Quest for Jackie Chan - "The Karate Kid" Australian Reviewer - Thuy Ng

"2010’s Karate Kid film is set in Beijing China, allowing an insight into contemporary Chinese life. The comparison of dreary Detroit to upbeat Beijing and the peace of the countryside mountains adds to the scenery of the movie making it visually interesting. The main protagonist is played by Jaden Smith, who puts on a good performance, though his young age prevents this remake from becoming a truly coming of age film. The romance between Jaden’s character Dre Parker and Mei Ying seems awkward and forced, and does not enhance the storyline. On the other hand Jackie Chan who plays the mentor Mr Han has truly gone beyond depicting a character with both humour and humility that has challenged and bought much more depth to the film. The film goes on for quite a while (2hours and 15 mins), cutting out some parts to make the film succinct would have been a great benefit, and also the violence can be confronting at times. One issue with the film title is the fact that it is called Karate Kid when it is based on Kung Fu. In the end it is a movie truly engrossing and worth watching" - Thuy Nguyen