Did You Know That Joshua Jackson Is in 'Karate Kid: Legends'?

These Karate Kid movies (and the Rocky films) might be the easiest screenplays in Hollywood to write. Find an underdog, throw a bunch of obstacles in their path, and set them up against a cartoonishly evil opponent. It’s David vs. Goliath. It’s The Mighty Ducks, Erin Brockovich, the Miracle on Ice. And the thing about underdog stories is that it’s always satisfying to watch the good guy kick the bad guy’s ass.

There’s absolutely nothing new or original or even all that interesting in Karate Kid: Legends. It is aggressively fine. Boy meets girl, girl has a psychotic ex-boyfriend, boy ends up facing off against him in a karate tournament. Same old, same old. There’s no Mr. Miyagi here (because Pat Morita has passed), but Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio step in capably. The only twist is the pizza shop owner, Victor Lipani, played by the effortlessly charming Joshua Jackson.

Yes, Joshua Jackson is in Karate Kid: Legends, and thank fucking god, because he brings most of the film’s personality with him. That’s not a knock on Ben Wang (American Born Chinese), who plays the new Johnny Larusso, Li Fong (he’s great) or on The Goldbergs’ Sadie Stanley, who gives the love interest, Mia, an earnest charm. Jackie Chan is Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio is Ralph Macchio, and Ming-Na Wen could perform her role in her sleep (and may have actually done so). But together, they deliver a sleepily rousing, if entirely predictable, crowd-pleaser that holds its own with the rest of the (mostly mediocre but likable) franchise.

Chan plays Mr. Han, an old friend of Mr. Miyagi. There’s a bit of hand-waving about Han’s kung fu and Miyagi’s karate being two roots of the same tree, mostly just to tie this film to the original series. Mr. Han’s nephew and protégé, Li Fong, moves with his mom, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen), from Beijing to New York for a new job and a fresh start after the death of Li’s older brother, killed by a bitter rival following a kung fu tournament.

In the city, Li meets Mia, and he’s instantly smitten. But Mia’s dad, Victor, is deep in debt to loan sharks. When Victor sees Li take down some baddies trying to collect, he asks him to train him for a boxing match. Victor was once a prize-winning boxer, and he’s stepping back into the ring for the first time in 25 years to earn enough money to save his pizzeria.

Some shady business unfolds during the fight, Victor ends up hospitalized, and the only way to save the shop is for Li to enter the Five Boroughs tournament against Mia’s unhinged ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be the reigning champion.

There’s not a single surprise in the entire film, but it doesn’t really matter. Underdog movies live and die by the charm of their cast, and it’s easy enough to root for Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ben Wang. Wang, in particular, looks like the kind of kid who gets picked on, but fights better than anyone who’s come before him in the franchise. Sure, it’s family-friendly to a fault, and it’s missing the edge that William Zabka (who pops up in a stinger) brings to Cobra Kai. And yes, the film does drag during the obligatory training montages with Chan and Macchio. But it gets all smoothed over in the final battle after Li employs his callback move.

There’s nothing groundbreaking here, no real additions to the Karate Kid lore, and no pressing reason to see it on the big screen. But when it hits streaming (and it probably should’ve been released as a Netflix original), it makes for a solid, somewhat entertaining watch with some slick fight choreography and a clear path paved for the inevitable sequels. Plus, it’s an opportunity to spend more time with Joshua Jackson, and there’s never a reason not to take that.