Don鈥檛 get excited about a 鈥淜arate Kid鈥 reunion. After a brief clips piece in the beginning, we don鈥檛 get an appearance by Ralph Macchio until most of 鈥淜arate Kid: Legends鈥 has transpired.
Then, it鈥檚 quick jab to the plot until it all winds up in a typical showdown.
The focus is a martial arts student in Beijing who鈥檚 studying under his uncle, Han (Jackie Chan). Just when the boy shows promise, his mother (Ming-Na Wen) says they鈥檙e moving to New York.
Because he talks with a girl at a pizza shop, young Li (Ben Wang) is called out by a sadistic karate student (Aramis Knight) and made to feel, well, less than. Instead of taking more classes, he agrees to teach the girl鈥檚 father (Joshua Jackson) so he can fight in a boxing tournament to pay off the pizza shop鈥檚 debts.
Quickly, it鈥檚 apparent dad isn鈥檛 going to make the finals, so Li decides to strap on the old headband and train for a 5 Boroughs fight, one that will include that mean karate not-so-kid.
Han catches wind of the development, comes to New York to train him and pulls in Macchio who gets a moment to remember his own teacher, Mr. Miyagi. There are scant reminders of the original film and a switch (鈥渏acket on, jacket off鈥) that sounds dirtier than 鈥渨ax on, wax off.鈥
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Briskly directed by Jonathan Entwistle, 鈥淜arate Kid: Legends鈥 has a cheap quality that makes you wonder why anyone in it bothered.
Wang is a likable enough student, but the wisdom Macchio imparts is slight. At times, he even looks embarrassed to bring out some of the trappings of his signature film and its follow-up television series.
Wang鈥檚 work in 鈥淎merican Born Chinese鈥 was more impressive. Even Chan鈥檚 quick moves don鈥檛 make an impact. Why Jackson is in this is anyone鈥檚 guess.
This image released by Sony Pictures shows, from left, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang and Jackie Chan in a scene from "Karate Kid: Legends."
Jonathan Wenk - Sony Pictures
When it gets to that big showdown (atop a building, no less), it鈥檚 a quick fight to the finish. Any tense moments must have been left back in China.
If this is the beginning of a new 鈥淜arate Kid鈥 saga, there aren鈥檛 clues. Everything wraps up (in 90-some minutes) and gives Jackson an exit strategy. Macchio and Chan get outs, too, which means no one was kicking and screaming to get this done.
