The New Karate Kid*

26 years after the original, 16 years after the last, The Karate Kid is back.

There is no denying that original and best was Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso, the underdog from NYC. He fought and won against the Cobra Kai, an Okinawan mob, and finally, Fear itself. Along the way, he and Pat Morita made film magic. Everyone knows "wax on wax off", the crane, and "Daniel Larusso's gonna fight!"



The "Kid" returned in female form as a rebellious girl (with a pet falcon) played kin of hilariously by Hilary Swank. Swank went on to great things but "The Next Karate Kid" was a bit of a letdown. The one redeeming factor was Mr. Miyagi trying to deal with a girl.

In this latest incarnation, the incomparable Pat Morita is replaced by Jackie Chan and "The Kid" will be played by Jaden Smith. I won't be heading to the theaters but it will definitely make it into my Netflix Queue.

*this post is dedicated to my brother who is a Karate Kid authority