Three Brief Film Reviews

The Karate Kid (2010) is a remake of the 1984 film. While it’s true that we didn’t need a remake of the original, this film stands on its own. The main character, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith, Will Smith’s son) -- is again the new kid in town, but instead of moving west from New Jersey to California, Dre and his mother (Taraji P. Henson) move east from Detroit to Beijing, where Mrs. Parker’s job has relocated. (His father is deceased.) Dre immediately falls for his classmate, the beautiful, musically gifted Mei Ying (Han Wenwen) - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences and a bullying classmate, Cheng, get in the way. With no friends in this strange new land, Dre has nowhere to turn until the maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) comes to his rescue, revealing that he is secretly a master of kung fu. Han, a widower who has lost both his wife and his son in a tragic accident, needs Dre just as much as Dre needs him and the two grow and bond together, learning valuable lessons from one another.

The wax on wax off kung fu lesson in the original film has been replaced with taking off and hanging up a jacket, except that in this Karate Kid it ties in with treating one’s parents with respect rather than with a nasty attitude.

This film was much better than I expected it to be and has much to offer. The gorgeous location shots of China are visually appealing. The action and adventure in the film is engaging and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The acting is very good – particularly that of both Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. Chan brings depth and sincerity to the role of mentor and trainer, while Jaden Smith is a natural in his role. He shows extraordinary flexibility in his poses and in his jumps. This is a film that will want to make you want stand up and cheer.

Perseverance, respecting others, especially one’s parents, and self-control are all values encouraged in The Karate Kid.



A note of caution to parents: There is a great deal of physical violence, which is brutal at times. The Karate Kid (2010) is definitely NOT a movie for the little ones or for sensitive children.



DVD - Facing the Giants (2006) is a very uplifting film with a strong spiritual message. Grant Taylor is facing a crisis. In his six years of coaching football, he has never had a winning season. After learning that he and his wife Brooke face infertility, Grant discovers that a group of fathers are secretly plotting to have him fired. Consequently, Grant has lost hope in his battle against the giant defeaters of the human spirit -- fear and failure. In desperation, he cries out to God for help and seeks solace in Scripture. When an unexpected visitor delivers a message from God, Coach Taylor develops a new philosophy for both himself and his team. He inspires a “never give up” attitude, challenging his players to give glory to God both on and off the field – giving Him their best and expecting God to do the impossible.

Despite the fact that this is a low budget film and the actors are not polished, it is a deeply inspiring movie that promotes the following virtues: love and trust in God, patience and perseverance, faith, hope, and fortitude. The actors come across as everyday common folk most of us can relate to who display honest emotions in the film – lightening this drama with humor. I applaud the star, who is also the film’s writer, director, and craft service’s coordinator, and his cast for their brave efforts and success in making a first rate Christian film.

A note of caution to parents: Some material in this film is not suitable for children.



In Letters to Juliet, a young American woman, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a fact checker for the New Yorker magazine and an aspiring writer travels with her fiancé to Verona, Italy. While he is preoccupied with business, she visits the house that was allegedly inhabited by Shakespeare’s Juliet. Below the balcony is a kind of “wailing wall” where lovesick women leave letters asking for relationship advice.

Sophie discovers a 50-year-old letter in the wall written by Clare, an adolescent British girl, who met a Tuscan boy, fell in love, and then permitted him to fall out of her life. She answers the letter, encouraging Clare to return to Italy to seek her long-lost love. Days later, the mature Clare (Vanessa Redgrave) and her grandson Charlie (Christopher Eagan) arrive in Verona determined to find Lorenzo, the boy who captured her heart a half century ago.

This film captured my heart, despite the fact that the outcome is quite predictable. It is an old-fashioned, sentimental, romantic tale spiced up with a bit of comedy. I would label it as a “chick flick”, but my husband would most likely disagree with me, as he enjoyed it, too. It is definitely a good date film. The gorgeous scenery of the Italian countryside, the warm friendship between the women, and the humor in the search for Lorenzo Bartolini among the dozens with the same namesake who cross their paths all make this a feel-good, romantic film. This is a simple, yet eloquent, love story.

~ © Jean M. Heimann  June, 2010