Remember all the hand-wringing at Sony about its remake of The Karate Kid -- specifically whether to retitle it to something more reflective of the fact that, well, there's no karate in it? Not only did that concern disappear, but in the new trailer for the Jackie Chan-Jaden Smith crowd-pleaser, the studio is actually selling the contradiction.
In fact, the only real difference between the original trailer and the one released Tuesday is the increased prevalence of Chan's wise janitor Mr. Han, who gets Smith going on a training regimen that begins with the sacred Eastern proverb that's been passed from mentor to pupil for generations: "Hang up the jacket. Take it down. Put it on." You see, Chan is going to teach the bullied young man "real kung fu" -- not the fake-ass, lunchtray-flipping fisticuffs of his tormentors, but rather the genuine tradition of hovering above water, crouching contemplatively on one's big toes and apparently achieving total sartorial zen. As far as the smooth seduction of the cute Chinese schoolmate, Smith is on his own.
Meanwhile, Taraji P. Henson is still here to bellow, "This is home," and as with the original trailer, the housefly kicker is still tacked on to the end. Throw in some lush Chinese landscapes and flowing robes, and you've got a seemingly culturally sensitive drama in which the American still gets to pummel the hell out of his commie adversaries. This is going to be huge.
VERDICT: Sold!