80s REFERENCES!
Did anyone else find it weird that they released a big-screen version of The A-Team at the same time they released a remake of The Karate Kid in the same weekend? Usually, it’s counter-programming that’s the name of the game with this kind of thing. Michael Bay releases another brainless marathon of explosions and Nora Ephron releases another brainless marathon of relationship foibles.
But in the case of The A-Team and The Karate Kid, it’s as if the Powers That Be said, “Two franchises from the 80’s? Let’s team up and take the box office by storm!”
Of course, that’s not exactly what happened. The Karate Kid trounced The A-Team at the box office this weekend by $30 million dollars, bringing in a surprising $56 million in ticket sales. The A-Team (which reportedly cost over $100 million to make) only brought in a fraction of that with $26 million. Despite having six projects in development (according to IMDB) expect director Joe Carnahan to be put on ice for a while.
I was kind of surprised by the negative reviews The A-Team was getting. It wasn’t like the original television series was High Art or anything of the sort. What were the critics expecting?
That said, the reviews did cool me on the idea of seeing the film this weekend. Which is a shame, because I was excited to see Liam Neeson in action. Neeson as Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith is probably as close as we’ll see him get to starring in Taken 2.
It’s probably not fair to be so easily swayed by negative reviews. But for movies I’m on the fence about, I’ve come to rely on them more and more. I used to be able to see two or three movies a weekend, regardless of quality. That was before kids, people. Keep that in mind. It’ll happen to you, too, one day.
Ultimately, what concerns me most about this weekend’s box office returns is that the success of The Karate Kid somehow confirms Jaden Smith as a bona fide talent.
The success of this movie will certainly inspire sequels, which gives Smith the opportunity to leverage that exposure and land more roles. Good for him, I guess. Call me persnickety, however, when I bristle at the level of nepotism that got Jaden through the door.
I think everyone agrees he was a cute sidekick to Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness. But watching the kid now, it’s evident he’s spent time studying his father’s cocksure strut. I don’t think he’s earned it yet. Never a more clear case of “fake it ’til you make it” are you likely to see in this generation.
Am I being too harsh on the kid? Probably. I mean, he’s only 12 years-old. But then again, I don’t know a lot of 12 year-olds walking around with a chip on their shoulder like Jaden Smith does.
I don’t know, man. The kid just rubs me the wrong way.
Did anyone happen to see The Karate Kid or The A-Team this weekend? Was I wrong to let the negative reviews of The A-Team influence my decision not to see it? What about Jaden Smith? Anyone else get a creepy vibe from that kid? Leave your comments below!
Don't forget the leg warmers?
What's gotten into you?
Well, The A-Team and The Karate Kid both came out at the same time. I thought it was an 80s weekend?
That's the dumbest thing I've ever...
Hold that thought.
I left my Rubik's Cube in the DeLorean!
I pity da fool that don’t take Mr. T’s review seriously. The original A-team was fun. It was safe for families to watch. The new movie has cursing and realistic violence, people get hurt, people die. If you are okay with Darker and Edgier *sp?* so be it but to many that is not the real A-team. Yes that may be unfair but when making something in a franchise this stuff counts.
I think it makes sense that a film adaptation would be a little more violent. Consider the audience? The people who grew up with the show in the 80s are in their mid-30s by now. They’d probably feel insulted if it pulled any punches.
Hehe, I have two kids, and my movie viewing count at the theatre has dropped from about 3-5 times per month to about 3-5 times per year. A drastic decrease, but necessary when it comes to time and money.
The expense is considerable, to be sure. But I still have my fingers crossed that my kids will grow up for an affinity for movies. Believe it or not, neither of my parents are huge movie buffs. So my taste in movies was something I had to cultivate on my own. I’d like to be able to share my interest with my kids. What father wouldn’t?
You can’t forget the leg warmers!
Over the weekend I was only able to catch a little bit of the A-Team during my breaks, but I liked what I saw. I was really sad when I hear the movie was getting negative reviews, but various friends of mine who saw it over the weekend said they loved it, so I will most likely still give it a shot.
I think Karate Kid might have done better because it’s seen more as a family flick. Though I realized the other day that in the new version they’ve replaced “wax on, wax off” (something that sounds vaguely sexual in itself) with “jacket on, Jacket off”. I swear in the trailer there’s a scene where Jackie Chan is just yelling, “Jacket off, jacket off, jacket off” at the kid…that seems wrong to me.
I thought the A-Team was pretty good in the same way GIJoe was: a good popcorn film. I won’t win any awards, but there are worse ways you could spend two hours.
I also flat out REFUSED to see Karate Kid, because of the blatant racism in the title to cash in on an 80’s franchise.
