Jackie Chan's Karate Kid: Legends Casting Creates A Weird Problem

This post contains spoilers for "Karate Kid: Legends."

No disrespect to the dojo, but like it or not, "Cobra Kai" was a show that, as it progressed, settled into the camp of "so good it's bad" and remained there for six entire seasons. Even with the message it aimed to convey and the underdog story centered around ended with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the show was still about high school kids taking karate class way too seriously, perhaps even more than Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) did back in the day. It's also what made some of the show's fight scenes so eye-rollingly tolerable. Sure, they were well-choreographed, but next to shows like "Warrior" or "Gangs of London," "Cobra Kai" was outclassed. It's this setback that becomes even more noticeable when one of its most respected teachers tries to impart wisdom to a new student in "Karate Kid: Legends" (read our review of the film here).

It's clear within the first few moments of seeing Li Wang (Ben Wong) in action that the kid can handle himself and wouldn't just be tough competition for our favorite All-Valley contenders, but wipe the floor with them, regardless of how inconsistent his "skills" might be shown as throughout the film. It's also why, when it comes to the original Karate Kid teaching the new student, it doesn't feel like there's much he needs to take on board. That really shouldn't come as a shock considering that Li Wang's original teacher is Mr. Han, played by the legendary Jackie Chan — the film's greatest assets that highlights one of its biggest weaknesses.

Even at 71 years old, Jackie Chan still lets his fists fly with stunning precision, reminding us why he's a name that's eternally linked to martial arts movies. Unfortunately, when pairing Chan with Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso, all "Karate Kid: Legends" does is emphasize how dominant Chan is in some of the training sequences and how much his co-star falls short. The film resorts to carefully placed camera shots of the two teachers sparring from the waist down or during a random brawl where they both defend Li halfway through the inevitable tournament, with Macchio being outshone by Chan's flourish and flair.

This dynamic makes LaRusso's advice to Li feel forced, and his presence is nearly redundant, given the clear difference in experience between Han and LaRusso. One scene, in particular, demonstrates this fault when Li deflects between the teachers, matching the pace against Han only to noticeably drop down a few gears while he's doing the same with Daniel. It's all an apparent effort to apply the fan service it's determined to deliver, not just to the original films but also to the more recent Netflix series, which is merely glanced at rather than fully embraced. Ultimately, the biggest takeaway from "Karate Kid: Legends" is it should be willing to repeat the same mistakes as its predecessor, as it could have emerged as a much better film by regardless.

In 2010, audiences were flummoxed by the release of "The Karate Kid," which was linked to the franchise in name only. The issues continued, of course, with Han teaching Jaden Smith's Dre Parker kung-fu instead of karate, and from the audience's perspective back then, it was a remake of the original film rather than an extension of the world "Cobra Kai" would eventually revisit. Honestly, that's the route "Legends" should've taken, because not only does its flimsy and sometimes uneven homage to the franchise feel ill-fitting compared to what came before, but it also derails an already compelling story that could've stood on its own.

Regardless of its underdog checklist, "Karate Kid: Legends" dares to do something different, making the student become the teacher and Li train Joshua Jackson's former boxer and worn-down pizzeria owner, Victor. This story feels refreshing and could have carried the whole film, allowing Chan's presence to be warranted, albeit slightly less so, and Macchio's not at all (although removing him would hinder the film's box office hopes to connect to "Cobra Kai"). Chan is too skilled to be fighting side-by-side with Ralph Macchio, and it ends up creating a problem for the film.