Wax on, Take off the Jacket...

But first…

The Empire Strikes Back turned 30 this month.  I can remember going to see it for the first time, how excited that I was.  I was trying hard to imagine what would happen, trying to put together what I saw in the previews into some type of coherence, to give me a clue as to what to expect.  What I got was so much more, and it was one of the best movie going experiences of my young life.

Saying all of that, I am not one of the people that took Star Wars as a religion or swear by the original 3 movies as the Greatest Trilogy of All Time.  I would say that Empire is the best of the series (and I am including all six films), but the best trilogy of films is something open to debate.  I just wanted to acknowledge Empire’s anniversary.

The remake/reboot train in Hollywood is still barreling down the track, and next up  is The Karate Kid.  The original movie was released back in 1984 (and the name The Karate Kid is a trademark of DC comics for the character of the same name for those who didn't know) and can basically be described as Rocky Jr.  The plot revolves around a boy forced to move from New Jersey to California with his mom, and while trying to adjust to life in his new surroundings he falls in love with a girl that as an ex boyfriend that has a black belt and bad attitude.  The bully and his friends proceed to beat up on our young hero until a janitor proficient in the martial arts takes pity on the hero and trains him.  This culminates in a battle between hero and bully in a local martial arts tournament.  If you can’t see how this movie ends, there is just no help for you.

The new version sees the lead character move to China.  So this kid looks like he will be a true fish out of water, having to deal with not only new surroundings but also a new culture.  He too gets beat up by bullies, and is saved then trained by a guy that looks to be a janitor as well.  There are also scenes of a tournament in this film as well.  Again, if you cannot see how this is going to end…

It has been 26 years since the original, and that means that there is a whole generation of kids that have no idea who Ralph Macchio/Daniel-san is.  It is possible that the parents who remember the original fondly will show it to their kids before or after seeing the new one, but I doubt that will happen.  Fans of the first will see some similarities in the training (“Put on the jacket/Take off the jacket” as opposed to “Wax on/Wax off”).  There will be a kid getting beat up by other kids for reasons that only make sense to other kids (usually the bullies).  There will be some type of message that you can take away from the film at the end.  But beyond those things, I am sure that this movie will make its mark in its own way, maybe not distancing itself from the original but doing something to establish itself as “new” somehow.  I wish it the best. 

If this movie does well, there will be even more remakes/reboots on the horizon.  It will just become a question of whether a film is too "sacred" to be touched.  And in Hollywood, there is no such thing as sacred.