Harald Zwart directed this Family/Action film Watch Preview Cast: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson. Rated PG for bullying, martial arts action violence and some mild language. Running time is two hours and twenty minutes.
12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. With few friends in a strange land and a bully who dislikes him, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu.
This film has a lot going for it: a good cast and story and location filming in Beijing. Unfortunately, it also has a huge negative, at least 30 minutes, possibly 60, of unnecessary travelogue footage and meaningless side plots that add absolutely nothing to the film's enjoyment. If you could limit your viewing to the last 30 minutes, this could easily be a *** or ***½ film but the interminable first two hours dragged my rating down substantially. Unfortunately, as edited it's a film certain to make all but the most stoic restless in short order. And "I pity the fool" who has to take a group of kids to see it...you'll really have your work cut out with constant bathroom and concession stand requests. If ever there was a film that cried out for an intermission or two, this is it. Theatres/Times
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