Latest news with #MingNaWen
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Ming-Na Wen Talks ‘Karate Kid: Legends,' New On Streaming
Ming-Na Wen at Sony's "Karate Kid: Legends" world premiere held at SVA Theatre on May 27, 2025 in ... More New York, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images) After having her Star Wars dreams come true by playing fan-favorite Fennec Shand in The Mandalorian, Ming-Na Wen recently realized another exciting vision with a role in The Karate Kid franchise in the new film Karate Kid: Legends. Wen said discovered early on that she wasn't the only person on the production who dreamed of working on a Karate Kid project. In fact, it came as a big surprise to her that Karate Kid: Legends director Jonathan Entwistle was also a massive fan of the franchise, which she found amusing considering he's the director behind the dark Netflix comedy series The End of The F***ing World and I Am Not Okay with This. 'I was surprised that he was doing a film in this genre, but he's as huge a fan of the franchise as I am,' Wen said in a recent Zoom conversation. 'His other works are just so fun and hip and kind of out there, but I love the series he's done." Karate Kid: Legends, which brings Ralph Macchio from the original Karate Kid films and Cobra Kai series together with Jackie Chan from the 2010 remake, opened in theaters on May 30. The film arrives for purchase or rent on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday. Wen plays the pivotal role of Dr. Fong in Karate Kid Legends, the mother of the Li-Fong (Ben Wang), who are new residents of New York City after the two move from Beijing for a fresh start after a family tragedy a year before. A karate prodigy, Li-Fong goes against the wishes of his mother to compete against the best of the best in the famed 5 Boroughs Karate Tournament in New York City. Note: The next section includes a spoiler from "Karate Kid: Legends." Ming-Na Wen Believes Pat Morita Would Be So Proud Of Ralph Macchio Karate Kid: Legends is the sixth film in the action franchise, which kicked off, so to speak, with The Karate Kid in 1984 with Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita as Mr. Miyagi, William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence and Martin Kove as John Kreese. After three Karate Kid sequels — the last of which was released in 1994 — the franchise was dormant for 24 years until it made a comeback with Cobra Kai in 2018. The series wrapped up in February after six seasons. Of course, missing from Cobra Kai was Morita, who died in 2005 at age 73. Macchio, however, ensured Mr. Miyagi's presence was felt not only in Cobra Kai, but in Karate Kid: Legends as well. The film begins with Morita in a flashback scene with Macchio, where he explains how his and Mr. Han's (Jackie Chan) families share the same martial arts lineage. Referring to Macchio's accomplishments in the Karate Kid films, Cobra Kai and now Karate Kid: Legends, Ming-Na Wen feels if the venerable actor were here, 'Pat Morita would just be patting him on the back and saying, 'Good job son.'' After all, without Pat Morita, The Karate Kid and everything that came after it would likely never have made the indelible impact that it's had on popular culture. 'I think [Ralph] knows that and that's why he is so protective of the image of who he is and what he represents,' Wen said. As Wen found out, Macchio is so protective of The Karate Kid franchise that even as a cast member, she wasn't privy to the big end credits cameo that concludes Karate Kid: Legends. "I didn't even know about William Zabka's cameo. That's how secretive they were. I was shocked when I saw it at the screening of the film and cheered,' Wen enthused. 'It was so good. It was so good because I'm a massive fan of Cobra Kai, too.' Rated PG-13, Karate Kid: Legends is available on several digital platforms, including Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube on Tuesday.
