Karate Kid: Legends

Story

Li Fong (Ben Wang) is a dedicated kung fu student trained by his grandfather, Mr Han (Jackie Chan) in Beijing. When Li’s mother accepts a job in New York, she makes him promise to stop practising kung fu. Her eldest son died after a fighting incident, and she doesn’t want this to happen to Li. Li agrees, but he finds giving up kung fu easier said than done.

In New York, Li befriends a local girl named Mia (Sadie Stanley), whose ex-boyfriend Conor (Aramis Knight) begins threatening Li out of jealousy. Meanwhile, Mia’s father, Victor (Joshua Jackson), convinces Li to train him for a boxing match.

When Victor is hospitalised because of the boxing match, Mr Han convinces Li to enter the Five Boroughs Tournament, a karate tournament with a $50,000 prize. But Li doesn’t know karate. To prepare Li, Mr Han enlists the help of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio).

Nevertheless, winning won’t come easy, as they have only 7 days to prepare and Li will have to defeat Conor, the reigning champion.

Themes

Family death; crime

Violence

Karate Kid: Legends has some violence. For example:

Conor kicks a karate classmate in the head for laughing at a joke about his ex, Mia.
Conor punches Li on the train because Li is spending time with Mia. Li is left with a black eye.
Conor and Li get into a fight at school. Li attempts a ‘dragon kick’, but Conor counters and kicks him onto the floor before teachers break up the fight.
In a flashback, Li watches his brother get stabbed by an opponent he beats in a kung fu tournament. He dies after the incident.
Some thugs from Conor’s dojo attack Victor with a baseball bat. Li fights them off using martial arts.
Victor enters a boxing match. He seems to be winning, but his opponent makes an illegal move. His opponent pushes the referee away and knocks Victor unconscious, sending him to hospital for several days.
Li returns home to his apartment and is attacked in the dark by an unknown assailant. It is later revealed to be Mr Han, who is visiting from China.
Conor and Li fight several opponents during the Five Boroughs Tournament. They defeat them using karate, knocking out several opponents in the process.
After Li wins his semifinal match in the Five Boroughs Tournament, members of Conor’s dojo try to attack him. Mr Han and Daniel step in and fight off the assailants.
Conor and Li fight in the final of the Five Boroughs Tournament. Both land many heavy blows.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in Karate Kid: Legends.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Karate Kid: Legends shows some use of substances. For example:

In footage from The Karate Kid Part II, Mr Miyagi says his ancestor loved to drink sake. He says that his ancestor once drank so much that he passed out on a boat and sailed from Japan to China.
Victor drinks a beer while having a late-night conversation with Li.

Nudity and sexual activity

Karate Kid: Legends has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:

Two high school students are caught kissing in a hallway.
Li and Mia kiss.

Product placement

There’s no product placement in Karate Kid: Legends.

Coarse language

Karate Kid: Legends has some coarse language.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Karate Kid: Legends is the latest movie in the Karate Kid franchise and is set after the end of the television series Cobra Kai. The action movie sees Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their iconic roles.

Because of its violence, themes and coarse language, Karate Kid: Legends is best suited to teenage and older viewers. We recommend parental guidance for viewers aged 10-12 years.

The main message of Karate Kid: Legends is that we should use our strengths to support and lift up those around us. Even when it’s scary, choosing to face our fears can lead us to become the best version of ourselves. As Mr Han tells Li, kung fu – and by extension any skill or strength – should be used to help others. The movie shows that true power lies not in fighting for pride or revenge but in protecting and empowering your community.

Values in Karate Kid: Legends that you could reinforce with your children include teamwork, perseverance, empathy and bravery.

Karate Kid: Legends could also give you the chance to talk with your children about bullying. You could talk about being a bystander, standing up to bullying, and helping people who have been bullied.