The Karate Kid review
Feb. 6th, 2011 09:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearThe new version of The Karate Kid is one of those films where I can't really remember why I put it on my DVD rental list in the first place. I was also somewhat surprised when Dave said he'd quite like to watch it, too, though less surprised when it then sat on our table for weeks on end without actually being watched.
Yesterday was our anniversary and we decided for once to do things together for the afternoon as it was also a Saturday (we don't generally tend to mark it in any way, except by going, "Oh, hey, it's our anniversary"). So, after prompting by quintus_marcius, we wandered to our local library for a bit, then retired to bed to watch a movie before heading back out for yummy curry over the road.
In a tremendously romantic gesture (romance really isn't my thing, dontchaknow), I gave Dave the ultimatum that if we didn't watch The Karate Kid, I'd watch it on my own the following afternoon and then send it on its merry way back to LoveFilm.
So, we watched it.
And I can pretty much say - meh.
I found Jaden Smith almost consistently annoying, thought the fact that there was no actual karate in the film was ridiculous, and was very irritated that the direction of what fighting did occur was of the "shake the camera too close to the fighters to be able to see what's going on" variety. I was expecting the plot to be entirely predictable, but I was hoping that aspects of it might be remotely interesting.
There were a couple of good points. Jackie Chan was excellent in a much less silly part than I usually see him play. And, if nothing else, the film was an excellent tourism advert for China. The director certainly made the most of his locations, and China is apparently *gorgeous*.
Yesterday was our anniversary and we decided for once to do things together for the afternoon as it was also a Saturday (we don't generally tend to mark it in any way, except by going, "Oh, hey, it's our anniversary"). So, after prompting by quintus_marcius, we wandered to our local library for a bit, then retired to bed to watch a movie before heading back out for yummy curry over the road.
In a tremendously romantic gesture (romance really isn't my thing, dontchaknow), I gave Dave the ultimatum that if we didn't watch The Karate Kid, I'd watch it on my own the following afternoon and then send it on its merry way back to LoveFilm.
So, we watched it.
And I can pretty much say - meh.
I found Jaden Smith almost consistently annoying, thought the fact that there was no actual karate in the film was ridiculous, and was very irritated that the direction of what fighting did occur was of the "shake the camera too close to the fighters to be able to see what's going on" variety. I was expecting the plot to be entirely predictable, but I was hoping that aspects of it might be remotely interesting.
There were a couple of good points. Jackie Chan was excellent in a much less silly part than I usually see him play. And, if nothing else, the film was an excellent tourism advert for China. The director certainly made the most of his locations, and China is apparently *gorgeous*.
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Date: 2011-02-06 05:13 pm (UTC)(Also, I'm awful and am so late for Dave's birthday :( I suck. I'm really hoping his Amazon wishlist is up to date :D)
I kind of liked the original Karate Kid, mostly because Mr Miyage is rather fab. I've had no overwhelming desire to watch the new one, though, and your review reinforces that. And hey, for gorgeous Chinese scenery I can watch Crouching Tiger again :D