Karate Kid: Legends

·1 hr 38 min·5 clips

Matt and Jon kick off their review of 'Karate Kid: Legends' with a kung fu joke and a detailed description of Matt's jalapeno corn fritter dinner.

The episode begins with hosts Jon Burke and Matt Hudson exchanging casual banter about their weeks before introducing the main topic: reviewing 'Karate Kid: Legends.' They first provide context by discussing the history of the Karate Kid franchise, sharing their personal rankings of the original films, the 1994 Hilary Swank entry, and the 2010 Jackie Chan/Jaden Smith remake. Jon articulates a key theme, stating the original films are character-driven dramas about honor, not action movies. The review of 'Karate Kid: Legends' forms the core of the episode. Both hosts are critical. Jon details the film's failure to justify its legacy sequel status, its inconsistent portrayal of the protagonist's fighting skills, and its reliance on an 'idiot plot.' Matt agrees, criticizing the coincidental storytelling, underdeveloped villains, and the film feeling rushed and overstuffed. They discuss the cast, praising Ben Wang's lead performance but finding Ralph Macchio disinterested. The hosts then move to their recurring segment, 'Concessions of a Cinephile,' focusing on trailer talk. They express excitement for Darren Aronofsky's crime comedy 'Caught Stearing,' Guillermo del Toro's Netflix film 'Frankenstein,' and apprehension about 'Megan 2.0' and 'Black Phone 2.' Finally, in media consumption, Matt shares watching 'Jaws' and 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' with his daughter, praising the latter as a potential best comic book movie ever, and briefly mentions an indie horror film called 'Boogeyville.'

As heard by us

A lively franchise discussion about fundamentals, predictability, and Karate Kid: Legends' overloaded story.

Jon Burke and Matt Hudson give Karate Kid: Legends a skeptical but useful workout, circling the question that matters most for a franchise return: can a predictable story still land if the fundamentals are solid? Their answer is measured.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want a Karate Kid franchise debate that tests a predictable story against fundamentals and Mr. Han's baffling travel logistics?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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