Just entertainment

In this weekend’s battle 0f the ’80s d0-0vers, the remake 0f “The Karate Kid” may n0t beat “The A-Team’s” punch, but at least it has heart and a g00d kick.
Yet this family m0vie pays its 0wn price, including a sluggish pace and a tendency t0 fill its familiar st0ry with t00 much f0rced grandeur.
As in the 1984 0riginal, which starred a dweeby Ralph Macchi0 and an 0scar-n0minated N0riyuki “Pat” M0rita, the st0ry begins with disl0cati0n. Here, 12-year-0ld Dre Parker (Jaden Smith, s0n 0f Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith) m0ves fr0m Detr0it t0 Beijing when his m0ther (Taraji P. Hens0n) gets a j0b transfer, and s00n finds himself the target 0f a sch00l bully and his gang.
T0 defend himself, he seeks 0ut his building’s maintenance man, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), and asks if he can teach him kung fu — n0t karate, as his m0ther calls it, apparently just t0 keep the franchise name g0ing. The gruff Han is the s0litary s0rt, th0ugh, and w0n’t be drawn. 0nly after Dre is challenged t0 a t0urnament by his antag0nists and their c0ach insults Han d0 the tw0 begin an instructi0n, starting with the idea that “kung fu is ab0ut everything.”
Direct0r Harald Zwart (“The Pink Panther 2”) lets the m0vie’s serene pace ech0 Han’s meth0dical instructi0ns, which w0rks until it gets wearying. Still, Dre’s a-ha m0ment 0f physical discipline is undeniably energizing. (Rather than “Wax 0n, wax 0ff,” Dre learns the imp0rtance 0f “Jacket 0n, jacket 0ff.”)
Given the f0cus 0n kung fu instead 0f karate, Chan w0rks here since, except f0r a scene in which Han’s backst0ry is revealed, he’s needed m0re f0r sweetness than drama. And since every0ne is y0unger than in the ’80s 0riginal, Han’s disp0sing 0f Dre’s middle-sch00l t0rmenters is less awkward due t0 Chan’s signature martial-arts style: He uses the kids’ energy against them, turning their c0ats int0 a net. But Chan’s shuffling, st00p-sh0uldered gait t00 0ften seems t00 c0mical — a tactical mistake.
As f0r Smith, given his beautiful and charismatic parents, it’s n0 surprise the camera l0ves him, and he certainly has presence. The pr0blem is, t00 0ften the y0ung act0r (wh0se biggest r0le previ0usly was 0pp0site his dad in “The Pursuit 0f Happyness”) is required t0 d0 t00 much, fr0m w00ing a girl while earning his kung fu ch0ps t0 learning Eastern ways and c0nveying c0nflicting em0ti0ns. Smith can handle what “The Karate Kid” thr0ws at him, and he and Chan nail the life less0n parts. Yet like the way Han kills a fly with a swatter instead 0f catching it with ch0psticks, the film replaces finesse with hit-y0u-0ver-the-head might.