REVIEW BY: Darren Zakus - 5/29/25

Karate Kid: Legends is a welcomed return of the beloved series that offers up loads of entertainment thanks to great fight choreography and a story that both honours the legacy of the series and does not repeat the stories that comes before it, led by a terrific Ben Wang and a charming cast that makes the film an absolute delight.

In a world where legacy sequels are all the rage, it only seems fitting that the beloved 1984 sports drama The Karate Kid get its own legacy treatment. Spiking in popularity in recent years due to the Netflix series Cobra Kai that just premiered its sixth and final season earlier this year, karate is heading back to the big screen with a new story to unfold. Bringing together both the story of the original trilogy of films starring Ralph Macchio and the 2010 reboot starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, Karate Kid: Legends feels like a new start for the franchise on the big screen, largely due to the excellent lead performance of Ben Wang. And as someone who only saw the original films for the first time this past weekend in preparation for this legacy sequel, Karate Kid: Legends is a true crowd pleaser that packs great fight sequences, a strong cast and lots of big screen entertainment that makes for an enjoyable time at the movies.

With sports films, audiences know the general beats of the story that are about to unfold, so what makes a good sports film stand out above others within the genre are the performances. And with Wang at the helm of Karate Kid: Legends, this legacy sequel firmly falls into the category of a good sports film. Wang possesses a natural charisma Li that allows his presence to light up the screen with a magnetic pull that makes you care for his character the second you meet him. In the action sequences, Wang moves with a fluidity that brings to life the fights with a high energy, and even when sharing the screen with legends like Chan and Macchio, Wang easily steals the show. If you weren’t already convinced with his work in American Born Chinese and Chang Can Dunk, Wang is destined to be one of his generation's greatest talents and he proves himself more than capable of leading a summer blockbuster with his performance in Karate Kid: Legends.

The biggest draw for fans of the series is the return of Macchio and Chan as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han respectively, and both do not disappoint. A true legend of the silver screen, Chan is wonderful as he reprises his character from the 2010 film, bringing a great comedic timing to the film alongside his legendary martial arts skills that make him a great mentor to Li. Macchio’s love for this franchise shows every second he is on screen as he shapes Wang into taking over the franchise, and it's a treat to see him back as Daniel LaRusso on the big screen even if his role is relatively minor in the film. Sadie Stanley is great as Mia, Li’s love interest and shares a passionate bond with Wang on screen that instills the film with an undeniable heart, while Joshua Jackson is fun as Mia’s dad Victor. A legend in her own right, Ming-Na Wen is luminous whenever she is on screen as Li’s mother Dr. Fong, grappling with the loss of her eldest son and trying to protect Li from the same fate, though of all the characters she is given the least amount of material to work with which is a crying shame. As for Aramis Knight, who stars as Connor, the film’s villain, it’s a serviceable performance but it feels like his character was plucked from a discarded pile of film villains and really serves no purpose other than to give Li an opponent.

If you have seen any of the Karate Kid films, there is a clear blueprint for their stories, and it is both Karate Kid: Legends’ deviation from this structuring and honouring of what has made audiences fall in love with these films that allows it to breathe fresh air into the series. When we first meet Li Fong, he is well trained in the ways of kung fu and able to defend himself easily. While not trained in the ways of karate, he himself takes on the sensei role to Victor, while coping with the loss of his brother. There is a character depth not previously seen in any of the franchise’s leads that gives meaning to the fight that Li faces, creating a more engaging experience than the series has offered before. While a short run time is always a treat, clocking in ninety-four minutes prevents a meaningful exploration of these plot ideas after the film’s first act, forcing the focus to shift quickly to the karate training with Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han and the big fight scene at the end, which is the franchise’s bread and butter. Daniel’s return feels like a glorified cameo at times as a result, not having much to do, though Chan’s return as Mr. Han is well established within the story and is a welcomed treat. Many of the preliminary fight scenes are over in a blink of an eye as the story races towards the big final battle, but the final fight scene is everything that fans could want from a Karate Kid film and ends the film in pure 80s fashion, justifying this rush to get to it. While updated for modern audiences with a more romantic relationship between Li and Mia that becomes the film’s beating heart, the entire film honours The Karate Kid legacy and creates a legacy sequel that should delight both fans and newcomers to the series alike.

Being a Karate Kid film, there is no shortage of fight sequences, and every single one of them is brought to life by excellent fight choreography. Slickly executed by Wang and the stunt performers, the film’s earlier sequences wet the audience’s appetite for more karate and kung fu, especially that alley fight scene in the first act which is one of the film’s highlights. The cinematography captures the quick paced nature of the fights and every blow delivered while keeping the audience in the middle of the action, ensuring that every fight sequence pops on the big screen. But, it is the film’s final battle between Li and Connor which is the moment of the film, capturing both the brutality of the fight and the emotion of Li’s character arc with every blow, that delivers an exciting conclusion to the film that will no doubt have audiences cheering Li along in his big moment.

While The Karate Kid has never been a complex franchise, instead focusing on the art of karate and the mystical teachings of Mr. Miyagi, Karate Kid: Legends captures that same magic while also attempting to tell a more character driven story, even if the film’s short runtime prevents it from truly achieving this goal. With exciting fight sequences, a talented cast featuring the likes of Ben Wang, Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley and Ming-Na Wen, the film is quickly elevated from its familiar sports genre story beats and the film’s sadly surface level story, creating an experience that is the definition of a fun crowd pleaser. Marking the best Karate Kid film since the original, Karate Kid: Legends is a blast of big screen entertainment thanks to the excellent lead performance of Ben Wang, that when paired with Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, ensures that all the excitement, legacy and heart of The Karate Kid franchise is present in spades in a truly enjoyable summer film.