G.I. Joe worked within the context that it was a live-action cartoon. But I don’t know that it stands up as a legitimate action movie.
Excuse my ignorance, but what about the title for The Karate Kid is racist?
Karate is from Japan. In the movie, the protagonists are practicing Kung Fu which is Chinese.
I am guessing that’s what he means.
“Blatant Racism” is probably going too far but maybe what is being referred to here is the fact that Karate is a Japanese martial art whereas Kung Fu is a Chinese martial art. The movie is set in China which has nothing to do with Karate. Joe touch on this in his review.
The real title and working title for the film was saposed to be the Kung Fu Kid but tobring in audiences it was changed. I believe that the title in europe was actually the Kung Fu Kid too. Just somthing to look into.
I really don’t think there is anything wrong with allowing negative reviews from swaying you from seeing a movie you are on the fence about. That is pretty much the point of reviews. Personally, I have never let negative reviews sway me from seeing a movie I really want to see, because sometimes, you’ll love what you see (case in point, Speed Racer). If it is a movie I am on the fence about, I will let reviews help guide my decision, because movies are expensive.
In regards to the A-Team, I think it was confused as to who it was trying to target. I mean, the original was campy, fun, family affair. The movie looked more violent and realistic. Right there, it would appear that it would alienate the fans of the original.
Also, the audience they are targeting didn’t grow up with the show. The original ran from 1983-1987, meaning that the people that grew up with this would be older than the target audience, or just on the cusp. The only thing the target audience really has to go off of, are old reruns of the show on TV Land, which are not made for today’s viewers. It just seems like the whole movie was confused.
As for Jaden Smith, I don’t have any real problem with him, at the moment. It all depends on the types of movies he goes on to do after this. I think he is a better actor than most of the child actors out there today, and it depends on the decisions he makes. If he plays it right, I think he can have a long career ahead of him.
because you asked, and im a wiki whore:
Unlike its 1984 counterpart of the same name, the 2010 remake, despite its title, does not feature karate, which is from Okinawa, but focuses on the main character learning kung fu in China. Allegations of cultural ignorance and potential racism have resulted from the film’s title as the lack of distinction between Japanese and Chinese culture demonstrates deindividuation.[8] Chan has told interviewers that film cast members have been referring to the film as the Kung Fu Kid, and he believes the film will only be called The Karate Kid in America, and The Kung Fu Kid in Asia.[9] Despite this, the film will be released under the original title in Asian countries, except People’s Republic of China, Japan and South Korea. ~wikipeida
Ah, yes.
I was aware that Jackie Chan’s character was teaching Jaden Smith’s character Kung Fu (he says as much in the trailer). So calling the movie The Karate Kid seemed like a misnomer.
I hadn’t considered the larger implication of deindividuation between Japanese and Chinese culture.
Is it outwardly racist, though? Isn’t racism usually a negative generalization? I mean, sure, you can argue that by calling it The Karate Kid, the implication is that all Asians are the same. But I don’t think it’s so much racist as it is lazy marketing. Racism by omission, perhaps. But intent matters.
I take surveys online for a little pocket money and one of the ones I did way back when was all about the name of this movie. All through the survey I kept saying the same thing “Karate is from Japan, this movie takes place in China. The kid is learning Kung Fu from a Chinese person, call it the Kung Fu Kid! All you’ll do is piss people off by calling it the Karate Kid!”
I remember talking to people later about it laughing about how stupid the powers that be are if they called a movie Karate Kid with no Karate in it.
Well, they done went and showed me, didn’t they?
The original movie was known in Japan as “Besuto Kiddo” (i.e. Best Kid) for some bizarre reason that no one really understands.
Honestly, I laughed at how stupid the trailers for Karate Kid looked. The original is a classic… some movies just don’t need to be remade, but we’re in a world SWAMPED with remakes these days. It was one thing in the original to see the young teenage grasshoppa become a good sparing partner with old wrinkly Mr. Miyagi, but when Jaden’s moves actually had an impact on Jackie Chan… I couldn’t suspend belief that far! I mean come on, this is Jackie Chan! And what, Jaden’s like 9 years old or something?! (okay, 12, thanks Google, but he looks like one little kid)
As a good friend of mine put it, things probably went something like this:
Will: “So son, time to start your big shot movie career. What’s your favorite movie?”
Jaden: “Men in Black!”
Will: “No, not one with me in it. Pick one of your favorite kid’s movies… you know, one daddy calls a classic.”
Jaden: “oh… okay. I KNOW!! Karate Kid, I love that movie!”
Will: “You got it. How would you like to be the new Karate Kid?”
Jaden: “But Dad, there’s already a Karate Kid.”
Will: “hahaha, son… son… Don’t you worry about that. Daddy can make anything happen.” cue sound effect: CA-CHING!!
