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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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The Karate Kid (Film)

by Karlie Jeffrey | July 01, 2010 11:55 | Edited July 01, 2010 11:57

While it’s not as good as the original, this remake is fresh and entertaining, largely thanks to the charismatic performances.

Wax on, wax off. It's the famous lines and fighting style that became a massive hit for kids (and parents) of the eighties and has been quoted and mock-recreated by a generation. But time has flown by and now, as crazy as it seems, there are kids who aren't familiar with Mr. Miyagi's technique! It's time for another karate kid, only this time round, karate is replaced by kung-fu.

 

Dre Parker (played by the charismatic Jaden Smith, who clearly gets his charm from his old man Will Smith) is the cool kid in the school. But his social standing is turned upside down when he moves to China, because of his mum's (Taraji P. Henson, who played Brad Pitt's mum in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) new job. Day one he falls for a pretty violin player but this leads him to be beaten up by a gang of kung-fu bullies. Down for the count, Dre turns to his maintenance man, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who agrees to teach him the ancient martial art. Together the two train and build a friendship strong enough to withstand any kung-fu kick.

 

Despite the plot and themes being incredibly similar to the original, it still feels fresh. The production is slicker (which you hope would be the case after almost 16 years), the fight scenes, um, pack more punch and the cinematography acts as a lovely tourist advertisement for China.

 

But what really makes this film feel fresh are the performances from Jackie Chan and new kid on the block, Jaden Smith. Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett-Smith produced this film for their kiddie star (who you first saw acting with dad on The Pursuit of Happyness) and Jaden certainly doesn't let them down.

 

While the running time is long (especially for those not trained in the power of the mind) it's an enjoyable ride. Not as good as the original, but definitely not as disappointing as the original's sequels.