THE KARATE KID (Harold Zwart 2010)

[Chris Knipp]

Yes, I was thinking of GHOST DOG when you were laughing at the idea of a black person "going zen." You really don't think too hard before you speak sometimes, do you?

You are really quite wrong about THE KARATE KID and also about Jaden Smith. "Just look at him." Well, try just looking at the movie. I can't discuss it with you; you have not seen it. Why don't you get over the fact that the boy is a silver spoon kid and move on? Sometimes people have advantages and they use them. Is that so reprehensible?

As for the fact that this is a remake, the original was a long time ago, and it's generally acknowledged that this is much better than the various sequels. And remakes and sequels are a fact of life and a major aspect of summer movies.

[Johann]

I think everytime I speak. I never spout off without something as a foundation. I'm dead right about this one.
This movie is completely shameless and not necessary in any way. (only to boost a rich kid's career)
The Smith family and everyone involved with it believe otherwise, but that's their folly.
Having advantages is one thing, smearing it all over people's faces while holding your hand out, that's quite another.
But what do I know? People have made the movie a hit. People want to see it badly.

[Johann]

My main concern with this is that we deserve better as an audience.
There is nothing original about this movie. NOTHING. ZERO. ZILCH.
I think they stole the idea from Ghost Dog itself and hopes no one notices. I wonder what Jarmusch thinks..
Instead of a retainer, the kid has a different kind of mentor, but a mentor nonetheless, a man he owes.
Same haircut as ghost dog. Exact same. The only thing he's missing is a stolen Mercedes, a hoodie and a samurai sword.
(and some CD's to play in his Benz).
Don't rip off a classic and pass it off as your own. You'll never live it down. Just ask George Lucas. (actually, maybe don't bother)

Will Smith has the resources to make incredible movies. I expect awesome shit from him and I never get it.
NEVER. His movies routinely suck. Seriously. What's the last mind-blowing film he did? That's right- there is none, even though ALI comes close.
He's in big, bombastic movies that SUCK. Suck donkey cock.
And I say "Enough of that shit!"
When is he gonna blow our heads clean off with amazing cinema? With his son in it or otherwise? That's right- we won't ever see it.
He's had his time in the sun and he's as dry as a popcorn fart.

[Johann]

I really hate people who comment on movies without seeing them too, but guess what? Some films you can telegraph from JUPITER.
Some films you can call out from ten miles off shore. The Karate Kid is one of those movies.
For some films all you need is to see the trailer and you can deliver an ironclad verdict. (Like the A-Team, for instance- EPIC FAILURE, that one)
It would be an amazing thing to have my opinions on this movie reversed, but I know in my heart of hearts that the Smith family are trying to swindle me. SHAMELESSLY. Sorry. Don't buy it. Never will. You can sell snow to an eskimo Mr. And Mrs. Smith, but NOT TO ME.

[Chris Knipp]

Nonetheless I feel obligated to see a film or read a book before writing at such length about it. Partly that's because ranting on about stuff they haven't read or seen is just what tea party right wing sorts of people do. And they get away with it, too.

This from the ONION AV CLUB caught my eye apropos of some of your posts:

"The trailer for Sofia Coppola's Somewhere will really make you feel for rich and famous people"

That's the article headline. In case your clicker is busted, here's that trailer they're talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvSsp...layer_embedded

Of course they haven't see the movie either, just like you and THE KARATE Kid. They give Somewhere two options: ". . .as with most Coppola films, you’ll probably find it either beautifully melancholy or arid and pretentious." Only you don't give KARATE KID two options. It's "completely shameless and not necessary in any way." But any big studio can tell you why a remake of a popular youth market film is necessary. We "as an audience deserve better"? Yes, undoubtedly we do. But you are not the audience.

[Chris Knipp]

Your ranting might be better directed at SEX AND THE CITY 2 or THE A-TEAM, which are less enjoyable and otherwise less successful both commercially and artistically than THE KARATE KID . I like Joe Carnahan so I'm reluctant to write about THE A-TEAM. It has fun moments but it lacks something; mainly it just needs to take a breather. I haven't seen SATC 2. A woman friend who's a big fan of the TV series and liked SATC 1 advised me I need not see 2. There are things I don't like about GET HIM TO THE GREEK, but it's not overall unsuccessful. People find it very funny and I like Russell Brand. I guess MARMADUKE isn't even worth ranting about; I haven't seen it.

