Despite being almost a scene-for-scene remake of the 1984 original, The Karate Kid misses the charm and warmth of the first film. Something about the tone is off. Perhaps it’s because this movie skews younger, focusing not on high schoolers but on 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith, son of Will). As before, Dre is the new kid being beaten by bullies until a maintenance man (Jackie Chan, nicely subdued) teaches him how to fend for himself. Particularly odd is the way the movie fails to recognize our understanding of bullying has significantly changed since 1984. Post-Columbine, parents and teachers have developed countless ways of dealing with bullies, and I don’t think any of them endorse fantasies in which you enter a karate tournament and defeat the kid who’s been picking on you while your mom and girlfriend cheer along. Failing to even acknowledge this social shift, The Karate Kid isn’t nostalgic as much as it’s stuck in a time warp.
