Should the newest Karate Kid be praised or is it a twisted underdog story?
Answer:
Here is the Anabolic Stories Notes synopsis of the latest Karate Kid:
Detroit’s brutal economy forces a boy named Dre and his mother to move to China. He arrives in his new location and falls in love with a girl to whom he has yet to speak. Alas, the local bully, who is also a kung fu wizard, beats him up in the playground. And, the young lady’s parents object to their relationship. He hates China. Dre undergoes months of kung fu training with his building’s superintendent and, in the end, defeats the thug in a tournament and charms his girl’s parents.
Amazingly, the film manages to exploit a poor economy, a single mother, star-crossed youth love, violence, fatal car crashes, and the emergence of an underdog. Indeed, the writers must have put The Pursuit of Happiness, Georgia Rules, Romeo and Juliet Erin Brockovich, Fly Away Home, and Rocky in a blender and hoped for a decent outcome. Frankly, the movie should make viewers want to “fly away home.”
But, its excessive use of clichés is not the flick’s most troubling aspect.
While standing up for oneself is a noble message, this principle is disturbingly portrayed. Dre’s mother applauds him as he pounds other children in a kung fu tournament. When the Detroit native breaks his leg, his coach and mom allow him to continue fighting.
What is the moral of The Karate Kid? You can beat someone up as long as you bow before doing so.
