So they clearly state in the trailer he is learning Kung Fu, not Karate. So I guess the only thing particularly silly about the movie (well, maybe depending on the extent they turn Jaden into a super-powered warrior child) is that they kept the "Karate Kid" name. The only way I could see that making sense is if it was somehow used ironically during the movie, but even then it's a stretch. (The only character I can think of who'd say "Karate" instead of Kung Fu would be Jaden, since he's new to the area and doesn't necessarily know his Asian culture very well. There didn't seem to be any other American kids)
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
The trailer says it's #1; not #2. And I'm pretty sure that's the same one they've had up for the past few months.
Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
I have no idea if you were in on it last time we hashed this out, but aside from marketing there is no reason to call it that.
What I am more confused by is Jackie Chan himself, there is an interview where he says he unsatisfied with the range of characters he is "allowed" to play in American movies as a Chinese man (Chinese law-enforcement, traveling due to a case/mission) but then he accepts this role. It may very well be the role of a lifetime but he feels he is treated differantly by western film makers and yet he is in a movie that could be seen as condescending towards Chinese culture.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
Hmmmm, link?
But yes, that seems consistent with previous statements on that matter that state that while he enjoys the greater range of roles that he is given in Hong Kong and Chinese films, the Hollywood movies still pay a lot more and act as advertising in a sense for him to children.
Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
I think he posted the wrong linky, here's trailer two:
My google-fu could not find it, and I cant correctly remember where I saw it the first time. Sorry.
Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :
The Karate Kid name is a name the kung fu bullies in the movie tease him with, because he tries to fight them with karate he learned at some community center back home.
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
quote:I think he posted the wrong linky, here's trailer two:
That is really weird. I was watching trailer 2. I copied the link of the page I was on, pasted it here. I can't think of how it would have ended up directing to trailer 1. (Now that I look I can see it says trailer 1 right in the link). Oh well. Yes I was talking about the one Alcon sent.
@Achilles Heel - there's a difference between what you're unsatisfied with and what you're actually are willing (or able) to fight against. You can be pissed off at Hollywood and still willing to take their money.
quote:The Karate Kid name is a name the kung fu bullies in the movie tease him with, because he tries to fight them with karate he learned at some community center back home.
Okay, that could make sense. It's a little contrived to keep the name "Karate Kid," but I can deal with it so long as the rest of the movie is good. (Being an ignorant white american I can't tell one way or the other if the trailer looks otherwise fair regarding chinese culture).
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
Just realized what happened: hulu automatically switches to the next available trailer when you're done, so that's the one I copied.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
I didn't realize how young the kid looked in the first trailer. Kid looks like he's...six here.
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
I think he's around 9-10.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I loved that you could hear "You're the Best" on the radio in the background.
I wish they used a somewhat older age group too, but it still looks pretty good. It looks like they're going into the philosophy of the fighting style a lot more than the original did, but it still appears to be within the realm of maturity/personal growth, which is what the first movie was about. I think they're going to do justice to the original, and while they won't replace it, they might complement it.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
This looks beautiful. I think it will be great. The star looks good; I love Jackie Chan; and the landscape in China (or "China") itself looks BEAUTIFUL. I thoroughly enjoyed the first one and plan on thoroughly enjoying the second one, as long as I am able to suppress my desire to call Child Protective Services (which desire ruined Where the Wild Things Are for me).
My general philosophy on remakes and interpretations and parodies and fan fiction and all directly derivative works is that unless all copies of the original are destroyed, they can only enhance. Even the crappy stuff, and this doesn't look crappy.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I really don't like the protagonist being so young.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
I really do like the protagonist being so young. I'm sick of Hollywood casting 25-year-olds to play high school kids. Age is even starting to sneak up on the Harry Potter cast. It's nice, for once, to see some age-appropriate casting, and it will hopefully add a touch of well-needed realism to such a potentially goofy movie.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
Starting with a really young protagonist gives them plenty of time to make as many sequels as possible before young Mr. Smith is obviously too old to be the karate "kid". Ralph Macchio was like 27 by the time they got to Karate Kid 3!
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
I have no particular preference for the age of the protagonist one way or another.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
I'm not a fan of seeing young kids beat each other up. I'm not a fan of seeing Jackie Chan beat up young kids (it looks like a couple teens are thrown into that fight scene to make things "fair" or something.)
I wouldn't be comfortable seeing an Ender's Game where Ender was actually eight years old, or however old he was when he killed Stilson.
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
quote:I wouldn't be comfortable seeing an Ender's Game where Ender was actually eight years old, or however old he was when he killed Stilson.
....huh? You are uncomfortable with the visual representation or with the story, period?
Kids do beat each other up. I see nothing wrong with making a movie about that so long as it treats the issue seriously, and while I don't know for sure it looks like this movie does.
The "Jackie Chan beats up a bunch of kids" section is rather short and unclear, but my assumption is that it'll be a defensive sort of fight, where he's not beating them up so much as letting them wear themselves out and scaring them enough to run away. I can't imagine they'd actually show him beating the crap out of them.
I actually have NOT seen the original (I know, sacrilege) but everything I've heard about it seemed to stress the difference between beating people up and confident self defense, which I think is a legitimate lesson to teach kids who are being threatened by bullies.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote:You are uncomfortable with the visual representation or with the story, period?
The visual representation. I love the story, but that might be because I can hide the youthfulness of the protag behind his very mature voice. If I had to watch Ender grit his baby teeth while stomping Stilson's groin...I don't think I'd like it so much.