Forbes
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Fortnite' Is Bringing Back Its Famous Chun-Li Skin After Almost Three Years
Fortnite With as many skins as Fortnite has amassed since its inception, it can often take years for some to rotate back through the item shop, even with how much it's expanded over time. Now, one of the most coveted skins in Fortnite is returning, Chun-Li, of Street Fighter fame (as well as other fighters Ryu, Blanka, Guile, Sakura and Cammy). It has been almost three years since the original Street Fighter skins introduction, as we last saw the early additions like Chun-Li in August of 2022, making it almost three full years since they've been back in the shop. Now, she and the other skins will be back tonight at shop reset, which takes place at 8 PM EST. Why is the Fortnite community so passionate about Chun-Li specifically? Well, she's just an icon, of course! She's arguably the most famous face of a storied franchise, Street Fighter, even passing up Ryu in popularity. She's got a great, kick-based fighting style that's a lot of fun to play. It's humorous watching her shoot an assault rifle when normally she's a hand-to-hand fighter. There may even be some fans of the film version of the character, where she was played by Ming-Na Wen in the 1994 movie. There's another upcoming Street Fighter movie being made soon, but we don't know who will play Chun-Li there. Fortnite There's just a lot of love for Chun-Li, and fans are celebrating her return. It's heartwarming, really, and if you missed her three years ago, now's the time to scoop her up and pair her with whatever emotes you might think would be funny to use with her. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Fans have been wondering why on earth it took this long for the Capcom skins to return. It's not just the amount of skins, as there are often issues with rights and such among licensed skins that have to be worked out. Deals may have been made for these skins to run for a set period of time, but getting them back in the store may require another such deal, which may or may not be worth it to other parties. But it seems like Epic and Capcom worked something out here, which is good news for Street Fighter fans and Chun-Li lovers everywhere. Get out that wallet and be ready to shell out for her tonight. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Forbes
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Ming-Na Wen On ‘Karate Kid: Legends' And Film's Challenge To Persevere
Ming-Na Wen is still wondering how — after kicking butt as Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and as Fennec Shand in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett — she didn't have any fight scenes in Karate Kid: Legends. Plus, let's not forget that the iconic actor is also a force to be reckoned with as the long-time voice of Disney's Mulan. 'I didn't get to throw a punch after all the characters I play fighting all the time — and I was working with Jackie Chan,' Wen said, laughing, in a recent Zoom conversation. 'But I did try to convince Jonathan Entwistle, our director, that since [Jackie's] Wen stars in the pivotal role of Dr. Fong in Karate Kid: Legends, which merges the worlds of original Karate Kid franchise star Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso and Chan's Mr. Han from the 2010 reimagining of The Karate Kid. In Karate Kid: Legends, now playing in theaters, Ben Wang stars as Li Fong, a karate prodigy who studies under Mr. Han in Beijing against wishes of his mother, Dr. Fong. As it turns out, Li's brother, Bo (Oscar Ge), was killed in an incident stemming from a karate tournament and out of fear of losing her other son, Dr. Fong tries to keep Li away from the martial arts. After Dr. Fong lands a new job at a hospital in New York City, she and Li move from Beijing to get a fresh start. However, when Li settles into his new surroundings, he starts to get bullied by a local karate champ, Conor Day (Aramis Knight), and wants to fight back, so he enlists the help of Mr. Han — who in turn contacts Daniel — to train him. If all the pieces fall into place, Li will advance far enough in the New York City's prestigious 5 Boroughs Karate Tournament to take on his bully and help some friends in need in the process. Karate Kid: Legends also stars Sadie Stanley as Mia Lipani, whom Li befriends when he arrives in New York City, while Wyatt Oleff plays Li's tutor, Alan. Joshua Jackson also stars as Mia's father, Victor, a former boxing champion who hopes to get back into the ring with the help of Li's training. While Ming-Na Wen doesn't throw a punch in Karate Kid: Legends, that doesn't mean her character hasn't been in past battles, particularly those dealing with mental anguish. Since Dr. Fong has already suffered the loss of her son, Bo, she's desperate to keep Li safe. As a parent in real life, Wen admitted that playing out the worst fear every father and mother faces was tough to wrap her head around. Luckily, she added, the film also has an important element of hope. 