In a marketplace mad for 3D, it’s good to see a dramatic adventure built for young audiences (and the rest of us) that achieves its depth the old-fashioned way, with characters struggling and maturing.
Of course “The Karate Kid,” starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, is a reboot of the 1984 hit. So perhaps the right verb is “renovated” not “built.”
Even so, director Harald Zwart’s film is a solidly constructed tale of an adolescent finding his way with the help of an unlikely mentor.
Son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jaden Smith portrays Detroit import Dre Parker. When his mother, Sherry, played with snap and concern by Taraji P. Henson, lands a job in Beijing the popular kid becomes the uneasy newcomer.
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They arrive in this bustling new land, and immediately the mildly cocky 12-year-old catches the ire of the school bully, Cheng (Zhenwei Wang). He also makes a nice connection with Mei Ying (Wenwen Han), a violin prodigy who gets a kick out of the brash newcomer.
Chan is Mr. Han, their building’s maintenance man. He lives alone, has a beat-up car parked in his living room. He is also a kung-fu master.
Although the movie is rated PG, Dre’s first beat-down is barroom brutal. Cheng’s motivations are murky and arbitrary, the way bullying can so often be. Cheng’s bullying is an abuse of his kung-fu talents. His teacher is a merciless taskmaster.
At one point, Dre presses up against a school wall to avoid his pursuer of unhappiness. Dre’s face captures what constant harassment does to kids’ daily routine, to their sense of place. He’s anxious and exhausted.
As hinted at in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” Smith is comfortable on a set. (Mom and Dad were producers here.) It will be interesting to see what he does as he grows through the hard-to- elude child-acting stage.
It’s Chan who shows tantalizing moments of maturity. The actor indulges his trademark talent for combining martial arts antics with agile action in a brawl with Cheng and his kung-fu classmates. It’s the kind of witty choreography we’ve come to expect from the actor.
More surprising is the way Chan relaxes into wounded emotions that lead this loner to aid a fatherless boy.
On its way to a tournament showdown between bully and neophyte — and two different kung-fu philosophies — “The Karate Kid” delivers charming and pensive moments.
Mei Ying gets a subplot of her own: She is training for a spot in the prestigious Beijing Orchestra. There’s a winning scene when the disciplined student lets loose at one of those arcade dance challenges.
On a train to the school where Mr. Han learned kung fu, Dre falls asleep. The image of Mr. Han and Dre on a train, the young’un asleep on his teacher’s shoulder, has understated grace.
There’s a moment when Mr. Han kneels next to the car, an electric buffer in his hand. Two guys at a preview screening couldn’t help but anticipate the unforgettable lesson of Mr. Miyagi in the original. (Pat Morita was Oscar nominated for his supporting turn.)
“Wax on. Wax off. Wax on. Wax off,” they whispered.
It unlikely there will be any nominations for this outing. Or any lines quite so indelible. Still “The Karate Kid,” has its share of pleasures, both kicking and contemplative.
Film critic Lisa Kennedy: 303-954-1567 or lkennedy@denverpost.com. Also on blogs.denverpostcom/madmoviegoer
“THE KARATE KID.”
PG for bullying, martial arts action violence and some mild language. 2 hours, 20 minutes. Directed Harald Zwart; written Christopher Murphey; story by Robert Mark Kamen; photography by Roger Pratt; starring Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han, Zhenwei Wang. Opens today at area theaters.
