Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Ill resist that temptation, sorry.
The rest of the film is hysterical in a not-good way.
He wants people to fear him.
Theres a nice, Charlie Kaufmanlike masochistic joke: Caseys answering machine says, You have only one message.
But Eisenberg makes the unusually bad choice (does he think its a mark of integrity?)
of adding tics and stammers and grimaces to a part thats already tootoo.
You dont care if Casey masters his environment because either way you wouldnt want to spend time with him.
The karate school seems like an extension of that.
Its a universe of predators where the most accomplished bullies go at night and spill one anothers blood.
He taunts Casey for having a very feminine sounding name.
(She tries to show him that hes wrong by mashing the face of the latest black belt.)
Why satirize something that has no stature to begin with?
The only surprise is the level of violence not just beyondThe Karate Kidbut beyondFight Club.
You practice the art of self-defense against the movie.
