Product Info

Studio

Columbia Pictures

Director

Jonathan Entwistle

Genre

Action, Drama, Family, Sport

Rated

PG-13

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

May 30, 2025

Film Length

1hr 34min

Purchase From

Karate Kid: Legends is the sixth film in the Karate Kid series. The film features a solid amount of kicks, with a few misses, but enough for both old and new fans to enjoy.

A Familiar Path

Copyright by Columbia Pictures

Legends follows a teenage boy from Beijing named Li Fong, played by Ben Wang (Mean Girls 2024, American Born Chinese), who gave up learning kung fu from his uncle, Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan (Rush Hour, Who Am I?), before moving to New York with his mother, in order to stay away from violence that killed his brother. His brother lost his life in a martial arts tournament at the hands of a defeated rival.

As Li navigates his new surroundings of the Big Apple, he meets Mia Lipani, played by Sadie Stanley (Somewhere in Queens, Cruel Summer), a teenage girl who helps run a local pizza parlor in New York with her father, Victor Lipani, played by Joshua Jackson (D2: The Mighty Ducks, Dawson’s Creek). Victor, a former boxer, retired to support his small family in a less violent career path. However, he is struggling to repay money he borrowed from O’Shea, played by Tim Rozon (Wynonna Earp, Flashpoint),  who runs a local karate dojo with shady business practices. When Victor is confronted by O’Shea’s thugs, Li steps in to help, leading to a confrontation where the thugs eventually retreat. But Li’s challenges do not end there. His growing friendship with Mia attracts the attention of her ex-boyfriend, Connor Day, played by Aramis Knight (Ender’s Game, Ms. Marvel), who has a reputation at the city’s Five Boroughs Tournament and trains at O’Shea’s dojo. Connor, still interested in Mia, bullies Li in an attempt to keep him away from her. His cocky attitude is reminiscent of Johnny Lawrence from the first Karate Kid movie.

While the storyline may follow a predictable path of the underdog winning it all, there are moments such as Li teaching Victor how to use kung fu with boxing, that change the pace for a brief time. Additionally, Li having to re-learn martial arts with two masters makes it more fun to watch.

Pace Yourself Grasshopper

Copyright by Columbia Pictures

This is just the beginning of the events in Karate Kid: Legends as more events unfold. For example, Li tries to teach martial arts mixed with boxing to Victor, leading up to a confrontation with Connor at the Five Boroughs Tournament. The movie feels like a quick 94 minutes, but there are some scenes where it needs to pace itself better. For instance, Li preparing for the Five Boroughs Tournament feels rushed. Mr. Han brings in a familiar figure from the original Karate Kid films to help Li. Seeing more development here could have built more history between the two martial art styles from Mr. Han and his cameo friend. Watching these two masters train Li brought some nostalgia from previous films, but also showed a development in passing the mantle to a new generation.

Furthermore, more development of Connor and seeing O’Shea running his dojo could have built up more anticipation towards the tournament. Mia, the love interest for both Li and Connor, seemed to fall out of the spotlight at times. She showed great character support at the beginning but slowly faded away, despite the ups and downs in her relationship with Li.

The focus on Li works well as Ben does a great job in his acting role. H is not overshadowed by Jackie Chan and others as much, and when it seems to lean that way, the film keeps its focus on Li.

Watch Them Move

The choreography in the film was a standout feature, with close-action shots from various camera angles and a stunt team that made the fights realistic, making the 94-minute film entertaining. Watching Li fend off thugs in the back alley was a treat. Although the film includes a few scenes and nostalgic moments from past Karate Kid movies, it would have been a nice touch to hear some familiar tracks like “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito to give long-time fans something to remember before passing the torch to the next generation. Instead, the film is filled with modern pop-culture tracks and a revamped version of the classic ‘90s song, “California Love”.

The Final Match

Karate Kid: Legends has some pacing issues and a predictable story, but it still manages to impress with its choreography, catering to both new and old fans of the franchise.

An early screening provided for this review. Karate Kid: Legends arrives in theaters on May 30, 2025. Fans can visit the official website for tickets and information.