'Karate Kid' and 'A-Team': Review Roundup - YAHOO!

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 10:50 PM PDT

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Like the '80s? This is your weekend, amigo. Two films based on beloved '80s franchises will hit theaters, and both have big shoes to fill.

"The Karate Kid," starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, tries to make folks forget about the Ralph Macchio original. Meanwhile, "The A-Team," featuring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, attempts to turn the TV series into a full-length feature.

Will the two flicks take you back to your favorite era, or will they destroy your cherished memories like a crane kick to the face? Read on for the reviews.

The Karate Kid
The original movie, starring Ralph Macchio and the late Pat Morita, is an absolute '80s classic. Not even Johnny Lawrence would argue that. So, it's understandable that fans of the first flick are a bit wary of this remake, which stars the spawn of Will Smith. But, for the most part, those fears are unfounded. Reviewers are surprisingly into it.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awards the movie with three and a half out of four stars, darn close to his highest recommendation. He calls it "a lovely and well-made film that stands on its own feet." Ebert's only complaint? The running time. At 140 minutes, "it runs a little long."

Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman is also a fan. Giving the movie a "B," Mr. Gleiberman calls the movie "fun, and believable." He also mentions that this version is a lot more grim than the first. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something to note for those expecting a carefree time at the movies.

Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune was a bit less impressed than his colleagues, but he still gives the movie two and a half out of four stars. Mr. Phillips did find the new movie more disturbing than the original. "Watching a preteen subjected to two-plus hours of ritual humiliation and punishment offers a different, more sobering emotional experience than a young adult playing a high-schooler."

Other reviewers picked up on the "punishment" that Jaden Smith undergoes. Smith is considerably younger than Ralph Macchio was in the original, yet his problems are far more severe and adult.

Online critic James Berardinelli writes that "the sense of innocence that permeated the 1984 version is gone." He calls the movie "redundant and unnecessary" but it's also "inoffensive and does nothing to damage the reputation of the original." As for Jaden Smith, Mr. Berardinelli calls him an "adept performer with natural charisma."

Watch Trailers and Clips from 'The Karate Kid'

The A-Team
It only ran for a few seasons in the mid-'80s, but "The A-Team" has remained a favorite of folks who value explosions and one-liners over plot. Now, decades after it last aired on TV, Hannibal, Murdock, Face, and B.A. Baracus get to blow stuff up on the big screen. Was it worth the wait?

The Associated Press's Christy Lemire certainly thinks so. She gives the movie three out of four stars, and writes, "if you're looking for subtlety, look elsewhere." The film is "ridiculously over-the-top, full of wild helicopter chases and exploding sport utility vehicles and tumbling cargo containers." Overall, though, "The A-Team" is "flat-out fun."

Bill Gibron of Filmcritic.com agrees. He writes that the movie "develops a ditzy rhythm all its own." "Some will complain about the rapid-fire editing of the firefights and chases" he writes, "but the effect is still electrifying."

Michael Phillips gives "The A-Team" the equivalent of a "B-." It's "frequently entertaining" but "ridiculous." If it wasn't for the "leaden third act," a higher grade might have been in the cards. Mr. Ebert would beg to differ. He calls the movie "an incomprehensible mess." And even though the movie is full of insane action scenes, Ebert was "bored out of (his) mind."

Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter is even more unforgiving. "The film seems nearly writer-free," he writes. "Absolutely no time gets wasted on story, character development or logic." The Boston Globe's Wesley Morris agrees, saying this is "a team not worth reassembling." In other words, he pities the fool who goes on opening night.

Watch Trailers and Clips from 'The A-Team'

Also opening this weekend...

• "A Piece of Work," a documentary on comedic legend Joan Rivers, is getting solid marks. EW calls it "rip-roaring" and The Hollywood Reporter writes that it "gets plenty of laughs."

• "Winter's Bone," an award-winning indie, is also worth seeking out. EW gives the movie an "A," and calls it "one of the unshowiest and most true-blooded epics of Americana you're ever likely to see."

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