Title: Karate Kid: Legends
Genre: Action/Family
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Platform: Theaters
Star Rating: 2/5
“The potential was right there, and it just missed.”
Karate Kid: Legends isn’t a total disaster—but it’s the kind of film that leaves you shaking your head because the potential was right there, and it just missed. Sloppy pacing, undercooked emotion, and a story that feels more like a checklist than a genuine narrative hold this one back from ever finding its footing. There are flashes of what could have worked, but they’re buried under surface-level storytelling and characters that never really come to life. It’s not quite a Disney Channel original—but at times, it comes dangerously close.
Let’s get this out of the way: the movie had ingredients that could’ve worked. A fresh lead. A legacy tie-in. A storyline rooted in grief and redemption. But none of it sticks. The film rushes through key beats without allowing anything to breathe. There’s no real tension, no emotional buildup—just scene after scene pushing forward without laying the groundwork. The story wants you to feel something, but doesn’t do the work to get you there.
The central emotional thread—Li’s grief over losing his brother—is meant to ground the entire story. On paper, it’s compelling. It could have added depth, giving the character something tangible to carry. But the film barely touches it. There are long stretches where it’s easy to forget that the loss even happened. Li doesn’t seem to wrestle with it. He doesn’t carry it. There’s no space for the pain to settle, which makes every moment tied to it feel hollow.
The pacing is one of the film’s most significant issues. Nothing within the film is given time to develop. The romance? Shallow. The emotional arcs? Thin. Even the tournament—arguably the big payoff—feels like it’s just there to cross the finish line. The editing pushes through beats like it’s late for something, and the result is a movie that constantly feels like it’s sprinting through a script outline instead of telling a story. There’s no rhythm, just movement.
Daniel LaRusso’s inclusion should have been a moment. Instead, it feels like a marketing decision. He pops in, drops a few lines, and disappears without making any real impact. And then there’s Connor Day, the film’s would-be antagonist. Calling him forgettable might be generous. There’s no tension, no backstory, no relationship with Li that makes their final fight mean anything. Compare that to classic rivals like Johnny or Chozen, and the difference is night and day. Those matchups had history. This one has… screen time.
It’s clear the film wanted to explore grief, guilt, and healing. But those themes are treated like plot devices rather than emotional truths. It’s like the movie is following a template: traumatic loss? Check. Reluctance to fight? Check. Training montage? Check. But none of it feels grounded in character. The emotion is artificial because the film skips the steps that give it weight. You’re told what to feel instead of being shown why you should feel it.
Karate Kid: Legends had the potential to bring something new and meaningful to a beloved franchise, but it never rises to the occasion. The story is underdeveloped, the characters are thin, and the emotion is all surface with no depth. Even the fights, which should be the highlight, lack the intensity and impact of past installments. It doesn’t feel like a film made with care—it feels like a product checking off franchise boxes. For longtime fans hoping for something that honors the legacy, this won’t be it. And for new viewers? There are better fights, better stories, and better Karate Kid movies to spend your time with.
