“Karate Kid: Legends” partial poster featuring Jackie Chan, Ben Wang and Ralph Macchio.
Karate Kid: Legends finds Ralph Macchio’s Karate Kid franchise back on the big screen after six seasons of Cobra Kai. How does the film strike critics?
The Karate Kid film series began in 1984 with stars Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, William Zabka and Martin Kove, and was followed by three sequels in 1986, 1989 and 1994; while Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith starred in a remake of the original Karate Kid in 2010.
The story of the original Karate Kid movies continued on, of course, with the Cobra Kai series from 2018-2025, which featured the return of Macchio, Zabka, Kove and several other stars featured in film franchise.
Playing in Thursday previews and opening in theaters in wide release on Friday is Karate Kid: Legends, which brings together Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and Chan’s Mr. Han for the first time.
The official summary for Karate Kid: Legends reads, “When kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) relocates to New York City with his mother (Ming-Na Wen) to attend a prestigious new school, he finds solace in a new friendship with a classmate and her father. But his newfound peace is short-lived after he attracts unwanted attention from a formidable local karate champion.
“Driven by a desire to defend himself, Li embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition. Guided by the wisdom of his kung fu teacher, Mr. Han and the legendary Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, Li merges their unique styles to prepare for an epic martial arts showdown.”
As of Wednesday, Karate Kid: Legends has earned a 60% “fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 57 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus and Popcornmeter scores for Karate Kid: Legends are still pending.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Karate Kid: Legends’?
Dan Jolin of Empire Magazine is among the top critics on RT who gives the film a “fresh” rating on RT — albeit with some reservations — writing, “Karate Kid: Legends doesn’t quite live up to the promise of its Cobra Kai-meets-Mr Han marketing. But for breezy feel-goodness, you’ve come to the right dojo.”
Owen Gleiberman of Variety also gives Karate Kid: Legends a “fresh” rating, writing on RT, “It’s a movie that’s unapologetically basic and wholesome and, at 94 minutes, refreshingly stripped down.”It still manages to arrive at a fairly charming albeit unsteady picture that should win over a new generation of younger viewers.
Kristy Puchko of Mashable was one of the top critics on RT who raved the most about the film, writing in her “fresh” take, “Heartwarming, exciting, and surprising, Karate Kid: Legends had me laughing, gasping, tearing up, and cheering. Don’t mistake it for just another sequel. See it in theaters, and take the kids.”
Among the top critics on RT who give Karate Kid: Legends a “rotten” review is Wilson Chapman of IndieWire, who in particular has issues with the dynamic between Jackie Chan and Ben Wang’s characters, as well as Chan and Ralph Macchio. Chapman writes on RT, “Han and Li’s student-teacher relationship in particular is diluted and lacks necessary grounding, and there’s little compelling friction between the two masters to make up for it.”
Also giving Karate Kid: Legends a “rotten” review on RT is Tim Grierson of Screen International, who writes, “This new installment knows which story beats to hit, but it has little grasp of the emotional undercurrents that made the original resonate — how it touched on adolescent insecurities, first love, and the scourge of school bullies.”
Perhaps the harshest review of Karate Kid: Legends comes from Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter, who opines, “The plot is just awful, crammed with so many cliches that you’re barely done chuckling at one before another kicks you in the head.”
Rated PG-13, Karate Kid: Legends is directed by Jonathan Entwistle and also stars Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Wyatt Oleff and Aramis Knight. Karate Kid: Legends plays in Thursday previews before opening wide in theaters on Friday.
