http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/14/mcg-wants-will-smith-to-play-captain-nemo/

And besides, you’re forgetting the name of the blog, dude.

Come on people, this is not going to be the same story at all. And thankfully, none of us will ever be forced to watch it. Is one more lousy movie in imdb.com really going to fry the system?!? Let it go, and let it die.

Your comment:

“Because they are stupid, insensitive, and out to make a profit. They don?t care about the integrity or dignity of the cultures they are blanketing as one: all they care about is fattening their wallets.”

Since when is Hollywood other???

Big names, big title = big profit.

Besides, I never really liked Danny. He was such a whiney brat – in all 3 movies. Never saw #4, so can’t comment on the social qualities of that film, nor how a female changed the flow and style of the picture.

And is anybody else bothered by the fact Jaden Smith will be eleven years old when filming begins? I can’t imagine the story working if Daniel LaRusso (or whatever they call him) isn’t a teenager.

Did someone say Italian Job?

However, I stand by my original comment that all the Japanese culture of the original could be surgically removed and replaced by [insert culture here] and you’d be left with a different version of the same film. The specific culture was not central to the plot, although it was central to the flavour and arguably to its success.

I do agree though that there is a tendency in Americans to reduce all the cultures and countries of the world down to American, Asian, Arabic and French. This film will do nothing to help.

I’ll give you that the Miyagi character doesn’t have to be Japanese for the original idea, the American Dream, to work, so long as they changed the name of the fighting style being used in the title. But if that’s the case, they shouldn’t call it a remake. They’re already changing the main character and his origins, which in itself I think constitutes it being called something else like “reinterpretation” or some jazz. They could say it’s based on or inspired by _The Karate Kid_, yeah, but really. Remake?

So, as you say, if the Mr. Miyagi character could be anybody, why do they insist on calling it a remake? Because they are stupid, insensitive, and out to make a profit. They don’t care about the integrity or dignity of the cultures they are blanketing as one: all they care about is fattening their wallets. And I’m really ashamed that Will Smith would actually defend the decision the way he did, claiming it’s “fortunate” because it’s “originally… Chinese.” He himself being a minority and *having dealt with racial stereotypes in his movies before*, he should know better.

Much of the Karate Kid is about the uniquely American high-school social power struggles: the geeky outcaste vs the band of jocks. The geeky outcaste finds solace in another outcaste, and ultimately find a source of power. Thus ultimately it is a validation of the American Dream(tm), and demonstrates that one man can go it alone and triumph.

Relocate it out of the States, and most of this becomes meaningless.

The China vs Japan debate is kinda a distraction. The Mr Miyagi character could just as easily be Chinese, or Korean, or Brazillian without more than cosmetic changes to the story. Instead of “The Karate Kid” it would become “The Kung-Fu Kid” or “The Capoeira Kid” or something.