"The Kung Fu Kid" Oops sorry - "The Karate Kid"

J

Just a Girl with a gutair

New member
In all the interviews, reviews etc, I haven't heard a satisfactory reason why this film is called "The KARATE kid" and NOT "The KUNG FU kid"
I thought Johnathan Ross would have mentioned it to Jackie Chan the other week, but no.
As for the excuse some people have made about appealling to the memories of the fans of the original, well THAT doesn't work !
 
I think Will Smith explained it on The One Show. If not then it's definately been explained on TV somewhere (possibly BBC News Film24).

Basically it was for the box office. Even though it is not an exact remake they thought that they'd get more business/promotion if it was compared to/seen as a remake of the original.
 
I would have been happy with "The Kung Fu Kid" as it stars Jackie Chan and involves "Kung Fu" or at least something like it. It's far closer than it is to Karate.

Who knows how movie execs' minRAB work though
 
It's supposedly ironic. The kid attempts Karate to ward off the bullies and it comes off very badly. The term "Karate kid" is then used as an insult towarRAB him.

Same as the original. Daniel-san is only called "the Karate kid" by the bullies, prior to learning a martial art properly.
 
Jackie Chan said on the Chris Moyles show (let's not start a Moyles bashing!) that it was because Paramount copyrighted everything "Kung Fu" related because of Kung Fu Panda, and that's why they called it Karate Kid.(Not sure how true that is!) And obviously because of the Karate Kid films from the 80's too though!
 
Yes this is correct, he tries to do Karate and the bullies laugh at Karate for being simplistic compared to Kung fu. So they take the mick and call him "the karate kid." whilst kicking his ass using Kung fu.
 
Its dumb because the kung fu kid would have been a good name and people would still make the connection.

now it just sounRAB like the film makers are morons who dont know the difference between Japan and China.
 
afaik - in the original he is actually learning karate except for the final famous kick which is crane style - from kungfu.

this new film he is learning kung-fu but because its a remake of the original film they kept the name.
 
To digress for a second - There is a Kata (form) in Shotokan Karate called "Gankaku" which means "Crane on a rock", in which you balance on one foot with the other foot tucked behind the knee of the supporting leg.
 
Yes, I'm aware Daniel learnt Karate. My point is that the only time anyone refers to him as "the Karate kid" is a bully BEFORE he learns Karate, and after he's already made an idiot of himself pretending to know self-defence.
 
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