'This particular Karate Kid film is quite dark and serious at times. It's more than just about a coming-of-age story in which Ben Wang plays Li so beautifully,' Wen said. '[Them losing Bo] is a huge loss and so incredibly tragic, but instead of making that the focus of the story, it's also about persevering. It's about being able to survive and go through the pain and still try to find meaning.' As such, Wen said Karate Kid: Legends presents a story from her character's standpoint that everybody can relate to, including herself. 'We've suffered several different losses in our family recently, and I took all of that emotion and pain and filtered it into that into my character,' Wen explained. 'Also, I've seen how other family members work through that pain and still try to find meaning in life and that is what Dr. Fong is all about.' Helping Wen channel those real-life emotions into Dr. Fong in Karate Kid: Legends was Wang, whom she said immediately felt like a family member when she met him. 'When I met Ben, I immediately had maternal feelings for him and playing his mom was very easy,' Wen said. 'He's such a lovable guy and it was easy to build a relationship and a chemistry with him. 'Art gets easier when you can just tap into the nuances of who you are and be able to work them into your character,' Wen added. 'So, it was quite easy for me to become Dr. Fong and be that mom who wants to protect her kids and guide them and set ground rules, which they always break.' That's not to say, however, that Wen is a super-strict mom in real life like Dr. Fong is in Karate Kid: Legends. 'I'm a much cooler mom than Dr. Fong,' Wen enthused. 'I'm kind of like the rock and roll mom!' In addition to working with Wang and Jackie Chan in Karate Kid: Legends, Wen was thrilled to have the opportunity to star in a project with Ralph Macchio for the first time. Of course, making the opportunity even better was that her work with Macchio happened to be in a Karate Kid film. 'I'm friends with [Karate Kid Part II star] Tamlyn Tomita and I've met Ralph a few times through conventions, upfronts and things like that, and he's always so gracious and so lovely to finally get to work with him and to see his passion and his love for this franchise and how protective he is of it. It's just so lovely to see. 'I think Pat Morita would just be patting him on the back and saying, 'Good job son,'' Wen added. 'He is really endearing, lovely, hard-working and detailed. It was so great that I got to work with the original Karate Kid.' Karate Kid: Legends is playing in theaters nationwide.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Compared to the Original and ‘Cobra Kai,' Is ‘Karate Kid: Legends' a Hit or a Miss?
Coming on the heels of Netflix's celebrated Cobra Kai, responses to Karate Kid: Legends have been decidedly mixed. For some, the pairing of original star Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan (who, in 2010's The Karate Kid, took over the mentor role formerly filled by the late Pat Morita) offers enough warm-hearted nostalgia to save the day. Others, meanwhile, have criticized the film for not giving its returning characters enough to do, in addition to calling the movie too lightweight for its own good. With Karate Kid: Legends currently sitting at a middling 60 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, how does the new sequel stack up against Cobra Kai and the movies which preceded it?When Legends picks up, Mr. Han is in Beijing teaching a new generation of youth a particular form of kung-fu. (The connection between Han and Miyagi, and the reason the former is teaching a different fight technique than his mentor, is laid out nicely in a succinct opening scene.) Han's plans to make his nephew, Li Fong (Ben Wang), one of the world's best fighters are scuttled when Li's mother (Ming-Na Wen) decides to move them to New York City following a tragic death in the family. In Manhattan, Li falls in with Mia (Sadie Stanley), whose father, former fighter Victor (Joshua Jackson), owns a pizza restaurant. He also owes some very unsavory characters a lot of money, and to pay them back enters a fighting competition. As he hasn't fought in years, it falls to Li to teach Victor the ways of kung fu. If you've seen the trailer or any of the posters, you know this involves some help from Han and returning student (now master) Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio).Karate Kid: Legends, the sixth movie in the franchise, is easily the best Karate Kid movie since the original. It's certainly leagues above the tepid, utterly dull 2010 remake, which introduced Chan as Mr. Miyagi's protege, Mr. Han, and saw him train young Dre (Jaden Smith, who does not return here). Crucially, Legends eschews most of the training business that muddled the