thrilling and the well-delivered, with terrific choreography. I just wish the film had continued with its own independence. That said, it's still a poignant, moving, and thrilling surprise.IS IT OKAY FOR YOUR KIDS? The Karate Kid is rated PG. One of the key messages of the film is that of nonviolence. This should be surprising only to those who don't know much about actual martial arts, which teach mental and physical self-discipline, being in harmony with nature and other people, appreciation of life, respect for others, and use of force only out of defense. In order to convey this message, the film contrasts it with violent bullying and the misuse of force. There is child-on-child (and one instance of adult-on-child) violence in this film which serves the purpose of deflating the "fighting is cool" notion some audience members may have. It is gritty and painful to watch, making the film not recommended for very young children who may either be frightened by it or attempt to imitate it. For older children, however, the message of nonviolence should be clear. There are a couple of uses of mild profanity by a child, but these are corrected by his teacher and explained to be disrespectful, so the child doesn't use them anymore. A 12-year old boy and girl share a kiss.ANY WORTHWHILE MESSAGES? Physical force should be used only in self-defense, never to attack and only with the goal of making peace with one's enemies, not punishing them. Respect and honor your parents.