A spoilt American kid is transplanted to China in this fun remake of the 1984 children's favourite. Dre (Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada Pinkett) moves from Detroit to Beijing with his widowed mother (Taraji P Henson of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), only to find himself up against the school bullies in a martial arts tournament. Jackie Chan keeps his usual ebullience under wraps as Mr Han, the quiet janitor who becomes Dre's reluctant trainer. The action sequences, as expected with Chan, are amazing. These, along with a snappy pace, stunning locations and credible performances, counterbalance the film's overlong running time. Thanks to a tight script, even fans of the original franchise will find the ending stirring and surprising. Sticklers will, however, love pointing out that what Mr Han teaches Dre is not karate, but kung fu.

Twelve-year-old Dre Parker could have been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying but the cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make him an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is a kung fu master. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.