remake and later sequels. Here, Li is already a kung fu master with many successful fights under his belt. He needs only to learn a bit of karate, which is dispensed with in a blessedly brief montage. Instead of structuring itself like a lot of the other films in the series, with two extended acts of training followed by the grand tournament/battle, Legends operates far closer to a traditional action-thriller and is all the better for it. Director Jonathan Entwistle, who created and oversaw the clever Netflix series The End of the F***ing World and I Am Not Okay, brings a specific touch that personalizes this installment. He understands how to depict the complexities of teenagedom without alienating members of the audience who've aged out of that struggle, and his eye for small details is especially keen. There's a lovely, unobtrusive touch in which Li is found to be more of a New York 'local' than born-and-bred Mia due to his immigrant status and ability to converse with fellow expats of all stripes. But once the plot kicks in, the rapidity with which Entwistle moves through the typical beats proves both a blessing and a first two acts of Legends, up to about the 70-minute mark, are spectacularly accomplished. Li having to train Victor is a pleasing bit of subversion, and the movie vibrates with an eclectic soundtrack and an authentic, geographically accurate depiction of New York (the film was shot there, as well as in Georgia and Montreal). The entire cast does great work—Jackson turns in a particularly credible performance—and the whole thing looks terrific, with some lush set design and a warm, gauzy visual style which harks subtly back to '80s cinematography. Li's backstory, and the reason for his family's move, are harder edged than you may expect and delivered without treacle. Yet one of the movie's greatest assets—a slim, pre-end-credits running time of just under 90 minutes—is also its Achilles heel. As the film moves into its final passage, with Victor sidelined and Li having to compete in a city-wide fight competition, it loses track of itself and its and Macchio are good here, but their presence feels like an afterthought. Near the end, there are two central sequences—a fight between Han, LeRusso, and Li, and a heart-to-heart between the two karate kids—that play in montage and need much more space to breathe. One senses both would have been powerful beats if they'd been allowed to run longer, and the editing and the music were not making themselves so obvious. Brevity is a beautiful thing (Steven Soderbergh's Black Bag, from earlier this year, showed that you can make an epic in just 88 minutes), but not when it comes at the expense of fulfilling the arcs established in the first act. Legends wraps itself up in such a rush that there's a sense of disbelief come the final freeze frame. Storylines that seemed a shoo-in to provoke a tear simply vanish, drying up any emotion with it, and the final tournament feels peculiarly disconnected from the first half. The whole movie would have benefited from an extra 10 or 15 minutes added to its even with those missteps, it's hard to genuinely fault Karate Kid: Legends. This is an easy movie to like, a family-friendly adventure which does away with the modern blockbuster bloat, leaving behind CGI in favor of old-school stunts and stripping itself down to the basics. Legends is an above-average summer cinema offering which sits comfortably alongside the original Karate Kid and the best seasons of Cobra Kai. Crucially, it respects all members of its audience and will serve as a welcome entry point for younger viewers unfamiliar with the larger franchise. You will undoubtedly be reminded, in the best possible way, of '80s and '90s family adventures and sports dramas like The Goonies and The Mighty Ducks, which is no small feat. Perhaps the only thing worth saying is that, by the end, you're looking forward to the next to the Original and 'Cobra Kai,' Is 'Karate Kid: Legends' a Hit or a Miss? first appeared on Men's Journal on May 29, 2025
South China Morning Post
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Karate Kid: Legends movie review – Jackie Chan, Ben Wang in disappointing sequel
2.5/5 stars Following the success of Netflix spin-off show Cobra Kai, The Karate Kid franchise rumbles on. The latest big-screen instalment, Karate Kid: Legends – the sixth movie since the 1984 original, which starred Ralph Macchio – is like a greatest hits compilation. We have Macchio back as Daniel LaRusso, now living in what appears to be a shrine to Mr. Miyagi, the serene war veteran who taught him how to use martial arts to defend himself. Play Jackie Chan returns as Mr. Han, previously featured in the 2010 reboot produced by Will Smith and starring his son Jaden. Based in Beijing, Chan's character is a revered sifu teaching kung fu to youngsters including Li Fong (Ben Wang), soon to be uprooted by his mother (Ming-Na Wen).
