According to Variety, Jaden Smith, Will’s son, is set to star in a remake of The Karate Kid. Now usually, I laugh at people when they get upset over a planned redux. (Here’s an idea: Don’t watch it! Problem solved!) But this one got to me.
I understand why you’d want a new generation to see The Karate Kid: They’ve got Cobra Kai problems that they need to learn how to deal with, too. But the thing is, they are seeing it. I remember chatting with Ralph Macchio when The Karate Kid Collection DVD was released in 2005 and him telling me how often he hears that parents, who were fans of the film 20+ years ago, are now showing it to their children. The movie still holds up, and, more importantly, it has the late Pat Morita, who earned an Oscar nomination as Mr. Miyagi (and who tears up while talking about the role on that aforementioned DVD). Why would you want to show a child a Karate Kid that doesn’t have Morita?!
So am I just biased because I wrote Pat Morita’s remembrance for EW when he passed in November 2005, as well as the Karate Kid entries on our lists of the 50 best high school movies and the 20 Movie Endings We Love, or do you agree? And what planned remake has elicited the strongest negative reaction from you?
More on Teen Cinema:
50 Best High School Movies, Nos. 50-26
The 25 All-Time Best High School Movies
I agree that this remake (like most remakes) is a terrible idea. I usually don’t bag on remakes either because a) I think they can raise awareness and appreciation for the original film or b) I can just choose not to watch them, but this is one is particularly irritating.
Jaden Smith’s casting is bad enough (I couldn’t care less that he’s black, but I DO care that he’s 10!), but who in the world are they going to get to play Mr. Miyagi? Morita was absolutely indispensable.
As for planned remakes that solicited a negative reaction, I don’t think it ever came to be, but I remember hearing about a “Sound of Music” remake with Cameron Diaz and being personally offended.
Oh, this is just about as bad as it gets as far as remakes go. There is no need whatsoever to make this movie. Especially with so young a lead actor and, as you pointed out, no Arnold from “Happy Days.” This is a new low.
I know Hollywood’s grasping straws with old franchises they want to remake, but The Karate Kid? Come on. It’s not even that old to begin with. The numerous iterations of The Karate Kid still gets replayed on both ABC Family and the Disney Channel to this day (between HSM/Camp Rock airings, anyway). There’s absolutely no point in remaking this.
Jaden Smith the the epitome of bad child actors. Every time i see him I cringe. He should be on some syndicated sitcom, not starring in movies.
And a ten year old remaking Karate Kid? I can’t even imagine. Terrible.
Who will play Miyagi? Either Morgan Freeman or Samuel L. Jackson of course. The whole thing will be set in the inner city. It’ll be comparable to the Honeymooners remake with Cedric the Entertainer!
What bothers me about this remake is that it is only a vehicle for a kid who should do something better with his family money/status and probably excellent education then be an actor.
Amen to that!!! There is just no reason for this remake.
Finally a good remake, can’t wait for this! Just like Catwoman with Halle Berry, this sure is going to be a box office success. Jaden Smith is going to be grateful for this chance, this is going to kickstart his career, and he will have a career like his father….on a second thought, this is probably going to destroy any chances Jaden could of have, and hopefully this “remake” is going to be cancelled soon. NO MORE REMAKES HOLLYWOOD, I’M SURE SOMEONE IN TINSEL TOWN HAS A GOOD, ORIGINAL IDEA.
Yeah; this is a really lame idea. I noticed that it will be filmed in Beijing to give it an “exotic locale”, so presumably there is the easy path to a Pat Morita replacement. Clearly throwing a bone to Will Smith. I must say that this doesn’t compare to the heinous prospect Ceballos mentioned below. Egad.
… 10 year old boys don’t even appreciate girls at that age, unless the girl happens to be their mother! So how will the producers handle one of Daniel’s motivating factors (that would be Elizabeth Shue)? Will it be an outright kiddie flick with a ridiculous childhood romance? Gross. I hope not. The should at least wait 6-8 years for him to reach an appropriate age.
Also, it should be mentioned that “The Karate Kid” has already been remade…with Hilary Swank and Pat Morita, and it was called “The Next Karate Kid.” Why is this happening?!
I see The Karate Kid in the tv listings on a weekly basis, so I’m sure young kids have already seen it. Obviously, this being the case however, it’s popular, so if it’ll make money, they’ll make a movie.
I’m not always upset with remakes, as sometimes new twists can be done with older material (just look at all of the different takes on Shakespeare’s plays). I do, however, object to this remake. Not so much because the original still holds up well (although that is part of it), but because the lead is a kid! What the heck kind of life lessons can a kid learn, and why would anyone over 12 care to watch it? Sigh.
No, Mandi, you’re not biased. This is a terrible idea. Making a sequel, maybe, but a remake of the original isn’t necessary.
As for the horror that Ceballos mentioned, I hope that it was killed completely dead. I shudder to think of Cameron Diaz in a SoM remake.
The idea of a The Birds” remake makes me angry, though who knows if it will actually ever happen since it’s been “in production” for a while now. Actually any Hitchcock film being remade makes me angry I’ve recently discovered.