When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures<\/p>\n You know, the Rocky and the Karate Kid series have a lot in common for me. Besides both first movies being directed by the same person (John G. Avildsen) I mostly mean that I\u2019m not beholden to the idea that the first movie in each series is necessarily the best, since I actually think the best Karate Kid movie is the most recent one, Karate Kid: Legends.<\/p>\n And yes, I know, I know. NOBODY else thinks this. When ranking the Rocky movies<\/a>, as well as the Karate Kid films (which I myself ranked)<\/a>, I\u2019m pretty sure the vast majority would say that 1976\u2019s Rocky and 1984\u2019s The Karate Kid are the best movies in their respective franchises. However, before Karate Kid: Legends, my previous favorite Karate Kid movie was the 2010 one<\/a>, so I\u2019ve already bucked the trend.<\/p>\n Well, Karate Kid: Legends is my new favorite, and here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n Credit: Sony<\/p>\n You know what\u2019s interesting about the Karate Kid franchise? It likes to switch up locations, and quite often. In the first film, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) moved from my home state of New Jersey to Los Angeles, making it a fish-out-of-water story. In Part II, Daniel and Mr. Miyagi went to Japan, with them returning to L.A. in Part III.<\/p>\n The Next Karate Kid is primarily set in Boston, and the 2010 movie takes place in China. So really, the Karate Kid franchise is all about leaving somewhere you\u2019re familiar with and adjusting to a new environment. It\u2019s essentially in the series\u2019 DNA. Well, Karate Kid: Legends follows this trajectory, as our new protagonist is a young martial artist named Li Fong (Ben Wang). At the start of the film, he lives in China with his uncle, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who was in the 2010 film but is now a highly revered kung fu shifu (Though it\u2019s frustratingly never explained how this came to be<\/a>).<\/p>\n Anyway, due to circumstances involving his mother getting a job in New York, Li Fong has to leave China and adjust to his new life. Can I just say that this is a breath of fresh air for the franchise? New York is really vibrant and alive, and it makes the story feel unlike any other Karate Kid film. In some ways, I\u2019m biased since I\u2019m very familiar with New York, but things like subways, pizza parlors, and rooftop fights just feel super unique to this franchise, and I love it.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s another Karate Kid movie, I wouldn\u2019t be opposed to it taking place in another borough of New York. It works!<\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures<\/p>\n Okay, so one aspect that I know a lot of people harp on is that the 2010 Karate Kid movie was incorrectly titled since Jaden Smith is not doing karate. He\u2019s doing kung fu (which is why it was more appropriately titled The Kung Fu Dream in China). Well, anyway, even though I think karate is cool, I think kung fu is an even cooler martial art<\/a> (Sorry, not sorry).<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say that I didn\u2019t enjoy Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel-San and Julie-San the ways of Miyagi-Do, as I did! The early Karate Kid movies (Yes, even The Next Karate Kid) all have their merits, and I think it was cool seeing them do the crane kick (which is absent in Karate Kid: Legends)<\/a>. However, be that as it may, I\u2019ve always been more fascinated with kung fu, which is why I really loved the 2010 version, since I found the fighting to be more engaging.<\/p>\n Well, thankfully, Karate Kid: Legends is the best of both worlds, as Li Fong has to learn karate if he wants to defeat his rival, Conor Day (Aramis Knight), who is a karate master. Li Fong finds himself enamored with a local girl named Mia (Sadie Stanley) who works at a pizza parlor. That said, Mia\u2019s ex is Conor, and he doesn\u2019t like Mia\u2019s new affections for Li Fong. So, Conor, in true Karate Kid fashion, bullies him.<\/p>\n This all culminates in Li Fong entering something called The Five Boroughs Tournament, to which Conor is a perennial champion. Li Fong has to combine his kung fu skills with his newfound knowledge of karate, which I\u2019ll get into next.<\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures<\/p>\n The major selling point for this movie is that it features Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, as Li Fong already knows kung fu from Chan\u2019s character, Mr. Han. It\u2019s the karate element that he needs to learn, which is where Macchio steps in as sensei LaRusso. Upon first seeing the trailer, I, like many others, I\u2019m sure, thought this new movie was going to be nothing but a cash grab. But, similar to my colleague, Alexandra Ramos, I was \u201cpleasantly surprised.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n That\u2019s because Ralph Macchio isn\u2019t just a walk-on cameo. Sure, he\u2019s not in the movie for most of the film, but once he\u2019s here, he\u2019s here to stay. Plus, one thing that I really love about him is his friendly rivalry with Jackie Chan, as both feel their martial arts style is superior to one another\u2019s.<\/p>\n Sensei Daniel believes that Miyagi-Do is the premier martial art, and the one that Li Fong should rely on the most. Meanwhile, Shifu Han feels that all of the best aspects of Miyagi-Do were the elements that Miyagi borrowed from kung fu.<\/p>\n All of it is really playful and fun, and I think it\u2019s cool that both of my favorite Karate Kid characters make an appearance in this film. What\u2019s especially noteworthy though, is that we also get to see Mr. Miyagi with some new dialogue through the power of A.I. (So, maybe A.I. isn\u2019t all bad<\/a>). So, that\u2019s another reason why this is my favorite Karate Kid movie. Three master martial artists for the price of one! You can\u2019t beat it!<\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures<\/p>\n So, this one really threw me off, but not only does Karate Kid: Legends feature a mixture of kung fu and karate, but it also features a whole segment dedicated to boxing as well! Let me tell you, I did not see that coming. You see, Li Fong moves in next to a pizza place, and the owner of the shop (Joshua Jackson) is in deep debt with some bad dudes.<\/p>\n Well, since he can\u2019t pay it off, he\u2019s constantly dodging his creditor’s goons, but one asset that he does have is that he used to be a really good boxer. And, you probably already know where this is heading. Or maybe not. Since yes, the owner gets back into boxing, but Li Fong actually adds some kung fu to his training. In this way, the aged boxer moves differently in the ring, and it looks like things will go well until he\u2019s given some dirty blows, which really gives him a hurting.<\/p>\n This might all sound like it doesn\u2019t belong in a Karate Kid movie, but it surprisingly ties back into the plot. I won\u2019t say how, entirely, since it\u2019s pivotal to the protagonist\u2019s journey, but it really does fit in.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
First, I Think New York Is The Perfect Setting For The Karate Kid<\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
I Love The Melding Of Kung Fu And Karate<\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
It Combines My Two Favorite Characters From The Franchise<\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
I Also Really Like How Boxing Is Included In This Film<\/h2>\n