For the past 30 years, we’ve seen a lot in the Karate Kid franchise. It kicked off in the 1980s with a trilogy starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. That led to a spin-off in the 1990s with Hilary Swank and then a re-boot in 2010 starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.

But it wasn’t until recently that the interest in the world really sparked again. The series Cobra Kai, on Netflix, ran for six seasons starring original film actors Macchio and William Zabka. The popularity of the series renewed interest in the world which has led to another cinematic reboot.

This one aims to tell a new story while blending the past. We begin with a deleted scene featuring Morita from The Karate Kid Part II in 1986. The film also stars Chan and Macchio, bringing together the original films and the re-boot. It even features a cameo from Zabka. But that bit of nostalgia merely sets the stage, what sets the film apart is the story it tells.

Here, we follow Li Fong (Ben Wang), a Kung Fu student from China who is going through a rough patch. He trains with Han (Chan) while trying to get over the grief of having lost his older brother. Soon, his mother (Ming Na-Wen) moves him to New York and tells him he needs to stop fighting and training.

But that proves difficult. Li makes friends with Mia (Sadie Stanley), a fellow student whose father, Victor (Joshua Jackson), owns a neighborhood pizza place. Victor is a former boxer who is planning a return because he needs money. He asks Li to help train him, improving his speed and learning new moves. Li decides to train him in secret, and along the way finds new friends, family, and a place to belong.

But when things go wrong, it brings up painful memories for Li. Soon, he finds himself needing to enter a large karate tournament to help his friends and square off against a local bully. He turns to Han for help, and Han in turn brings in an old friend, Daniel LaRusso (Macchio). Together they work to turn Li into a multi-faceted champion, helping him to overcome the demons from the past.

This new film is a beautiful blend of nostalgia and an original story. I enjoyed the opening sequence, a deleted scene from earlier in the franchise sets the stage for the blending of these worlds. Incorporating Chan and Macchio, which mostly comes later in the film, is a nice touch, too. But this is really about a new, original story.

I liked Wang in this role, and I enjoyed the way his story is told. His back-and-forth with Jackson and Stanley works well. I liked the set up and the blend of story and humor. I also enjoyed the training sequences and the fights, too.

The original Karate Kid is a classic, but I haven’t always enjoyed the rest of the franchise. I didn’t have huge expectations going into this film, but I was really taken with the structure, story, and execution here. This is my favorite of the Karate Kid films and sets a new standard for the franchise. It’s a fun ride that runs a crisp 94 minutes. It’s worth checking out in theaters.

Karate Kid: Legends is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.