The Karate Kid

A challenge he never imagined. A teacher he never expected.

2010 • 140 min • Action · Adventure · Drama · Family

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Synopsis

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.

Our family guide

Best from age 9

Movie Knight Score

6650 reviews

33 Reviewers · 3 · 53%
66 Audience · 6647 · 47%

12-year-old Dre moves to China and struggles to fit in, facing bullying from a local gang. He finds an unlikely mentor in Mr. Han, a maintenance man who teaches him kung fu. Dre learns that true martial arts are about inner peace and respect, not just fighting.

Violence & peril: 4/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 2/10

Heads up

Martial arts bullying scenes can be intense
Brief, mild adolescent romance
Some cultural stereotypes are present

What it models well

Perseverance and discipline
Mentorship and respect
Overcoming bullying
Cultural understanding

Talk about it after

Coping with relocation and culture shock
Dealing with bullies constructively
The true meaning of martial arts
Importance of patience and hard work

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Karate Kid. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Harald Zwart • Crew: Christopher Murphey, Robert Mark Kamen

Trailers & clips

Official Trailer

Watch the Official THE KARATE KID Trailer in HD

Reviewer notes

Not recommended
I can not understand which was the purpose of this remake . A really bad choice . A movie which was 100 times worst than the original one . It was a waste of time for me . I am a huge karate kid fan but this one was one of the worst remakes i have ever seen .
vasago, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Well, the theme of the movie is the same as the original Karate Kid BUT this movie is actually not about karate but kung fu. The comedic parts and the dramatic parts are just right. The action is okay. There weren't much especially from Jaden. He just got some action in the end. But then it's enough for the film considering kids will be watching this movie. Jaden Smith is amazing in this movie. I kept on sayi...
ohlalipop, TMDB Community