The Karate Kid
Short description
Twelve-year-old Dre Parker has moved from Detroit to Beijing with his mother, adjusting to a new country, a new school and a language he does not speak. He forms a bond with his classmate Meiying, but cultural expectations and his own outsider status complicate the friendship, and he draws the hostility of Cheng, a classmate trained in kung fu. Outmatched and isolated, Dre finds an unexpected teacher in Mr. Han, the maintenance man at his building, who agrees to instruct him. The training leads toward a martial arts tournament where Dre will have to confront Cheng again.
Harald Zwart directed the film, the fourth in the sequence of his features after One Night at McCool's, Agent Cody Banks and The Pink Panther 2. Christopher Murphey wrote the screenplay, and Jerry Weintraub produced with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Jaden Smith plays Dre, Jackie Chan appears as Mr. Han, and Taraji P. Henson plays Dre's mother, Sherry. The cast also includes Wenwen Han, Zac Wang and Yu Rongguang.
The film was a commercial success, earning roughly 359 million dollars worldwide against a budget of about 40 million. On IMDb it holds 6.3 out of 10 from around 226,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.6 out of 10 from a much smaller electorate of about 6,700. A critics' rating of 6.3 out of 10 from 208 reviews places professional assessment in line with the broader audience response, though voters on TMDB were somewhat warmer.
What's left behind the scenes
- An alternative ending was released on Blu-ray, where Master Li wants to strike Chen as punishment for his defeat, but Han stops him. A fight breaks out between Li and Han, in which both demonstrate their masterful command of kung fu, using their surroundings and available objects. In the end, Han manages to defeat Master Li, after which he intended to finish him off, reciting the school's motto, “Fighting Dragons.” However, Dre stops him. They leave the hall together.
- Some scenes from the film had to be cut for its release in mainland China, including the final scenes with the thugs and a kiss.
- The final tournament was filmed at the Feng Tai Sports Arena in Beijing. The filming lasted eight days and involved over 800 extras.
- For filming scenes on the Great Wall of China, all the filming equipment had to be carried up manually, as the use of helicopters for this purpose was not permitted.
- Jackie Chan came up with the jacket scene to teach Dre Kung Fu techniques.
- During the film's production, its title changed several times: first to 'The Karate Kid', then to 'The Kung Fu Kid', but ultimately it was decided that the film would be released under both titles: the second in Asia, and the first in most other countries. This contradiction is due to the fact that the film actually uses the art of Kung Fu, not Karate. Karate-kid (Xiao Dre) is an ironic nickname given to the main character by his enemies; it also became the film's title.
- After Dre and Mr. Han climb the mountain and enter the temple, the viewer sees people in white performing slow and rhythmic movements. The martial art they are practicing at that moment is called Tai Chi.
- According to Will Smith's producer, Jackie Chan is so popular in China that references to his involvement in the film helped resolve numerous issues, including obtaining official permits to film in certain locations.
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