Jami Discuss the new Karate Kid Movie - Sorta Spoilers

This is not a review. If you've seen the 80s version of Karate Kid, then nothing I tell you is going to be a spoiler here, either. I saw Karate Kid the other night, mostly because it was the second movie at the drive in, otherwise, I probably would have waited for the DVD to come out. Unless you are a big fan of Jaden Smith and feel you must see it immediately, I wouldn't say you have to run out and see it tonight. It's basically the same movie you saw in the 80s, just change NJ to Detroit, California to China and unhappy high school kid to unhappy 12 year old. Oh, and even though it's called Karate Kid, he learns Kung Fu, not karate. But you know, details. Okay, so first of, Jaden Smith is crazy-stupid talented. He is ridiculously young to have as much screen presence as he has. You have to watch him. Now, don't get me wrong, because I love me some Will Smith, but Jaden has more real presence - Will has charisma, if you get the difference. He doesn't feel like he's acting, even when he cries, when IMO, kids are the most obviously faking. He emotes in subtle, skillful ways. This kid has serious natural talent, and I'm not even talking about the ridiculously impossible-looking physical stuff he does. And the fact that, as the Husband put it, "No 12-year-old should be that ripped." As for the movie, I have to say that one things seriously disturbed me. Okay, so the character "Dre" and his mom move to China, from Detroit. Dre speaks no Chinese. The first day they are there, his mom sends him to find the maintainence guy to fix the hot water. Which for some reason requires him leaving the building and wandering around a bit. He finds the guy and then wanders over to the park for awhile. And even though he comes home after dark, his mom does not seem to be freaked out and frantically searching for him. A 12-year-old, gone for hours in a strange city where he doesn't know anyone or speak the language. But she's ASLEEP when he gets home. Hmmm. Okay. I'll let it go because they have to get him to find his Mr. Miyagi (who in this case is Mr. Han). Then, a day or so later, he tells her he is going to Mr. Han's house to learn Kung Fu. Now, maybe I'm over-protective, but I said to the Husband, "She's just letting him go to some guy's house? A 40 year-old guy who lives alone invites your kid over and you don't even talk to him about it?" but again, I figure, maybe I am just too paranoid. But, a week later in movie time, he goes on a day trip, on a train with this guy. Okay. I'm going to have to call Bad Parenting on this one. "Hi, I'm a stranger you've met twice and I've had your son at my house all day every day for a week, alone. I'd like to take him on a trip to visit this mystical thing. We'll have to take the train and we'll be back pretty late at night, okay? Don't worry, I'll let him sleep on me in the train." I can't be the only one who feels this is not good. Throughout the movie, the mom (a widow who has to work to support them, I get it, but still) seems to have only the vaguest idea of where her kid is at any given moment. You might say that that's what happened in the first movie, and I agree , except that the kid in that movie was older (high schooler, maybe 15, 16?) and spoke the language in the city he lived in. Also, as I told the Husband, he knew how to call the police, whereas a 12 year-old in Bejing, probably not. I don't know if the laws of pedophilia are different in China; I'm not being rude about China, I'm saying that maybe 12 is the age of consent there or maybe it's not as big a deal. I don't know, and that's the point. Also, maybe again, just me, but it was hard watching a kid that little get beat up. Lastly, I didn't think the romance was necessary. I mean, it was very appropriately done for the age, a few hand-holding incidents, a chaste kiss, and I also know that kids these days are doing far more than that. Even still, I just thought, not every story needs a romantic interest. Oh - and Jackie Chan only has one action-fighting scene, if you don't count his training stuff with Jaden, which really isn't that much either. So if you're going to see some Chan-style fighting fun, you'll be disappointed.