The Karate Kid 2010

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: One thing Pat Morita brought to the original Karate Kid that the great martial arts clown Jackie Chan could never match -- surprise. Read more

A.O. Scott, At the Movies: It's not as good as the 1984 version. I say that not just out of nostalgia, but because I think that that was a more satisfying drama. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: The title of the redux is a stretch, since Dre is the kung fu kid, not karate. Little matter. "Fight hard, earn respect, boys leave you alone," Chan's character advises, practicing his screenplay pitch. Read more

Kathleen Murphy, MSN Movies: This year's Kid lacks the light-hearted buoyancy of the original; it's heavier with loss and a particularly vicious cruelty. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Jaden is endearing in his own way, and the abstract notion of Jackie Chan in Pat Norita's role of the wise mentor almost obscures the reality of Mr. Chan's zonked performance, which simulates warm feelings toward the kid without risk of infectiousness. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: As revivals go, this one is well-above-average by dint of its intelligent reappraisal of major elements in the first movie. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: Some remakes update or reimagine, others Americanize or radically subvert, but The Karate Kid goes about its business as if the 1984 original were somehow obliterated from the earth and the studio needed a reasonable facsimile for its vaults. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Karate Kid is a perfectly fine movie. Just an unnecessary one. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: At the end of The Karate Kid, the preview audience with whom I saw the film stood and cheered with the fervor of new converts. You could almost be forgiven for thinking it was 1984 all over again. Read more

Amy Nicholson, Boxoffice Magazine: While we all know Smith will face off against his attackers at the big match, his story never feels calculated or focus-grouped for maximum audience appeal. And when he does prove his worth, we cheer like it's the first time. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: The plot takes forever to get rolling, and the movie is hamstrung by numerous tourism sequences (from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall) facilitated by the state-run China Film Group. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: The latest "The Karate Kid" will probably work best for young audiences unaware of its predecessor - or of much of anything else for that matter. Read more

Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: Chan and Smith could not be more likable, along with their cast of young Chinese actors, particularly Wenwen Han. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: In a marketplace mad for 3D, it's good to see a dramatic adventure built for young audiences (and the rest of us) that achieves its depth the old-fashioned way, with characters struggling and maturing. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: The Karate Kid is precisely the sort of rousing, stand-up-and-cheer, feel-good entertainment movie audiences have been starved for this summer. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The Karate Kid is fun, and believable, on the most important level: It convinces us that Jaden Smith has what it takes to fight his way to the top. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: It's just uncomfortable watching kids this age beat each other up to the point of serious injury; there's no one to root for in that. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: The Karate Kid is a kung fu kick of a film that hits more than it misses, with its fresh prince of Beijing in Jaden Smith, its scene-stealing grand master flash, Jackie Chan, and a shiny-happy China travelogue thrown in for good measure... Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: It's a kids' movie, aimed at kids and the people who buy their tickets. And on that level, it doesn't disappoint. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Smith can handle what the film throws at him, and he and Chan nail the life-lesson parts. Yet like the way Han kills a fly with a swatter instead of catching it with chopsticks, the film replaces finesse with hit-you-over-the-head might. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: A popcorn picture that thinks it's The Last Emperor, The Karate Kid is about as likely to grab your youngster's attention as any other propaganda film made by the Chinese government. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: An appealing reboot of the 1984 inspirational that rethinks the American tale for the global age. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The problem with the film is that that story, hackneyed when it first made it to the screen in 1984, has grown only more tired over the past 26 years. Read more

Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com: Great visuals, good performances, a strong story--but it's far too long and not nearly as memorable as the original. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The original was one of its year's best movies. The new one lacks the perfect freshness of that one; there aren't many surprises, as it follows the 1984 version almost point by point. But here is a lovely and well-made film that stands on its own feet. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: For a movie whose outcome is never in doubt, the padding is punishing. Read more

Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon.com: It was resonant in the gung-ho '80s, and it's a notion every generation deserves to discover anew. Based on the young Smith's considerable wattage, this Kid may just surpass the original. Read more

Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: If the movie's overlong (and it is, by about 20 minutes), it's long for a reason: It gives Dre time to grow. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: It's as sweet-natured a movie as you could expect about a 12-year-old learning to beat the crap out of his schoolmates. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The David-and-Goliath mismatch plays out as it must, but it's hard to shout approval for pint-sized lads clobbering each other. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The honorable reasons to remake a beloved movie include crowning a new star, spotlighting a new location or telling the story a new way. In the case of The Karate Kid, two out of three ain't bad. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: The script follows the predictable path from humiliation to humility to a climactic showdown, complete with a deciding slow-motion kick. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: The Karate Kid indulgently runs 2 hours, 20 minutes, at least a half hour more than it needs, while delivering less fun and inspiration than before. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Given the dreck we've seen this summer, it's nice to be reminded of the virtues of clean storytelling and cultural curiosity. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: While faithful in spirit to the modest 1984 original, this bigger-budget remake occasionally goes too far in its aim to be more epic. But the chemistry between Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan grounds the movie, imbuing it with sincerity and poignance. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: It's a sign of that pic's dramatic durability that Kid manages to be as absorbing as it is, despite its nearly 2 1/2-hour running time. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: The new Karate Kid brings fresh life and perspective to the classic tale of perseverance and cross-generational friendship, thanks to Harald Zwart's sensitive direction and two exceptionally appealing stars. Read more