Dog’s Movie House: “Karate Kid: Legends” Undermined By Slight Script, Too-Quick Pace!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog here and I find it interesting that “The Karate Kid” has become a long-running franchise, thanks to the popularity of the six season “Cobra Kai.” The show introduced a new generation of viewers to the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Not only did the series give depth and meaning to their stories, it also drew new viewers to the original trilogy of films, even adding some heft to the mostly poorly received “The Karate Kid Part III.” Then, in 2010, there came a “reboot” of the series in the form of “The Karate Kid” this time starring Jaden Smith and introducing Jackie Chan as the master Han. It was quite popular despite the fact that Han taught Kung Fu and not karate. Now we have “Karate Kid: Legends” which brings the two sets of characters together, along with introducing Ben Wang as the latest kid who has to fight in an uber-violent tournament. An intriguing idea, yet it flounders somewhat due to a weak script and a pace that seems to make the film in a big damn hurry to get to the finale!
Continue readingDog’s Movie House: “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Delightful Continuation Of Original Film!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog here and I must acknowledge the fact that 1984’s classic “Ghostbusters” captured lightening in a bottle with it’s combination of scares and big-time (mostly adult) laughs. It was also a product of the 1980s, when you could go a lot farther with a PG rating. The subsequent sequels couldn’t capture that same lightening (“Ghostbusters 2” with all of the original players, both in front and behind the camera, could only produce a pale copy of the first film, and the female-led 2016 film couldn’t quite get the chemistry right despite a game cast.) The two legacy sequels that have come in the last couple of years have taken a different tack: They lean into the nostalgia of the first film without aping it’s style. The technique is quite clever as you feel like you’re watching a “Ghostbusters” movie without ever thinking you’re watching a cash-grab copy!
Continue reading
