I have to admit that Jaden Smith as Dre Parker is more charming than Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan is, well, Jackie Chan. I don’t have the guts to compare Jackie Chan (who played Mr. Han) to Pat Norita (who played Mr. Miyagi). Both martial artists are great in their own way. However, after watching both movies, I have an epiphany that the original version is better than the remake. Here is my list of the top four to test the find.

1. Obviously: the title

The 1984 The Karate Kid karate shows, while 2010 The Karate Kid sample: KUNG FU. Some said the word ‘karate’ in the 2010 version refers to Dre Parker’s mother, who mistook kung fu for karate in one scene. Another reference said it would be for Cheng (Dre Parker’s arch nemesis) and his friends called the Karate Kid Dre as he performed a karate stance to face them. However, if both or one of the references are true, why bother changing the title of the 2010 film in China, Japan, and South Korea, the places where these martial arts come from? To avoid the ruckus? The fact that the movie becomes Kung Fu Sleep in China and Best boy in South Korea and Japan it shows the error of the film. Even Jackie Chan once believed that the movie would only be called The Karate Kid in the US and known as The Kung Fu Boy in all Asian countries.

2. “Wax with wax without wax”

As Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel his first karate lesson, he ordered him to repeatedly wax his vintage cars with certain circular movements of his hand. This is where the phrase “wax on wax” comes from. A catchphrase is what people always remember from a movie. Even after 27 years, people will automatically think 1984 The Karate Kid when you hear the phrase “wax on quenched wax”. What about its 2010 counterpart? As far as I can remember, there are no words in the movie scenes that can surpass or even match this Mr. Miyagi special.

3. Really, a child can be that violent?

Cheng (played by child actor Zhenwei Wang) in the 2010 film is just as brutal as Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) in the original, if not more cruel. Difference: Johnny is closer to reaching adulthood, while Cheng hasn’t even reached puberty. Seeing Cheng with his powerful kung fu forces me to think, what is wrong with this boy? His excellent but violent kung fu is admirable and terrifying at the same time. Thank goodness Mr. Han finally opened his eyes.

4. Dre Parker and Mei Ying are loners

When Dre Parker and Daniel LaRusso arrived in a new place, they soon became friends. Too bad their archenemies prevented them from socializing too much (as other kids were too scared of taking on the ‘bad guys’). However, her love interests are supposed to have many friends, considering they were natives of the school. However, the rule only works for Ali, LaRusso’s love interest. She is depicted as a cheerful girl who spends a lot of time with her friends. Scenes on the beach, the soccer field (where he trains cheerleaders) and the fairgrounds show his socializing with his teammates. What about Mei Ying? He has no close friends except Dre Parker. No scenes in 2010 Karate kids That shows that she has strong ties to any of her friends. I don’t know if Mei Ying is too serious or too lethargic to date girls her age.

In fact, I still have a long list to point to 1984. The Karate Kid as the winner. However, from the above evidence, I hope I have made it clear that the 1984 version is more realistic and catchy than the 2010 version. So better.