58) The Karate Kid [DVD]

The Karate Kid. (2010). Harald Zwart (Director). Columbia Pictures.

Genre/Subject: Sport Adventure, Friendship, Romance

Ages: 9 and up

Plot: An African American (twelve-year-old) boy, named Dre Parker, is forced to leave home, with his widowed mother, from Detroit to Beijing, China. Drey leaves all his friends behind in Detroit, and is very sad to go.  On the plane, Drey and his mother quickly try to learn the Chinese language.Drey stands out in China, like a sore thumb. He has controls hair due, and he has difficulty leaning the language, and dealing with the new culture, including school rules. Drey befriends a neighbor, a kid named Harry, who is Caucasian with blonde hair. He plays basketball with him, and notices a girl in the park, named Meiying. She is a violinist, and Harry encourages Drey to talk to her. When he confronts Meiying, she is interested in touching his hair. Their flirtation brings about a crew of kung-fu students, who act as bullies towards Drey. They each beat up Drey, and he goes home with a black eye. The bullies are advanced martial arts students, and they go to the same school as Drey, so he is also bullied at school. One day Drey and his mother encounter a kung fu studio, led by Master Li, and Drey is interested until he sees the bullies in the classroom. After a school fieildtrip, Drey picks a fight with one of the bullies, and then 6 bullies gather together and chase him down and beat him up. That is, until the maintenance man, Mr. Han, shows up to rescue Dre. The maintenance man, is not a maintenance man, but a professional Kung fu fighter. Mr. Han makes a deal with the bullies kung fu coach. If Drey competes in the kung fu tournament, then the bullies must leave Drey alone in school and on the streets. Mr. Han begins to train Drey how to fight kung fu, beginning with simple tasks such as taking off a jacket, and putting the jacket on several times. The relationship Drey has with Mr. Han develops from mentor-mentee to friendship. Mr. Han has his own secrets, and by helping Drey he overcomes his pain. Two people in pain help each other through determination and friendship.

Review:
There are negative events in the movie that lead to positive events, and characters grow and learn important lessons, that respect is very important. This is a story about a single-mother who tries to raise her son on her own. She tries to teach him good behavior principles, and Mr. Han helps teach Drey the importance of building a strong and positive character. He teaches Drey that kung fu is not about hurting your opponent, but it is everything--including how people are treated. Drey does not have a father figure, but Mr. Han fulfills the role, and builds a friendship with Drey and teaches  him how to fight fair, and be a good-mannered person. A great multicultural movie, as well. There is a mashing up of cultures--an African American family in China, but the romance between Drey and Meiying  is not necessarily about race but personality and good character. Drey was a good person, while the bullies had bad character--learned from their evil kung fu coach. The movie presents how a sport, like martial arts, can teach people about respect, honor, sportsmanship, self-defence, and making peace with enemies.