![]() The Karate Kid was released theatrically worldwide on June 11, 2010, by Sony Pictures. Principal photography took place in Beijing, China, and filming began in July 2009 and ended on October 16, 2009. It is an international co-production between China, Hong Kong, and the United States. The film's music was composed by James Horner. The screenplay was written by Christopher Murphey. Han ( Jackie Chan), a kung fu master who teaches him the secrets of self-defense. He makes an unlikely ally in the form of an aging maintenance man, Mr. ![]() Henson) and runs afoul of the neighborhood bully Cheng (Zhenwei Wang). The plot concerns 12-year-old Dre Parker ( Jaden Smith), from Detroit, Michigan, who moves to Beijing, China with his mother ( Taraji P. This film does not take place in the same fictional universe as the four previous Karate Kid films, but is instead a remake of the original 1984 film with the setting moved to China, and the martial art changed (despite the film's title) from karate to kung fu. It stars Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in lead roles, and it was produced by Jerry Weintraub, James Lassiter, Ken Stovitz, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. The two sequels were much weaker but the demand for them was great and, when there is money on the table, Hollywood will always oblige.The Karate Kid is a 2010 martial arts drama film directed by Harald Zwart, and part of The Karate Kid series. As a footnote, I was not able to identify precisely why he was cast in the role, but historically Okinawa has indeed been associated with its own unique brand of martial arts and, in the martial arts world, short stocky older men have long been acknowledged as champions even though in the films of our present era someone of Morita's age or body-type would never even be considered for such a part. He has almost as much screen time as Macchio (I counted) but because his career was merely bit parts before (and after) this was the prevailing mindset. This is clear "color blindness" on the part of Hollywood. Shue actually won an award for a completely forgettable part and Morita not only did not win anything for this film but the only nominations he received were in the "supporting role" category. ![]() Unfortunately the historical record even on the IMDb does not reflect any of this. Macchio and Shue were competent (the former had some momentum from Happy Days/Laverne and Shirley and the latter was beginning a short career as a type of "brat pack" teenage star) but it was Morita who owned the film and kept your interest. I see a very competently done film that is literally lifted off the ground and carried to the finish line by the extraordinary one-of-a-kind performance from a (then) 50 year old Pat Morita, an actor who essentially spent his entire career doing "asian walkons" and offers us only this one role as a chance to see what he actually could do. I remember the phenomenon from the 80s yet as a "prolific reviewer" for the IMDb now (which, for buffs, is not the same thing as a "Voracious Eater" from the Claymore series) I now see the film differently. Done by the same director as Rocky, this unusual "feel good" movie became a hit in 1984 and generated two sequels before the mania died and the franchise imploded.
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