Karate Kid: Legends (2025)
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A kung fu prodigy moves to New York and must find his strength with the help of two legendary masters.
The story
After moving from Beijing to New York City, kung fu prodigy Li Fong faces a difficult transition. Following the tragic death of his brother, Li is told by his master, Mr. Han, to stop practicing martial arts. However, after a confrontation with a local karate champion named Conor Day leads to a physical altercation, Li's mother seeks help. Li eventually finds himself in a complex situation where he must navigate his new life, a budding romance with Mia Lipani, and the challenge of defending those he cares about while grappling with his past.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with a flashback to 1985, where Mr. Miyagi explains the connection between the Miyagi and Han families. In 2023, Li Fong lives in Beijing under the care of his great-uncle, Mr. Han. After his mother moves to New York, Li moves with her but is told to give up martial arts following his brother's death. In New York, Li meets Mia Lipani and faces off against Conor Day, a karate champion. After a defeat, Li witnesses Mia's father, Victor, being attacked by thugs. He intervenes and helps Victor, who decides to return to boxing. When Victor is hospitalized after a rigged match, Mr. Han arrives in New York to encourage Li to compete in the Five Boroughs Tournament. Daniel LaRusso joins them to help Li train. Li trains in both kung fu and Miyagi-Do karate. During the tournament, Li faces Conor Day. Despite a sneak attack from Conor's backers, Li wins the match and shows mercy. The film ends with Victor opening a new pizzeria and Daniel and Johnny Lawrence debating pizza styles in Los Angeles.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jonathan Entwistle
- Writers
- Rob Lieber · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jackie Chan · Mr. Han; Ben Wang · Li Fong; Ralph Macchio · Daniel LaRusso; Joshua Jackson · Victor Lipani; Sadie Stanley · Mia Lipani; Ming-Na Wen · Dr. Fong; Aramis Knight · Conor Day; Wyatt Oleff · Alan
- Genres
- martial arts drama; action drama
- Themes
- mentorship; tradition; overcoming fear; legacy
- Tone and mood
- inspirational; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- martial arts; coming-of-age; crossover; sports
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Karate Kid franchise
- Franchise connections
- The Karate Kid
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $117 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 36; CinemaScore · score: A- · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- It is the first film in the series not to be produced by Jerry Weintraub.; The film was shot under the working title Victory Boulevard.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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