Karate Kid: Legends came incredibly close to breaking a tired franchise tradition, but ends up falling into the expected tropes of the series. Billed as the ultimate crossover of the original Karate Kid films and the Jackie Chan-led remake, Karate Kid: Legends is very much a refinement of the series. However, at its worst, it can feel like a retread.

It ultimately follows many conventions of the franchise, which lowers the tension and thrills of the film in some pretty important ways. It’s a real shame, too, because Karate Kid: Legends actually introduces a really clever subversion of the typical Karate Kid tropes that could have really elevated the film if it had remained the central conceit of the story.

Karate Kid: Legends’ Mentor Flip Is A Great (And Underutilized) Idea

Karate Kid: Legends flips the typical student/mentor formula of the franchise by making Li Fong the one who trains the older Victor in combat, a clever touch that helps the film stand out from the rest of the series. In Karate Kid: Legends, Li Fong promised his mother he won’t fight anymore after they move to New York City.

While he does initially keep that promise, he bends the rules a little bit by becoming a tutor to Victor. A retired boxer, pizza shop owner, and father to Li’s love interest Mia, Victor is seeking a return to the boxing ring. Li ends up teaching him the fundamentals of martial arts to help improve his boxing prowess.

This is a clever twist on the typical formula for the Karate Kid series, which focuses on a younger generation of fighters learning from older fighters. Every previous Karate Kid movie was rooted in this dynamic. Cobra Kai expanded the concept in a way that allowed complexity in the dynamic but codified it as a core element of the series.

Karate Kid: Legends seems to flip this on its head in an interesting way by forcing Li to train Victor, his youthful snark and confidence bristling against the crusty and experienced Victor in an entertaining way. Their dynamic becomes a lot of fun, especially as Victor learns to combine his own boxing style with Li’s lessons.

Not only is this a fun character flip, it’s a compelling twist on the typical style of combat in the series. Boxing is a completely different style of fighting compared to martial arts, which makes Victor’s one-on-screen boxing match stand out from the numerous karate showdowns that make up the series.

However, Victor suffers a major injury, landing him in the hospital and setting up the film’s “all is lost” moment when Li is forced to relive his brother’s death and freezes up. This prompts Mr. Han to arrive on the scene and train Li alongside Daniel LaRusso, shifting the focus back to the standard fighting tournament format of the series.

While there are elements of this section of the film that are entertaining (including the street aesthetics of the tournament and the final confrontation between Li and Conor), it still feels like a wasted opportunity for the franchise. Making the “Karate Kid” of the film the mentor in his dynamic was a clever idea that deserved more expansion.

How Karate Kid: Legends Could Have Truly Subverted The Franchise

Victor remaining the primary fighter of Karate Kid: Legends instead of shifting focus fully to Li would have been beneficial. It would have given Ben Wang and Joshua Jackson more room to play with their dynamic, which is a highlight of the film. It would have allowed Mia and Victor’s relationship to flow more naturally in the narrative.

There were genuine stakes in the boxing match, with Victor fighting so he could earn the money he needed to pay back the shady O’Shea. This aspect of the story is more or less dropped for the second half, with O’Shea’s intimidation efforts only extending to a fight scene where Daniel and Mr. Han defeat several men at once.

Retaining the focus on Victor fighting his way through the boxing circuit to earn the money would have maintained those stakes. It would have also forced Li to keep adjusting to boxing strategy, forcing him to find new ways to counter it with martial arts or fuse the two combat styles so that Victor could get an edge.

This approach would have been the perfect way for Mr. Han and Daniel to still factor into the story, arriving on the scene to offer their advice on how Victor is fighting and how Li is training him. The dynamics of the fight would be naturally different too, due to Victor’s age, which could introduce new complications to the fight.

Making Li an outside fighter could have also improved his fight scenes by removing him from the tournament structure. Instead, the film could have leaned harder into showcasing his abilities against O’Shea’s men, following up on one of the film’s early (and best) fight scenes by showcasing just how skilled Li really is in a fight.

Karate Kid: Legends is indebted to the past of the franchise, both in-universe and as a modern continuation. However, it could have honored that legacy while still standing out. It had the perfect opportunity with Li’s dynamic flip with Victor, but Karate Kid: Legends ends up shifting back to the expected arc when it could have been something unique.