Author Archives: Martin Mulrooney

By Marty Mulrooney

The original The Karate Kid was a pure slice of 1980’s fun, celebrating the underdog for children in much the same way Rocky had done for adults. Three sequels followed but none of them could match the charm of the original. This 2010 remake certainly sounds no better on paper: Karate has been swapped for kung fu although the title remains the same. Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is a 12-year-old from Detroit who has recently moved to China with his mother, taking centre stage as our new protagonist. Finally, the iconic role of Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) has been reinvented as Mr Han, played by Jackie Chan. I really didn’t know what to expect from this remake, but positive word of mouth encouraged me to enter the cinema with an open mind at least…