A pleasant degree of nostalgia glows within this sixth entry in the popular franchise, and not merely because of its two name stars.
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| Mr. Han (Jackie Chan, left) and Daniel (Ralph Macchio, right) examine the rules for the upcoming Five Boroughs Martial Arts Tournament, while Li (Ben Wang) sizes up his likely opponents. |
Entwistle and Lieber set the stage with a flashback scene lifted from 1986’s Karate Kid Part II, and cleverly re-purposed to establish a long-time friendship between Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita). This defines the “two branches, one tree” mantra that binds Han kung fu and Miyagi-do karate: rooted in the same style, and — despite their differences — connected and compatible.
Shifting to the present day, Mr. Han is introduced as the respected shifu (master) of a large kung fun school in Beijing. His students include his great-nephew, Li Fong (Ben Wang), attending against the wishes of his mother, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen). She insists that he abandon martial arts and fighting, having lost her elder son, Bo (Yankei Ge), during a lethal attack by thugs led by a defeated opponent.
(That’s a bit of a whoosh, and no; this wasn’t covered in a film you somehow missed. It’s solely back-story here.)
Unable to endure remaining in China, with its tragic memories, Dr. Fong has accepted a position at a New York City hospital. Li is forced to bid farewell to Mr. Han.
The Big Apple is a big adjustment, but Li gamely navigates subway routes, a new school, and a lack of friends. The latter improves when he meets Mia (Sadie Stanley), who works after school at the pizza joint owned by her father, former boxer Victor Lipani (Joshua Jackson).
Li and Mia spark, and they’re adorable; Wang and Stanley totally sell the tentative, flirty trajectory of their growing relationship. That said, Li runs mildly afoul of the amused Victor at the outset, when he “insults” the man by requesting a stuffed crust pizza.
From that moment forward, Li is forever nicknamed Stuffed Crust.
The two teens strike a bargain: She’ll show him New York, while he teaches her Chinese, in order to barter better with Chinese merchants.
Unfortunately, their developing bond infuriates Mia’s ex, Conor Day (Aramis Knight). He’s a violent, much larger karate champ with a hair-trigger temper: the star student at the Demolition dojo run by O’Shea (Tim Rozon), a vicious loan shark who “holds paper” on Victor, and is losing patience about long-overdue payments.
When unexpectedly exposed to Li’s kung fu skills, Victor persuades the boy to train him, in order to stage a boxing comeback that’ll settle his debt with O’Shea. Li also begins working alongside Mia at the pizzeria.
During school hours, Conor becomes a serious problem.
Lieber mercilessly brings these narrative pots to a full boil, pummeling poor Li on multiple physical and emotional fronts. Things get bad, then better, then bad again, and so forth.
No surprise: Events conspire to prompt Li’s participation in the upcoming Five Boroughs Martial Arts Tournament, both to help his new friends, and as a means of confronting and exorcising the demons of his past.
Mr. Han obligingly pops up in New York, much to the dismay of his niece, in order to train Li. Sensing that even he won’t be quite enough, Mr. Han flies to Los Angeles, in order to request the assistance of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). Thus, “two branches, one tree.”
It feels poetic to see Chan solely playing instructor here; at 71 years young, he hasn’t lost the friendly grin and twinkle in his eye. Although this film is laden with charming moments between Li and Mia, the most entertaining sequences are those involving Li’s training: initially by Mr. Han, with his signature “jacket on, jacket off” technique, and a jury-rigged rotating wooden “opponent.”
(Watching Wang deal with the jacket while hauling his body up and down, legs locked around ladder rungs, prompts a wince.)
Things become even more fun when Daniel arrives in the third act. He and Mr. Han take turns playfully knocking Li about, while debating the merits of their distinctive styles.
Knight perfectly fits this franchise’s Hissable Villain template; he’s a persuasively mean-spirited bully whose jealous rage regarding Mia intensifies as matters play out. Jackson’s Victor is kind, laid-back and mildly snarky: basically, the perfect father. Wen is suitably concerned and caring as Li’s mother; it’s also amusing to see her play a doctor again, since her career began with a decade-long run on television’s ER.
Macchio still has the boyish charm that has served him so well, for so long. Wyatt Oleff supplies mild comic relief as Alan, a tutor hired to help Li with math, who also becomes another good friend.
William Zabka makes a welcome brief appearance, prior to the end credits, as Macchio’s Cobra Kai co-star Johnny Lawrence.
Wang dominates events, of course, and he convincingly carries this story’s considerable dramatic heft: constantly torn between his own desires, and maintaining his role as dutiful son.
Dominic Lewis’ engaging score, energizing when essential, includes echoes of Bill Conti’s original Karate Kid themes. The music also shares space with motivational pop tunes such as “This Is It,” “Run It Up” and “Don’t Sweat the Technique.”
Longtime series fans will feel like they’re home again, and newcomers are certain to be entertained: pretty cool, for a franchise four decades old.
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