“Karate Kid: Legends” is a film struggling to settle how closely it wants to tie itself to the franchise. With every nostalgic nod that’s waxed on, another easy chance to do a better one is waxed off, cutting off avenues to connect to both the original movies and also to the now hugely popular (albeit occasionally absurd) spin-off series, “Cobra Kai.” One of the most apparent and nearly perfect opportunities to bridge the aforementioned gap comes in the film’s third act. Following the tradition of the titular Karate Kid (in this case, Li Fong played by Ben Wang), requiring a winning move to defeat his opponent, both Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) suggest altering an attack that Li’s older brother tried to teach him before his untimely death.
The Dragon Kick, as Li refers to it, is a difficult maneuver to master and one that his opponent, Connor Day (Aramis Knight), has already successfully countered during their first battle. It’s here that Daniel suggests Li use this to his advantage and “trap the tiger” he’s facing by going lower than before, when the time is right, to knock him off balance. In other words, Li needs to sweep the leg, which is advice ingrained into “Karate Kid” and “Cobra Kai” lore. Imagine then, failing to even give a wink to the audience that history is not only repeating itself but Daniel is missing a perfect chance to give the advice when you consider how things were wrapped up in the “Cobra Kai” finale.
