Karate Kid: Legends

A legacy sequel that forgets the legacy

The Karate Kid (1984) was a fun ‘80s film—such a success that it understandably spawned a few diluted sequels. But few could have predicted the bloated franchise it would become. We've now had three sequels, a reboot, and six seasons of the Netflix spin-off Cobra Kai (2018–2025). This year, we get yet another installment: Karate Kid: Legends (2025), which officially merges the Jackie Chan reboot (The Karate Kid (2010)) with the original storyline.

Karate Kid: Legends follows Beijing native Li Fong (Ben Wang), who moves with his doctor mother (Ming-Na Wen) to New York City, leaving behind his kung fu instructor and uncle Mr. Han (Jackie Chan)—and the guilt over his older brother’s death (Yankei Ge). In NYC, Li quickly befriends and develops a crush on classmate and pizza shop worker Mia (Sadie Stanley), whose bullying ex, Conor (Aramis Knight), is a karate enthusiast.

The film is directed by Jonathan Entwistle, making his feature debut. He previously helmed episodes of TV shows, most notably the dark comedy The End of the F**ing World* (2017–2019), which skillfully balanced tough subject matter with dry humor. Here, Entwistle attempts a similar tonal blend—aiming for a nostalgic '80s vibe—but fails miserably. He’s hamstrung by a dismal script from Rob Lieber, whose only previous credits in the past decade are Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014), Peter Rabbit (2018), and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018). Somehow, this résumé convinced producers to give him sole writing credit. The result: laughable dialogue, plot holes and contradictions rivaling the Fast & Furious franchise, and more cringe-worthy moments than a straight-to-DVD rom-com. I found myself covering my eyes in horror more often than during Bring Her Back (2025), as I endured one atrocious scene after another. One standout example: “Sorry about those guys, they’re such jerks. They happen to own this pizza place—one of them also happens to be my dad.” Exposition dump feels like too kind a phrase for that robotic line delivery.

The problem is that Karate Kid: Legends doesn’t even cross into “so bad it’s good” territory. The film’s depiction of New York City is laughably off-base: a local gives Li a “tour” that includes Times Square and the Empire State Building—sure, the places every real New Yorker hangs out. The L train apparently runs from Chinatown to Union Square (spoiler: it doesn’t), and the airport is somehow located in downtown Manhattan. As a local New Yorker, it felt like watching an overconfident friend pretend to be an expert on something they clearly don’t understand.

Entwistle and Lieber opt for the legacy sequel route: a remake of the original with returning cast members passing the baton. Macchio returns as a sensei for Li, alongside Chan, creating a two-mentor storyline. But the film completely misses what made the original special: the heart of The Karate Kid lies in the bond between student and teacher. In Legends, the mentors are sidelined for most of the movie in favor of a nonsensical subplot about Li training a pizza shop owner for a boxing match to save his business. The storyline is unnecessary, cliché, and borders on offensive—a white New Yorker asking a teenage Chinese kid to teach him kung fu? When Chan and Macchio finally reappear for a rushed training montage near the end, it’s a relief. Chan, with his well-honed comedic timing from the Rush Hour films, briefly lifts the film from its slog. Macchio, by contrast, sleepwalks through his role, radiating the energy of someone contractually obligated to show up. His character serves little purpose beyond nostalgic fan service.

Instead, the film focuses heavily on a tepid romance between Li and Mia, echoing the beats of the original film. But the relationship is so poorly developed, it’s hard to believe the filmmakers have ever flirted in real life. Wang and Stanley have zero chemistry, though the fault lies more with the clunky script and limp direction than the actors themselves.

Even the fight scenes—typically the highlight of any Karate Kid entry—are a letdown. Li's abilities shift based on plot convenience: he’s a kung fu expert one moment, a helpless novice the next. The sequences are filmed with shaky cam and choppy editing, rendering them nearly impossible to follow.

In the end, Karate Kid: Legends is an unnecessary, unwatchable addition to a franchise that should have bowed out long ago. The attempt to recapture ‘80s charm backfires, resulting in a cringe-fest that lacks the emotional core of its predecessors. The student-teacher dynamic is all but abandoned, leaving a pair of underused legacy characters, a painfully weak script, and Jackie Chan doing his best to hold it all together. Let’s hope producers finally leave this franchise in peace—and wax off for good.

3.3/10