Summary
Karate Kid: Legendsis hitting theaters this weekend, and the reveal of its Rotten Tomatoes score may shockCobra Kaifans. The movie is the first follow-up to theCobra Kairevival series that saw Ralph Macchio and William Zabka return to theirKarate Kidroles. The show followed their relationship from enemies to friends, along with their children, who trained in martial arts.Cobra Kaiended after six seasons, withKarate Kid: Legendscontinuing the story of Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso.
Karate Kid: Legendssees LaRusso teaming up withJackie Chan’s Mr. Hanfrom the 2010Karate Kidfilm starring Jaden Smith. The plot revolves around a young karate prodigy in New York City who trains for a tournament under the tutelage of the martial arts masters. It also stars Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, and Ming-Na Wen. While the film followsCobra Kai, it is said to have little reference to the events of the series, focusing on a new story that combines the two halves of theKarate Kidfranchise. However, every season ofCobra Kaicarried a Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, each ranking above 90%, which makes the score ofKarate Kid: Legendsall the more shocking.
According to review aggregateRotten Tomatoes,Karate Kid: Legendshas a 56% Rotten score from 43 reviewsat the time of writing. While this may fluctuate as more reviews are posted in the coming days, it marks a sharp downturn fromCobra Kai’soverwhelmingly positive reviews.Karate Kid: Legendsfeatures a different creative team and loses most of the characters fans have come to know, making the score troublesome despite the presence of Macchio and Chan.
Karate Kid: Legends’Rotten Tomatoes Score Aligns With Other Franchise Sequels
TheKarate Kidfranchise has consistently performed better during initial outings, with the 1984 original holding an 81% and the 2010 remake with Chan holding a 67%, both Fresh scores.Karate Kid: Legendslooks to align with the various franchise sequels, which all fell into Rotten territory.Karate Kid Part IIis 48%, andPart IIIcomes in at a low 15%. However, the worst installment comes from 1994’sThe Next Karate Kid, which swapped Macchio for Hilary Swank, who was helped by Mr. Miyagi, holding an abysmal 7%.
WhileKarate Kid: Legendsmay yet see its score sway, it looks to mark another franchise low. However, the audience score often differs from that of critics, which may prove that moviegoers hold a more favorable opinion. Furthermore, the movie could still see vast success fromCobra Kaifans eager to see moreof the karate-fueled world they have come to love. Combined with Chan’s international appeal,Karate Kid: Legendscould be set for a healthy theatrical run regardless of the Rotten Tomatoes score.