It’s Will Smith’s Willennium. We’re just along for the ride.
@ Jeff
Like Tom, I don’t think that is so much racist as it is the west not realizing how culturally significant the different fighting styles are. I mean, come on. It’s not like we have anything similar in America, so there is a different view about such things. Especially since the US is a melting pot, so a lot of times specific cultural origins lose their significance. I see it as a case of simply the view points of one being completely out of loop on the view of the other.
@ Steve.
Really? That was your reaction? Maybe I watched the Karate kid when I was really young, but I adore that series when I was a kid. And when I saw the movie all I could think was ‘Wow. This is like the old movies, but even more awesome.’ Granted, I didn’t realize that was Will Smith’s kid until later, so at the preview all I saw was a really good kid actor.
To me, I think they are capturing the spirit of the series. A young, out of place kid who is bullied, finding a way to stand up against those who bully him and finding strength and themself in martial arts.
Of course, this is perhaps over-romanticizing it, but meh. I am looking forward to seeing it. And I really did love that series as a kid.
As a huge Jackie Chan fan, I will definitely have to see this new Karate Kid movie. And according to reviews, it looks to be actually decent!
And frankly, who cares if Will Smith essentially bought the role for his son, the end result is that Jaden does a much better job than even the original Karate Kid dude did. At least Jaden looks like a boy and not a teenage little girl. 😉
I ended up seeing about 90% of A-Team at the midnights and have to say that it was pretty good. You really have to suspend your disbelief for this one, but if you’re up for a mindless action flick that doesn’t take itself seriously, this is it. Ignore the reviews unless you’re a film scholar. For this one movie, reviewers are generally going to be useless.
TOM!!! 🙂 Listen to me: Go see “The A-Team”. It is so, SO much fun. I think you’d have a blast. Expect the ridiculous, of course, which I believe you already do. It’s a crazy ludicrous flick, and it knows it, and it has fun with it. It’s hilarious too (Sharlto Copley = phenomenal). I can safely say that you shouldn’t have let the “negative” reviews sway you. It’s a great time at the movies.
I saw it Friday night, then saw it the next day with friends, and they loved it as much as I do. If there’s one word to describe it, it’s “FUN”. Really, really fun. You should be grinning really big as you walk out of the theater. Someone said it’s as goofy as G.I. Joe. I’d say G.I. Joe is “dumb fun”, while A-Team is actual, legitimate fun.
Go check it out. I would like to see a sequel please. 🙂
By the way, I rarely see a brand-new movie two days in a row, and pay for it both times. In fact, this might’ve been the first time I’ve ever done it. When my friends were deciding what movie to see, I honestly felt that I wouldn’t at all mind seeing The A-Team again (less than 24 hours after I first saw it) and suggested it. Another friend with us also saw it the day before, and said he definitely didn’t mind seeing it again. Hopefully that says how good & fun it is.
=)
One of your best comics yet. The punchline was great.
I didn’t see either movie this weekend, but I much more inclined to see A-Team than Karate Kid. They just bungled Karate Kid so bad, filming in China with Jackie Chan and still calling it Karate just pisses me off as it perpetuates cultural ignorance to a whole new generation.
I saw the A-Team last night (Karate Kid isn’t out here in Australia for another few weeks). It was a choice between that and “Animal Kingdom”, an Australian underworld crime drama….
A-Team was fun – over the top silly, with a bit too much CGI and shaky cam, but enjoyable action. I don’t remember the original TV show very well, so that probably helped because I wasn’t making comparisons. I reckon Sharlto Copley makes a good Murdoch, it gives him a chance to move beyond his “District 9” role.
I actually saw both movies over the weekend to cap off my week of vacation. I saw The A-Team on friday and I liked it. To me there were a lot of differences between the movie and show but you have to consider the time and style of each. The 80’s was a time of cheesy tv and today’s society loves movies and shows with sex and violence. To enjoy the movie I forced myself to treat this as something I know nothing about so that I could avoid disappointment. It’s really easy to get lost in comparing both sides so that all fun is taken out of it. If you go to watch The A-Team treat it as the way they did the latest Star Trek. Treat it as something that can provide a new and different beginning so that additional storylines can be created without disrupting the continuity of the original.
