I’m so relieved about one specific aspect ofKarate Kid: Legendsafter being disappointed by all the previousKarate Kidmovies. The firstKarate Kidmovie was released in 1984 and follows Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso, who gets trained by Mr. Miyagi. This may sound strange, since he was the star of threeKarate Kidfilmsand is an iconic movie character, but Daniel LaRusso is not actually a good fighter. While he won many fights in the first three films, Daniel LaRusso never actually impressed me with his fighting skills.
Furthermore, Julia Pierce and Dre Parker, the franchise’s two other “karate kids,” were also not very good fighters. This is disappointing, as the franchise is (obviously) so focused on fighting. However, it seems like this unfortunate streak will end with theupcomingKarate Kid: Legends. Macchio and Jackie Chan, who starred in 2010’sThe Karate Kid, lead thecast ofKarate Kid: Legends, in which they will train Li Fong. Unlike Daniel, Julia, and Dre,it looks like Li Fong will actually be a good fighter inKarate Kid: Legends.
Karate Kid: Legends’s Li Fong Actually Looks Like A Good Fighter
The Trailers For Karate Kid: Legends Showcase Amazing Fight Scenes
While the firstKarate Kidmovie is iconic and the other films in the franchise are quite entertaining, I’ve never been impressed with the fight choreography. Because of the franchise’s underwhelming choreography,Daniel, Julia, and Dre all seemed like weak fighters. This has made all the films in the series worse, since all these characters are meant to be skilled at karate. However, this thankfully seems like it’s going to change inKarate Kid: Legends, which will introduce Li Fong.
Based on thetrailers forKarate Kid: Legends, it seems like Li Fong will be a skilled fighter. While the first trailer for the film mostly focused on Macchio and Chan’s roles, the most recent trailer heavily revolved around Li Fong. In the film,Li Fong will be a skilled kung fu fighter who will be taught karate by Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han. Based on moments in the trailer, such as the scene in which he jumps towards a ladder in an alleyway and kicks at someone chasing him, it looks like Li Fong is an impressive fighter.
None Of The Previous “Karate Kids” Actually Seemed Like Good Fighters
Li Fong Will Probably Be The Best “Karate Kid”
While one would expect the leads of all theKarate Kidmovies to be skilled fighters, this is unfortunately not the case. In fact, based on the trailers forKarate Kid: Legends, it seems like Li Fong may actually be the first lead in the franchise who can actually fight convincingly. Whileseveral fights in theKarate Kidfranchise are iconic, such as the final fight between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence in the first film, none of them are actually well-made.
Sorry Daniel LaRusso, But The New Karate Kid Has Already Surpassed You
The newest trailer for Karate Kid: Legends has proven that the new titular character is already better than Daniel LaRusso was in his trilogy.
Even the 2010Karate Kidreboot, the most recent film in the franchise, disappointed me with its fight scenes. Watching Daniel and Dre performcrane kicks in theKarate Kidfranchiseis always amazing, but there should be more to these fights than just this one move. Unfortunately,fight choreography is not something that theKarate Kidfranchise has excelled at in the past, but hopefully this will change inKarate Kid: Legends.
Ben Wang Is Proving To Be The Perfect Choice To Play The New Karate Kid
Ben Wang Has A Martial Arts Background
In addition to the fact thatKarate Kid: Legendsseems to have better fight choreography than the previous films in the franchise,it’s also reassuring that Ben Wang, who is playing Li Fong, has a martial arts background. Wang is proficient in martial arts such as karate, kenpo, kung fu, kumdo, and taekwondo. None of the other “karate kids” had martial arts backgrounds, which could explain why so many fight scenes in the previous movies are underwhelming.
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Karate Kid: Legends (2025)
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This is not to say that Macchio, Hilary Swank, and Jaden Smith were bad actors in their respectiveKarate Kidfilms. Considering they were quite young when they all took on their roles in the franchise, Macchio, Swank, and Smith were all great in their roles. However,it will be nice to watch an actor who has extensive martial arts experience inKarate Kid: Legends. Because of this, I’m confident that the fights inKarate Kid: Legendswill be some of the best fights in the entireKarate Kidfranchise.
