【英语科技】《功夫梦》影评

Did we really need a remake of 1984's 'The Karate Kid'? Speakeasy supposes the question is moot, because the film stars Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith - and what Will Smith's son wants, Will Smith's son gets.

In the film - which like the original, runs over two-hours long - the younger Smith stars as Dre Parker, a Detroit tween who is forced to move to Beijing after his mother (Taraji P. Henson) is transferred. Parker becomes the target of bullies after he falls for his classmate Mei Ying. Luckily, maintenance man Mr. Han just happens to be a kung fu master, and teaches his new pupil the tricks of the trade.

Are the critics impressed or bored? Let's take a look!

* 'The original was one of its year's best movies. The new one lacks the perfect freshness of that one; there aren't many surprises, as it follows the 1984 version almost point by point. But here is a lovely and well-made film that stands on its own feet. The Chinese locations add visual interest, there are scenes of splendor in mountains and on the Great Wall, and the characters are once again engaging.' [Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times]

* 'With his nifty cornrows (a junior rapper's 'do that marks how much he's grown up since The Pursuit of Happyness), Smith looks like an intensely aware goldfish. As Dre, he gets knocked down by bullies and drawn to the sweet sparkle of a teen violinist, but whomever he shares the screen with, he combines a kid's directness with an adult's way of holding himself in check. Though it's not too varied a performance, Smith, like his father, acts with an emotional ease that's almost gymnastic.'[Owen Gleiberman, EW]

* 'Ralph Macchio was what, like, 35 when he played Daniel? But he looked 16, as his character was, so he seemed like a good fit. Now the character, Dre, is 12 - as is the film's star, Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada (both executive producers). But with his pretty face and slight build, Smith looks about 9. It's inescapably distracting. And so neither the fighting nor the romance with a girl who's out of his league - two key components of 'The Karate Kid' - makes sense.' [Christy Lemire, AP]

* 'Remaking The Karate Kid epitomizes the hoodwink that pop culture has brought down on contemporary youth-especially in black and Latino working-class families. In Will Smith's version of uplifting hip-hop, the original film's moral lesson becomes a tutorial in survival, but this 'reality' overlooks the necessity of (unexciting) fundamental education and scholarship. Distraction begins with its title playing off a well-known Japanese brand despite the different Chinese skill set being pushed. And it continues with the usual hip-hop emphasis on machismo as a measurement of achievement. In hip-hop terms, street life equals bank life.' [Armond White, New York Press]

难道我们真的需要翻拍1984年的电影《功夫梦》(The Karate Kid)吗？本栏目认为问这个问题没有意义，因为该片由威尔•史密斯(Will Smith)和佳达•史密斯(Jada Pinkett Smith)的儿子贾登•史密斯(Jaden Smith)主演，而这个孩子几乎是想要什么就能得到什么。

Sony Pictures
《功夫梦》剧照和最初的那部一样，《功夫梦》时长超过两小时。小史密斯在片中饰演的底特律男孩帕克(Dre Parker)由于母亲（亨森(Taraji P. Henson)饰）工作的变动，被迫搬家来到北京。帕克喜欢上同班同学美英后成了受欺负的对象。幸运的是，修理工韩先生碰巧是位功夫大师，于是他向自己的这个新徒弟传授了功夫诀窍。

评论人士是被这部电影所打动抑或是感到无聊呢？让我们来听听他们的看法吧！

*1984年版的《功夫梦》是当年最精彩的影片之一。翻拍版缺乏老版那种让人耳目一新的感觉；由于它基本遵循84版的老套路，因此带给人的惊喜并不多。不过这依然是一部制作精良、有着自身特点的佳片。影片选在中国拍摄增加了视觉上的趣味性，山区和长城的壮美风光为影片增色不少。人物刻画也很出色。[芝加哥太阳报(Chicago Sun-Times)埃尔伯特(Roger Ebert)]

*梳着一头俏皮小辫的史密斯（一个年轻饶舌者的装束说明他比当初出演《当幸福来敲门》(The Pursuit of Happyness)时长大了不少）看起来就像一条专注的金鱼。他在片中饰演的帕克是强悍者欺凌的对象，却得到了一个拉小提琴少女的眷顾。不过不管他与谁搭戏，史密斯总是将小孩的率性与成年人所具备的自我控制结合起来。虽然该片在表演上没有太多变化，小史密斯还是和他父亲一样，在对情感的把握上表现得游刃有余，几乎就像体操表演。"[《EW》格雷伯曼(Owen Gleiberman)]

*马奇欧(Ralph Macchio)在84版《功夫梦》中饰演丹尼尔时好像已经35岁了？但他看起来倒像和剧中人物一样，只有16岁，所以那时候的他貌似是个不错人选。如今，小史密斯的年龄和剧中人物帕克一样都是12岁（小史密斯的父母是本片的执行制作人）。不过可爱的脸蛋加上瘦弱的个头让小史密斯看上去大概只有九岁。这无疑会让观众觉得不适。因此，不管是影片中的打斗场面，还是与那个不属同龄人的女孩所发生的浪漫故事，这两个《功夫梦》的关键元素都有些不合逻辑。[美联社(AP) 勒麦尔(Christy Lemire)]

*《功夫梦》的翻拍概括了一种常常被忽视的问题：流行文化的影响已经深入当代年轻人，尤其是黑人和拉美工薪家庭。在威尔•史密斯宣扬嘻哈文化的影片中，最初影片中的道德教训变成了生存守则，不过这种“现实”忽略了基础教育和奖学金的必要性。误导从影片的名字就体现出来，本要体现各种中国技艺，却挑了一个众所周知的日本词汇（译者注：《功夫梦》英文直译为空手道小子）。此外，它延续了嘻哈文化通常强调的男性主导力，并将其作为成就的评判标准。用嘻哈文化的术语说，街道生活和银行生活差不多。[New York Press 怀特(Armond White)]