"12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts ""the karate kid"" on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life." - (Alert)
After Dre Parker moves with his mother from Detroit to China, he is bullied until his building's janitor, a martial arts master, agrees to teach him to defend himself. - (Baker & Taylor)
12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts "the karate kid" on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life. - (Sony Pictures Home Enter)
Video Librarian Reviews
Updating the iconic 1984 original that paired young Ralph Macchio with Pat Morita, the locale here shifts from California to the Far East. After his dad dies, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) suddenly finds himself in China when his mom (Taraji P. Henson) makes a career move from Detroit to Beijing. The language and customs are unfamiliar, but he befriends and develops a crush on violin-playing Meiying (Wenwen Han), which makes him an enemy of sadistic class bully Cheng (Zhenwei Wang). During their first scuffle, Dre tries to use karate, but martial-arts-versed Cheng and his buddies beat him up and continue to terrorize him until a maintenance man named Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) comes to the rescue. A wushu master, Mr. Han is disgusted with the aggression taught at a local academy, noting that, "Kung fu is for knowledge, for helping people, for peace….. No bad students, just bad teachers." Mr. Han patiently trains Dre, preparing him to compete against Cheng in a tournament. Director Harald Zwart effectively works the fatherless son/childless mentor theme, and the stars capably handle the action—Chan is renowned for his martial arts expertise, while Smith (son of Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith) displays considerable athletic prowess and a lot of charm. Wise, poignant, and satisfying, this is recommended. (S. Granger) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2010.