The Karate Kid
Movie, 2010, Mr. Han, Set in Beijing
The Karate Kid is #5 of 7 in release order and #5 of 7 in chronological order in the The Karate Kid.
The story
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 but the cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make him an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is a kung fu master. 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.
The Karate Kid recap
Twelve-year-old Dre Parker and his mother Sherry move from Detroit to Beijing for her job. Dre falls for a young violinist, Meiying, which provokes Cheng, a student at a kung fu school run by the cruel Master Li. Cheng and his friends beat Dre up, and the building's quiet maintenance man, Mr. Han, saves him. Han takes Dre to Li's school to make peace, but Li insists Dre fight his students at an open tournament. Han trains Dre by making him take off, hang up and put on his jacket over and over, which he learns builds kung fu moves. Han takes Dre to the Wudang Mountains, and Dre learns that Han's wife and son died in a car crash he was driving. Dre and Meiying grow close, but her parents keep them apart until Dre apologises in Chinese.
The Karate Kid ending explained
At the tournament, Dre reaches the semi-finals, where Li orders a student to injure his leg. Han uses fire cupping to ease the pain, and Dre returns to face Cheng in the final. Standing on one leg, Dre uses a move he saw at Wudang to win. Cheng hands him the trophy, and Li's students bow to Mr. Han as their teacher.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid is streaming on Netflix in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 67%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Next Karate Kid, before Cobra Kai.
- Chronological order: after The Next Karate Kid, before Cobra Kai.
What to watch before The Karate Kid
In release order, the essentials before The Karate Kid (2010) are The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), and The Karate Kid Part III (1989).
Cast
- Jaden Smith as Dre Parker
- Jackie Chan as Mr. Han
- Taraji P. Henson as Sherry Parker
- Wenwen Han as Meiying
- Zhenwei Wang as Cheng
- Yu Rongguang as Master Li
- Wu Zhensu as Meiying's Dad
- Wang Ji as Mrs. Po
- Tess Liu as History Teacher
- Xu Ming as Bao
- Zhao Yi as Zhuang
- Lü Shijia as Liang
Directed by Harald Zwart.