Of the current movies the ONION AV CLUB gives only two top marks, an A and an A-. I have not yet seen the Joan Rivers one, though it was in the SFIFF and Rivers was on hand to be celebrated.

[ONION AV CLUB, June 15, 2010]

* C- The A-Team
* C+ The Karate Kid
* A Winter's Bone
* A- Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work
* D Killers
* B Get Him To The Greek
* B+ Splice
* B Ondine
* D Marmaduke
* B+ Cropsey
* D Finding Bliss
* B- Double Take
* C Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
* D Sex And The City 2
* B+ Micmacs
* B The Father Of My Children
* C+ George A. Romero’s Survival Of The Dead
* B- Kites
* C+ MacGruber
* C- Shrek Fore

I can't comment on some of these because I have not seen them. I don't quite get how anybody'd really like KITES (Bollywood movies are always interesting subjects of study though, and this year I've seen 3 IDIOTS and RAJNEETI and most recently KITES). I don't agree with them on SPLICE (that's a young guy's score, I guess). I would probably not rate MICMACS above THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN (i have a special fondness for that one but then, I like French films about families and relationships with a grown-up point of view. I'd give THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN an A-.)

They got it right on WINTER'S BONE. As I've said, when the time comes to evaluate the year's American films, those that are not commercial Hollywood products, WINTER'S BONE will stand out.

[Chris Knipp]

These days when I'm not going to festival or series films I try to see a cross section of all the movies that are coming out. I have no regrets for having watched the remake THE KARATE KID, and I can vouch for the fact that it's far less reprehensible or inferior than others who have posted on this thread without even having seen the movie have tried to assert. But I'd like to point out here for viewers on the site who come to this thread for the controversy and the fascination with remakes (however purists revile them) and missed my reviews of smaller, more unusual current or coming films, that this is only a fraction of my recent and upcoming movie coverage. I have also recently seen Luca Guadignino's beautiful new Italian picture with Tilda Swinton, I AM LOVE (opening limited this Friday June 18, 2010), Neil Jordan's ONDINE, and Kevin Asch's debut feature HOLY ROLLERS. Today I saw one that opened in March, but continues to be in theaters: CITY ISLAND, in which Andy Garcia stars. I never thought I'd see Garcia so thoroughly fill a movie or be so appealing. I may post a review to CITY ISLAND shortly.


HOLY ROLLERS is an interesting subject and a big role for Jesse Eisenberg, and it also fascinated me after seeing another movie about ultra orthodox Jews breaking the rules, Haim Tabakman's powerful EYES WIDE OPEN. But CITY ISLAND is a film of much more wide appeal and higher critical rating. METACRITIC: HOLY ROLLERS-50; CITY ISLAND-66, ONDINE-64 (KARATE KID-60; EYES WIDE OPEN-70). I AM LOVE: no score yet, but likely to be much higher than these.

I'll post a review of I AM LOVE Friday.

As I've mentioned I've also see the current Bollywood extravaganzas RAJNEETI and KITES recently, but I have not written about them.

[Johann]

Right wingers get away with it all the time but there's a huge difference: I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. They are blind.
I'm not blind one iota on this.
I AM the audience- they want anybody to go and see it, don't they? They want as wide an audience as possible, right?
I don't see a sign in movie theatres that says "kids only", I don't see trailer with the tag "No Adults Admitted"

Who is the audience for this movie? If it's not you and me?

We deserve better. Bottom line. The Karate Kid would've been a massive movie some 15-20 years ago, and I might have forgiven the shameless child-star pushing had it come out when Jackie Chan was at his hottest, say, around Rumble in the Bronx it would've been huge and maybe not as big a heat score as it is now. But now? Ugh. I'm sure it's "well made" but that's not the point.
The point is the Smith family are shoving their son's image down our throats and I hate that with a passion.
Nobody else can see that.
Nobody else besides Armond "banned" White and me.
He and I should team up and make a magazine.