TheKarate Kidfranchise made a mistake 39 years ago, butKarate Kid: Legendshas the perfect opportunity to finally fix things with its Johnny Lawrence replacement. Serving as the sixth movie and the seventh installment in the overarchingKarate Kidfranchise,Karate Kid: Legendsis bound to bring something new to the table. From what is known about the movie, it is featuring a never-seen-before collaboration between two of the franchise’s greatest senseis, Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han.
Even the movie’s main character, Li Fong, will be significantly different from most other young characters in the franchise because of his background in martial arts. He will hone his skills with Daniel and Mr. Han’s help, but his years of experience with kung fu will also come in handy. With one story change,Karate Kid: Legendscan also rectify thefirstKarate Kidmovie’s biggest mistake and further establish itself as a unique addition to the movie series.
Karate Kid: Legends Can Do With Connor What The Original Movies Failed To Do With Johnny
Connor Can Be More Than A One-Off Villain
The firstKarate Kidmovie had the opportunity to add more layers to Johnny. However, even towards the end of the film, he barely rose above his antagonistic role. Although the movie tried to make viewers empathize with him by showing how Kreese treated him,many aspects of Johnny’s story that would have added more dimensions to him remained unexplored. AlthoughKarate Kid: Legendsseemingly shares many similarities with theoriginalKarate Kidmovies, it does not have to tread the same path as them with its portrayal of its villain, Connor.
Instead of featuring him as a one-off antagonist,the movie can learn fromCobra Kaiand portray him as a morally complex character like Robby or Hawk. Even the originalKarate Kidmovies could have pulled off something similar by marking Johnny’s return in the second film. Unfortunately, he was ignored untilCobra Kaidecided to continue his story.Karate Kid: Legendscould initially set up Connor as its main antagonist. However, its follow-ups could gradually make him go through a rite of passage where he, like Johnny, could reform himself before it is too late.
Karate Kid: Legends' Connor Can Be A More Complex Character Than Karate Kid 1 Johnny
Johnny Remained A One-Dimensional Villain In The First Karate Kid
Johnny was portrayed as the typical ’80s bully who deserved his defeat towards the end of the firstKarate Kidmovie. The film attempted to give viewers a glimpse of his vulnerable side towards the end by showing how he hands Daniel the All-Valley trophy and tells him that he is “alright.” However,that was not enough to capture all the struggles Johnny had been throughbefore he picked up karate and became a victim of Kreese’s toxic teachings.
Anti-hero characters inCobra Kai, like Hawk and Robby, got much deeper narratives where the show highlighted why they walked down the morally questionable path and even gave them the redemption they deserved.Karate Kid: Legendscan also use the same recipe and explicitly show everything from Connor’s underlying motives and backstory. With this, the movie could finally fix the firstKarate Kid’s Johnny Lawrence mistake and even establish itself as one of the better additions to the overarching franchise.
Karate Kid: Legends
Karate Kid: Legends is a sequel to Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid directed by Jonathan Entwistle. The film sees Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles, continuing the legacy of martial arts mentorship and rivalry in a new era of challenges and apprentices.
