all-new cast of The Karate Kid characters. While the original The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai are beloved by critics, the same can't be said for this 2025 film. However, audiences seem to love Karate Kid: Legends based on its Rotten Tomatoes score, and here's all the reasons why.

As of the writing of this article, Karate Kid: Legends has a 59% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, putting it below the 2010 The Karate Kid remake, the original 1984 film, and every season of Cobra Kai. However, the audience score tells a different story. Karate Kid: Legends has a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, putting it above every other The Karate Kid movie as well as above Cobra Kai season 6. This massive disparity has caused a lot of people to scratch their heads, wondering why some love Karate Kid: Legends while others hate it.

8 The Nostalgia Factor Of The Karate Kid

It Is A Karate Kid Love Letter

One of the biggest reasons why general audiences love Karate Kid: Legends has to do with the nostalgia factor. While Karate Kid: Legends is an original story, it heavily leans into the nostalgia from the original films, with it even starting out with a scene from the original series. Karate Kid: Legends is full of Easter eggs, callbacks, and iconography from the first movies, meaning that fans of the original films will have a lot to love here.

While it is impossible to look at a movie objectively, nostalgia is less likely to sway critics, especially those who don't care about The Karate Kid franchise. The Easter eggs and references probably didn't have as much of an impact on those who didn't like the film, partially explaining the disparity.

7 It's The First Karate Kid Movie In 15 Years (& The First Follow-Up After Cobra Kai Ended)

& The Last Film Was A Remake

Another reason that Karate Kid: Legends is doing so well with general audiences is that it is the first The Karate Kid movie in 15 years. The last The Karate Kid movie was the 2010 remake, which was divisive and acted as a reboot of the series. Karate Kid: Legends, however, continues the story of the original The Karate Kid saga decades after it concluded. This gave fans of the original films a reason to check it out in theaters, stirring up a lot of hype.

On top of that, Karate Kid: Legends came out in the wake of Cobra Kai's ending. Cobra Kai was the first continuation of the main The Karate Kid saga, and it was hugely successful. Throughout the show's six seasons, it was consistently acclaimed by critics and audiences, making many hungry for a new The Karate Kid film. Karate Kid: Legends was the response to this streaming success, with it probably not existing if it weren't for Cobra Kai.

6 The Fight Scenes & Choreography Were Unanimous Among Critics & Audiences

It Had More Action Than Ever Before

One of the things that audiences as well as critics unanimously praised in Karate Kid: Legends was the fight choreography. Karate Kid: Legends is full of impressive stunts and fight scenes, with the film seeming like it contains more action than any of the previous movies. Since protagonist Li Fong is already an experienced fighter at the beginning of the film, the action starts at the very beginning, with audiences not having to wait until he is trained. Plus, Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso's conflicting fighting styles make the action more dynamic than before, with the martial arts going beyond karate.

5 The Performance From Ben Wang

He Shines Among Big Stars

Speaking of Li Fong, Ben Wang's performance as the protagonist is another aspect that has been praised. Wang does a great job, with him bringing a ton of energy and impressive stunt work to Karate Kid: Legends.

Although he hasn't had as much screen time as Ralph Macchio did in the original trilogy, Li Fong has become a protagonist that fans want to see more of. Ben Wang was never outshined by Ralph Macchio or Jackie Chan, which is impressive considering the actors' legacies inside and outside of The Karate Kid.

4 The Appeal Of Returning Cast Like Jackie Chan & Ralph Macchio

Mr. Han & Daniel LaRusso Make Their Returns

Although Ben Wang was the main character, the main draw of Karate Kid: Legends was the return of Jackie Chan's Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso. The returning characters from the 2010 remake and the 1984 remake respectively were a huge deal, as they have never been seen together, and it has been years since either character was seen on the big screen. The return of these legendary characters is likely why the film was titled Karate Kid: Legends, and fans of the film were mostly pleased with their return.

The only recurring criticism about these characters is that they should have been in the film more. Mr. Han is present at the beginning of Karate Kid: Legends, but then he disappears for a while before returning for the second half of the film. Daniel LaRusso doesn't appear at all until the second half of the film, with his role being surprisingly minimal after his presence in the marketing. While it makes sense to give the new protagonist and Mr. Han more focus since Ralph Macchio had so much screen time in Cobra Kai, it would've been nice to see Daniel LaRusso get the spotlight a bit more.

3 Karate Kid: Legends Was Uniquely Funny

The Whole Film Was A Comedy

Another big appeal of Karate Kid: Legends is that it was uniquely funny. While previous The Karate Kid movies have had moments of levity, none of them could be fairly described as a comedy. The 2010 remake is probably the most comedic of the films, but that mostly comes from Jaden Smith's character. In Karate Kid: Legends, however, everyone is funny. All of the characters get to participate in the film's jokes and comedic moments, and it is more lighthearted than some of its predecessors.

2 The Short Runtime Makes It Bite-Sized Fun

It Is The Shortest Karate Kid Movie

Another great aspect of Karate Kid: Legends is how short it is. The film only has a runtime of 94 minutes, meaning that it is the shortest movie in The Karate Kid franchise. The next shortest, The Next Karate Kid, has a runtime of 107 minutes, making it 13 minutes longer than the 2025 remake. Karate Kid: Legends is incredibly short when compared to the original film, which runs for 127 minutes, and the 2010 remake, which runs for 140 minutes.

While some audiences prefer longer films, Karate Kid: Legends doesn't need to be a massive epic. The story of each The Karate Kid film is pretty small scale, meaning that it makes sense to tell this one in an hour and a half. Karate Kid: Legends acts as a quick outing to the theater rather than a full-day event, which is a positive for many audience .

1 Karate Kid: Legends Unites The Three Branches Of The Karate Kid

The Originals, The Remake, & Cobra Kai

The final aspect of Karate Kid: Legends that makes it so great is that it unites the three branches of The Karate Kid. The 2025 film doesn't just act as a continuation of the original series. Instead, it also wraps in the world of the 2010 remake, which until now had no connection to the original films. Karate Kid: Legends creates a relationship between original character Daniel LaRusso and remake character Mr. Han, making The Karate Kid universe feel much more fleshed-out.

On top of that, Karate Kid: Legends also unites the story of Cobra Kai with these movies. While Karate Kid: Legends doesn't act as a proper Cobra Kai sequel, it is clear that the story of the series is canon to this movie. The version of Daniel LaRusso that is seen is the one who went through the events of Cobra Kai. This means that audience who have stayed dedicated to the franchise will be rewarded when they see Karate Kid: Legends, as it is a love letter to each branch of The Karate Kid.