I Like All Of The Karate Kid Movies, But The 2010 One Is My Favorite. Here's Why

When I ranked all five Karate Kid movies, I put the original at number one because, you know, I like to give the people what they want. Even though The Karate Kid Part II and III each have their fans, and The Next Karate Kid…is a film that exists, I know that everybody loves the original.

Inversely, I also know that pretty much nobody thinks the 2010 The Karate Kid, starring Jaden Smith, is the best movie in the franchise. But, do you want to know a little secret that the above headline kind of already spoiled? I think it’s the best.

And, with the upcoming Karate Kid Legends (which looked awesome at CinemaCon) bridging the gap between the old Karate Kid, and the more recent one, I thought that now was as good a time as any to sing the 2010 movie’s praises.

I Actually Like Jaden Smith's Character Better Than Ralph Macchio's

We once ranked the most vicious villains of The Karate Kid franchise, and many of the characters that you might expect made the list, such as John Kreese, Johnny Lawrence, and Terry Silver.

However, while I’m not completely on board with the whole “Daniel LaRusso is the REAL villain theory” that’s been floating around the internet for awhile, what I will say is that Daniel isn’t the most likeable protagonist. For example, in The Karate Kid Part II, he asks mentor,Mr. Miyagi why he doesn’t just kill John Kreese when given the chance. I’ll repeat that. Daniel asks his mentor, who is a man of peace, why he doesn’t KILL another human being.

So, yeah. I’m not sure if Daniel has the best motives when it comes to the fine art of karate. That said, do you know what character doesn’t have murderous intent? Dre Parker, played by Castle headpiece-wearing aficionado Jaden Smith. You see, Dre, just like Daniel, finds himself being a stranger in a strange land (But this time, in China rather than California). And, like Daniel, Dre finds himself in trouble because he likes a girl.

That said, Dre's worst behavior in the movie involves throwing dirty water on some punks, and convincing the girl he likes to play hooky from school for one day. He doesn’t throw the first punch when facing his bully, nor does he seem like the kind of person who can't accept that people can change in the future.

In truth, Dre seems like the kind of kid who avoids seeking out trouble, but is willing to stand his ground if it finds him, and I really like that about him. I'm not sure if I can say the same for Daniel-san, however.

To Be Really Honest, I Also Prefer Jackie Chan As A Mentor Over Pat Morita

Jackie Chan is a legend. Everybody knows that. In fact, I grew up watching all of the best Jackie Chan movies when I was little, and I share a lot of those movies with my own children. Like I said, the man's a legend.

So, it's been interesting to watch one of the greatest action heroes of all time transition into becoming the wise old man character.

And, no offense to Pat Morita, as he carried all four of those Karate Kid movies, but I just don’t see him as being the kind of guy who could kick everybody’s butt in a room if he had the opportunity. But Jackie Chan? Well, I’ve seen him do it. In other movies, sure, but that’s how I know him.

Plus, I just like Jackie Chan's performance as Mr. Han better than Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi. Both Miyagi and Han have a dark past, and both of them act as father figures to Daniel and Dre, respectively.

However, I just have more of a connection with Jackie Chan, given my history watching so many of his movies. It's almost like, similar to Dre, I grew up with Jackie Chan as well, so I just like him better. It's a personal thing, I know, but this is a personal article.

The Stakes Also Feel Higher In The 2010 Film

I kind of brought this up with the first entry on why I prefer Dre over Daniel, but Daniel seems like he causes a lot of his own problems. Yes, he shouldn’t be bullied by the members of Cobra Kai, but he should also kind of mind his own business, especially when moving to a new area.

Daniel is also a teenager, and even turns 18 in the movie. So, in a lot of ways, I feel like Daniel could possibly make better decisions, or at least know not to spray water at Johnny as payback. Because in a lot of ways, I kind of don’t feel bad when Daniel gets the snot beaten out of him in the first movie. He kind of deserves it.

I don’t feel that way about Dre though. For one thing, Dre is only 12, so I’m more okay with him making bad decisions (like throwing dirty water on his bully). I also feel like Dre has more to deal with in his life, what with moving to a different continent, and the fact that his mentor, Mr. Han has a lot of trauma, as exhibited by the part where he’s wrecking the car that he killed his wife and child in, and that’s a lot for a 12-year-old to witness.

Finally, I think the tournament itself seems more important for Dre, even though the set-up is similar to the original The Karate Kid. Dre, being a foreigner, really only has this opportunity to find happiness in China, whereas I think Daniel would get by, even if he lost the tournament and continued to get bullied (I mean, he got a car, right? He could drive away from his troubles).

So, in every way, I just think the stakes are higher for Dre, and I like that about the 2010 film. I prefer it, even.

I Also Like The China Setting

I’ve never been to China, and I don’t see myself ever going there, unfortunately. So, that’s where movies come in (Inversely, the Chinese audience seems to like our movies, too…though, some of the movies they like might be questionable). Since I won’t travel there, I enjoy seeing characters go there, and that’s where 2010’s The Karate Kid takes place–Right in Beijing, China.

This is a great setting, because again, Dre is a kid out of his element. He originally lived in Detroit, Michigan, but once the auto industry went belly up, his mother had to move them.

And, I love this element about the film. In the original movie, Daniel moved from Newark (Whoop whoop. New Jersey, representing!) to Los Angeles, California. But, I’m sorry. As somebody who has been to both Newark and Los Angeles, I don’t feel anything is exotic about either location. Daniel moving there changes the locale, sure, but not in a way like Detroit does to China.

In fact, this adds to a lot of the conflict in 2010’s The Karate Kid. Because while yes, The Karate Kid Part II takes place in Japan, Daniel is with Mr. Miyagi. But, Dre is all alone in China, for the most part, and trying to navigate this new setting while his mother’s at work really adds to the tension.

In that way, I think China is the most interesting setting this series has ever had. But, that also adds to another reason why this is my favorite “The Karate Kid” movie.

Finally, And Perhaps Most Controversially, I Prefer Kung Fu To Karate

I put “The Karate Kid” in quotes before because it’s a complete misnomer, as this movie is not about karate, which is Japanese in origin (Which is why Part II takes place in Okinawa). Instead, it’s about kung fu, which is from China.

In fact, 2010’s The Karate Kid wasn’t even titled that in China. Instead, it was titled, Kung Fu Dream, which makes sense, since the 2010 movie was only called The Karate Kid in America since people already know the title, and it loosely followed the same events from the first film.

But, I much prefer kung fu to karate. No disrespect to Japan (I mean, I LOVE Japan…and Godzilla), but I’ve always found karate to be kind of boring. In fact, I even find it boring in the original Karate Kid movies, as the actual fighting has always been the least interesting part to me about those first four films.

However, the combat in the 2010 film is awesome. I love all of the fluid movements and martial arts that take place, and that alone makes this movie superior in my eyes, since I genuinely enjoy watching the fight scenes. I think they’re all great.

I think I've waxed on enough here, but what do you think? Does anyone else out there also love the 2010 film as much as I do? I’d love to hear your thoughts.