I hate going to the movies now. The movies used to be a special occasion and a family bonding activity; it was perfect, we sat in a dark theater, watching a movie, not speaking to one another, as we devoured a wide assortment of snacks that we snuck into the movie theater. I remember the days where you could purchase a movie ticket, a popcorn, and a pop for all under $10 - now you're lucky if you can get out of there for under $25. I walk into the movie theater which was noticeably empty ten minutes prior to the movie and take a seat in the middle of the theater. When the lights begin to dimmer, the parade of movie trailers are over, and the movie started to begin, I assumed that people would shut the hell up and begin to watch the movie they just paid $9.75 to see. No, the repeated signs and commercials informing people to shut up and turn off their cell phones exists as a suggestion in most peoples' minds still. 

When the movie finally started - 15 minutes after the posted time - members of the audience decided that they should enlighten us with their running commentary of not only what is happening in the movie but their emotional stances on said events. The movie opens with a revelation that Dre Parker - played by the adorable Jaden Smith - has lost his father. Suddenly the people in front of me started commenting;

"Did that say that his father died? Is his father dead? Is that what it said? Oh that is so sad he lost his father"

SHUT UP!!!!! Nobody cares about you or what you have to say. Unless your name is Ebert, I don't want to hear it, and even then I would probably tell him to the shut the hell up as well. This isn't Mystery Science Theater. Furthermore, if you are going to provide a running commentary throughout the movie, attempt to say something of worth and value and instead of recapping what has just happened in the movie.

Last, but certainly not least, is everybody's favorite movie theater-going patron; the women with the rather large derriere attempting to have a conversation with her husband about what snacks they want at the bar, WHILE YOU ARE STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROW BLOCKING THE ENTIRE SCREEN! Figure out the grocery list before beginning the journey so the rest of us do not have to bear witness to it.

Now that I have gotten that out, I can actually move onto to discussing the movie. The Karate Kid, as far as remakes go, is one of the best remakes that I have seen in the longest time. The movie stars soon-to-be-acting-superstar Jaden Smith as Dre Parker, a twelve year old kid who recently left his life in Detroit to move to unfamiliar city of Beijing, China. Ostracised by the other students - primarily because he does not speak the language, and because what kind of movie would we have otherwise - he becomes the enemy of a bunch of kids at his school who all train at the same karate dojo and are amazing martial artists at the tender age of twelve. Parker, befriends handyman and Kung Fu master, Mr. Han - played by Jackie Chan - who trains the young student in preparation for a tournament. The cast is made complete with Taraija P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons) as Dre's formidable and sassy mother.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It was a beautiful remake of the movie. Jaden's performance was fantastic and though the movie was a little long - shortly under 2 and a half hours - the audience was able to see the transformation of Dre from an apathetic, lazy, and slightly disrespectful kid to a disciplined, conscientious, and compassionate person. The lessons that Mr. Han imparts to Dre are able to translate into all aspects of his life since Kung Fu is an essential element of your entire life. There were some touching poignant moments to counterbalance the comedic one-liners often delivered by the young Smith.    

I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone. I laughed, I cried, and all the while I was totally enamored with the adorable young actor. Even though the movie-going experience was less than ideal, I still couldn't have waited to this movie came out on DVD to see it. For more reviews and thoughts about the movie, check out my favorite movie review site; Rotten Tomatoes.