The Karate Kid

2010 • 140 minutes
4.3
1.81K reviews
66%
Tomatometer
PG
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

When a 12-year-old from Detroit moves to China with his mother and incurs the wrath of the class bully at his new school, he makes an unlikely ally in the form of his aging maintenance man, a kung fu master who teaches him the secrets to self-defense. Upon arriving at his new school, Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) develops a powerful crush on pretty classmate Mei Ying. The feeling is mutual, although the cultural divide between Dre and Mei Ying makes a friendship unlikely, and romance impossible. When cruel classmate and kung fu prodigy Cheng learns of Dre's feelings for Mei Ying, he harasses and humiliates the young outsider in front of the entire school. With no one to turn to for help, Dre confides his fears in kindly maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a kung fu master who knows that serenity and maturity -- not punches and power -- are the true keys to mastering the martial arts. As Dre prepares to face down his intimidating tormentor, he begins to realize that the real fight is just beginning.
Rating
PG

Ratings and reviews

4.3
1.81K reviews
Randall Lagunas
August 30, 2017
Technically it isn't "KARATE KID". JACKY CHAN SAYS IN THE MOVIE "So you want to know Kung fu." The real name of this movie was supposed to be "THE KUNG FU KID". The original movie called the "THE KARATE KID" was literally about Karate and went on up to 3 movies and a new one with a young woman who also was named "THE KARATE KID" which also learned Karate because yes those are both fighting styles. But are both 2 totally different styles and aren't the same. The movie was good, but not as good as the original back in the 1900's.
27 people found this review helpful
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Dennis Zawadzki
February 7, 2019
I feel like I have been swindled. The preview image is of Ralph Macchio. I didnt think google would have false advertising images of an actor that is not in the movie you are about to buy. I hit the button to buy thinking i was buying the original Karate Kid. Too my surprise I began to watch my movie that has Ralph Macchio plastered on its page to buy and instead i end up with not even close to equal Jaden Smith version. Any more of this false advertising and I will stop buying fom you google.
105 people found this review helpful
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Paul T Sjordal
April 1, 2021
What people don't understand about the original is that it is a VERY Japanese movie. My Japanese mother loves that movie for that reason. When this movie was announced, I was worried that they would copy the original without making this movie very Chinese (after all, they changed the mentor to Chinese) in the same way the original was very Japanese. I was pleasantly surprised. Better still, it's rare to see Jackie Chan in a dramatic role.
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