DIRECTOR Harald Zwart is a brave man, attempting a remake of one of the most fondly cherished films of the 1980s.
The Karate Kid
For an entire generation who still view the original through rose-tinted spectacles,
The Karate Kid is a classic, feelgood parable about a weakling who dares to stand up to bullies and turns their aggression against them.
Will Smith's diminutive 11-year-old son Jaden takes the lead role of Dre Parker, who begrudgingly leaves Detroit to follow his mother Sherry (Tariji P Henson) to Beijing for her work.
The young man struggles to adjust to his new surroundings but pretty classmate Mei Ying (Wen Wen Han) helps with the cultural differences, sparking potential romance.
Unfortunately, class bully Cheng (Zhenwai Wang) is rather fond of Mei and humiliates Dre in front of the other students.
In order to restore his reputation, Dre hopes to take kung fu lessons but he discovers that Cheng trains at the local academy run by Master Li (Rongguang Yu), who demands total dedication from his students.
After reclusive maintenance man Mr Han (Jackie Chan) saves Dre from a beating at the hands of Cheng and his buddies, the American youngster is forced to take part in an open karate tournament.
So training begins in earnest, sowing the seeds of a touching friendship between the boy and his emotionally scarred mentor.