STACK #251 September 2025

MOVIE FEATURE

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GENRE: Family action RUN TIME: 1h 34m TWO BRANCHES, ONE TREE KARATE KID: LEGENDS Worlds collide in Karate Kid: Legends , which sees the original Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, join forces with Mr. Han from the 2010 reboot in a fusion of disciplines to help a new kid defend himself against bullies.

“I t’s the gift that keeps on giving,” says Ralph Macchio (63) of the enduring franchise, which has seen him headline three films and six seasons of the popular Cobra Kai TV series. Now teaming up with Jackie Chan, the latest instalment brings together two martial arts styles: karate and kung fu. “The characters are beloved, and

the themes are beloved,” he continues. “It’s the themes that carry through, be it Cobra Kai , the films I did back in the '80s, or Karate Kid: Legends .” The new kid on the block is Ben Wang ( Mean Girls '24), who plays Li Fong, a kung fu prodigy who relocates to New York City with his mother, only to clash with a new foe at his prestigious high school. His mentor,

who appears to be the connecting factor between Daniel and Mr. Han. With ongoing themes of being a fish out of water, single parenting, and overcoming

Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, and Ralph Macchio

Mr. Han (Chan), enlists the help of the OG to merge their styles for an upcoming tournament. Set three years after the events of Cobra Kai , the film has been designed to keep the popular TV series in canon. And if the recent trailer is any indication, it will also continue to honour Mr. Miyagi’s legacy,

adversity, Karate Kid: Legends aims to move the series forward and introduce its culture to new audiences, while respecting its loyal and long-standing fanbase. The supporting cast includes Joshua Jackson ( Fatal Attraction ), Sadie Stanley ( The Goldbergs ), Ming-Na Wen ( Mulan ), and Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther ). Glenn Cochrane

• Karate Kid: Legends is out Sep 10

GENRE: Action thriller RUN TIME: 2h 5m

BALLERINA: ANA DE ARMAS TAKES AIM Still pining for John Wick, after Keanu Reeves exacted bloody vengeance on the HighTable more than two years ago? Our cool avenger surely deserves to finally find some peace.

B ut, in the meantime, where else can we turn to feed our appetite for neo-noir-stylised ultraviolence and dark humour? Look no further than Ballerina , the action-packed spin-off from the John Wick universe, starring Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a ballerina-turned-assassin

trained by the infamous Ruska Roma. Set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum , Ballerina expands the Wick-verse while offering something that is entirely its own. The action ramps up slowly before unleashing Wick-style, creatively choreographed fights involving kitchen implements, ice skates, and flamethrowers, all delivered with graceful brutality. And if Eve’s story is set firmly in the world of John Wick, then director Len Wiseman ( Underworld ) strikes a fine balance between making Eve a singular character while also adhering to the crowd-pleasing constructs of Wick world. “One of the things I really liked about the Ballerina script is that it’s kind of the opposite of John Wick’s

story. Wick is trying to get out of his life as an assassin; Eve wants in, she wants to be a killer. I was interested in exploring the circumstances under which someone chooses that life,” says Wiseman. He found a willing recruit in De Armas. “It was really intense training for quite a long time,” says the actress, who had already cut her action chops on the James Bond movie No Time to Die . If De Armas brings a tough yet feminine touch to the macho Wick verse, then she finds unlikely help from Norman Reedus’ mysterious assassin character, Daniel Pine. “I’m honoured to join the John Wick world, and I can confidently say there’s nothing like it or its passionate fanbase,” says Reedus, a die-hard Wick fan. Gill Pringle

Ana de Armas

• Ballerina is out Sep 10

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LOVE THESE:

Novocaine No Pain, Nobody, Monkey Man, The Equalizer

84 SEPTEMBER 2025

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