When Li Fong (Ben Wang), student of kung fu master Mr Han (Jackie Chan), moves from China to New York City, he promises his mother that he will no longer practise martial arts due to the violent death of his older brother. Initially, he settles into his new life, helped by his new friend Mia (Sadie Stanley), and her ex-boxer father Victor (Joshua Jackson). However, when Victor is severely injured after losing his comeback fight, Li is encouraged by Mr Han to return to fighting in the Five Boroughs Tournament. This time, Li must not only train under Han, but also an old friend of his mentor, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), as he aims to master not only kung fu, but Miyagi-Do karate.

This entry in the long-running Karate Kid series hits all of the required narrative beats, with Li’s narrative arc mirroring that of Daniel’s in the original trilogy as well as Jaden Smith‘s in the 2010 spin-off entry. From his relationship with Mia to his rivalry with a more arrogant martial artist, there’s nothing new to be found in these developments. However, Entwistle and the cast do an effective job of making the familiar seem fresh, with Wang in particular bringing Li to life as a  fully rounded character, convincingly conveying his fish out of water status in New York, his growing attraction to Mia, and his fighting prowess and resulting internal conflict over his abilities. Stanley also impresses as Mia, providing the character with a spirited, independent nature that elevates her above the simplistic ‘love interest’ archetype, particularly present in her concern over Victor’s return to boxing.

Entwistle, making his feature film debut, does an impressive job with the fight scenes, lending them an energy through fluid camerawork and quick editing that sets them apart from the more traditionally-filmed sequences in previous entries. However, the relatively-short running time does result in some narrative elements feeling somewhat truncated. Li’s romantic rival, whom he ultimately fights, is a one-dimensional character whose relationship with Li is never developed. Nor is his martial arts teacher established as a formidable threat as would be expected, resulting in the narrative conflict feeling minimised as a result.

This issue aside, Karate Kid: Legends fulfils audience expectations, offering more of the same in an entertaining and engaging way that doesn’t disappoint or surpass what a viewer would want.

In cinemas nationwide now