2010 Movies: #44 & 43

Ref: Mulhern

#44 The Karate Kid

Boy leaves friends behind and moves to China. Boy is bored and doesn't fit in. Boy runs from bullies and meets mysterious karate guru. Boy begins to learn karate. Boy meets karate bully's pseudo-girlfriend. Boy charms girl and distracts her from violin. Boy *spoiler alert* overcomes adversity and restores the honor of girl, himself and both their families. Sequel soon to follow, one can only hope.

The Karate Kid provided an evening of enjoyable by-the-book entertainment. Jaden Smith was cute and Jackie Chan was as solid as ever. A thought on the culmination - I always find it ridiculous that movies in which youth participate in a big game, tournament or competition make sure that said event is the biggest event in the history of the world. Seriously - elementary school karate tournament? Of course the world is watching. All in all, the only thing missing from The Karate Kid was the crane! (Well, that and the legendary hair.)

On the Jaden Smith career watch front, while watching Gossip Girl this evening I saw a preview for the Justin Bieber documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (an upcoming feature of which I was thankfully unaware until today, less than a week before its release), which apparently features some slow motion dancing by the young Smith lad. I think it's safe to say he's well on his way.

#43 Salt

First of all, re: bath salts: true story. Moving on, re: Salt: my descriptor for this film would be "overseasoned" - too much Salt trying to cover up too little substance.

I think the viewing of Salt - in the theatre, no less - was my fault as well. The preview made the movie look like a Fugitive-style action thriller, but I was underwhelmed by the end product. The concept, albeit confusing, was worthwhile - the "is she or isn't she" dynamic kept me guessing until the end - but I was shocked about how much violence the film's execution (no pun intended) involved. It felt way too gratuitous. Cribs from your standard action touchstones, like Mission: Impossible and the aforementioned Fugitive franchise, were employed to uneven effect.

Although a clear sequel setup rounded out the production, I think it's safe to say that if I deign to view Salt II: Open Season(ing), it will be from the comfort of my basement with a beverage in hand.