Now The Karate Kid was the same story line as the original so if you watch that you know what to expect and when it will happen. The same story of a kid being moved from his hometown because his mom gets a new job, gets picked on by the bullies in school that are taught “no weakness, no pain, no mercy” chant over and over again. The same internal struggle that Mr. Myagi had over lost family which reduces him to tears and anguish. The fight at the end was even the same right down to the semis and the final with the broken leg, fancy mystic healing and winning through a major injury. He even did his own version of the crane kick in a pose even though there is nothing to mention it in the movie. I was disappointed that there was no confrontation between Jackie Chan and the other Sensei in the parking lot after the tournament but that was just one of the numerous small details that this script changed. I really wanted it to have some more originality this time around so that it could essentially be Karate Kid 5 (even if it was kung fu and kung fu is mentioned over and over again). After this I want to finish on a more positive side to the movie. For everyone that has to nit pick over every little detail and compare to the original take this into account. This movie was made for TODAY’s kids. Those of us grew up in the 80’s had our version, let our kids have their version and a more up to date version to watch and gain a feeling of determination to overcome difficult obstacles and that there is no shame in trying. The movie wasn’t all I wanted it to be BUT it wasn’t made for me to be overly critical about. When I take the movie in with that mindset it was worth seeing.
Great writeup on Karate Kid, bryan. Made me want to see it even more! 🙂
I really wasn’t expecting a whole lot going into A-Team but it’s a lot of fun. I wasn’t a huge fan of the show but from what I can tell the same “fun” the characters seem to have in the show is the same here just grown up fun. Murdock being crazy, Face being smooth, B.A. pitying foo’s and Hannibal loving it when a plan comes together.
I wrote a review on it, link included.
Okay, so maybe Racist was the wrong term. Culturally insensitive. It’s a generalization that was tacked on to cash in on something tangentially related to appeal to people who don’t know the diffrence. It really grinds my gears is all.
Culturally insensitive is perhaps a slightly less loaded term and I’m inclined to agree with your assessment.
When my roommate suggested seeing A-team, I responded “Ehhh…seriously?” but decided to go because I shot him down on seeing GI Joe. I’m really glad I ended up going.
The film was hilarious, and not in a “wow this is so horrible it’s funny” way. It was intended to be absurd, because that’s what the original show was. The action was entertaining, but the interaction between the characters really made the movie. It was entertaining enough that half of our group went over to our house to watch some episodes of the show on Netflix, which reinforced how faithful the movie was to it’s source.
If you get a chance, it’s a fun movie that’s worth seeing.
Although I haven’t seen it yet I do plan on seeing The Karate Kid, mainly because I think it will be fun to see Will Smith’s kid beat up what I can only assume are annoying children. As for a weird vibe from the kid I think it’s because he’s Will Smith’s son so on one hand you don’t want to give him a pass based soley on that but you see the kid and he definately has some chops.
I haven’t seen either. I plan on seeing “A-Team” on DVD and seeing “The Karate Kid”………never. Jaden was kool as the whiney little bratt on “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and that little kid in “The Pursuit of Happiness”. I just don’t like him, though. His parents are big actors so he gets jobs? I don’t get it. He doesn’t have all that much talent…and probably never will. As for Jackie Chan: I haven’t seen any film he has made since “The Tuxedo” ((except for “Rush Hour 3”)). He’s a sellout. He has no talent. I like his older stuff, but he needs to retire.
I’m a child of the 80s, and I loved the A-Team and the Karate Kid. Unfortunately, Karate is a Japanese martial art and I hear that the new movie takes place in China….
…the reviews for the movie have been favorable, though.
Hope you haven’t seen this yet, or someone hasn’t posted it already in this long line of commentary, but here is a short trailer depicting how Ralph Macchio feels about the Karate Kid situation.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c8ad4aa802/wax-on-f-ck-off-with-ralph-macchio
It’s only a trailer though, as far as I know.
I feel like calling a movie about karate “The Kung Fu Kid” is like calling a movie about basketball “The Baseball Kid”. Maybe not racist exactly, but totally stupid.
or it’s like calling a movie “the Mexican” and having it star Brad Pitt and Julia roberts
I might not be recalling correctly, but I thought the “Mexican” in that movie was referring to a gun?
I think you’re right. I remember The Mexican being the gun.
But, then again, judging a book by it’s cover, it doesn’t make much sense to see Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts on the poster.
I have never seen the original Karate Kid, but given that the trailers for the new one all feature kung fu ( ” In Chinese, kung fu can also be used in contexts completely unrelated to martial arts, and refers colloquially to any individual accomplishment or skill cultivated through long and hard work ” according to Wikipedia, and I have confirmed this with my Choy Lee Fut sifu) the accusation of cultural insensitivity is a valid one. I suspect the title was picked because of the easy alliteration and scansion rather than any deliberate racism- someone being lazy back down the food chain ( quelle surprise in Hollywood ). The A-Team- well, the TV series was lightweight Saturday teatime rubbish, and the film looks much the same.
WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH JADEN SMITHS RAT’S NEST HAIR IN THAT MOV..er *cough* sorry. I digress. Yeah that kid’s vibe bothers me. He should have stared in the movie Splice since his mannerism a total clone of his father.