I like Jackie Chan’s movies, with an apparently unusual appreciation for his less comedic, more dramatic films like Heart of Dragon (1985), or New Police Story (2004). I grew up watching the original Karate Kid movies as they came out, and I related to the character a lot. It should be obvious then that I will really enjoy this remake then, right? Well, not so readily, as I have some reservations as the release date nears.

Is the distinct nature of the "karate" fighting style being shoe-horned for the sake of marketing ease, or even just… Laziness? Hollywood wouldn’t do that would they? Didn’t this remake of "The Karate Kid" actually start shooting as "The Kung Fu Kid"? There seems to be more questions raised about this new version of "The Karate Kid" than are being addressed by any PR, and certainly the trailers don’t alleviate much.

According to the official Sony Pictures site for the 2010 film, The Karate Kid, Jackie Chan’s character is "secretly a master of kung fu" and he "teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries" which is all well and good, but how many times is "kung fu" mentioned on the official website promoting a film called "The Karate Kid"? Certainly, karate is not a Japanese-only form of martial art, and historically it actually developed in Chinese territory that was later `annexed’ by the Japanese. Also, as with most martial arts today that may have originated in one specific region there is now no limit to where the art may be taken up, and who may do so. But, there are cultural implications to having a movie called The Karate Kid and setting it in China. The trailers don’t indicate that any exploration of that will be in the movie.

Of course, with Will Smith AND Jada Pinkett Smith being listed as producers (with Jerry Weintraub, James Lassiter and Ken Stovitz) it certainly has the appearance of re-working an old franchise as a vanity project, for their son, Jaden. But having said that, I must grant that some of his legwork has shown a style that reminds me of the Korean martial artist, Hwang Jang Lee. This makes me think that the kid could have an honest talent for this kind of film role.

Jerry Weintraub is associated with franchise building. He was a producer for the original Karate Kid trilogy with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, as well as the attempted rework, The Next Karate Kid with Hilary Swank. He was also a producer on the Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen films. Supposedly the recent reworking of Nancy Drew he was producer on a few years ago, is likely to lead to another film, and another franchise. Obviously, yet another franchise is likely to be built then, beginning with the remake of The Karate Kid.

I am not saying that a Karate Kid remake should be set in Okinawa, Japan, and that Sonny Chiba should be in the mentor role. While I wouldn’t mind that, and I would be less critical going in, there are always other things of concern for the film team involved. Even if, from a purist standpoint, Sonny Chiba would have been a better pick, what pull does Chiba have with the broader family market? None, to be honest. Now, as for Jackie Chan, he has done plenty. Chan is the most logical pick, for bankability, and broader demographic. Over the years Jackie Chan has broadened his acting modes considerably. Chiba has as well, but where Chan has gone for more light hearted and family friendly roles, Chiba has gone for more dramatic. Certainly, this role will give Chan a more dramatic and less comedic role but still keep him within what is, for the most part, his present family friendly career arc.

The trailers I have seen up to this point make me feel that the working title of "The Kung Fu Kid" may have been the most accurate (and besides, the original working title would mean they wouldn’t owe DC Comics for the use of the name "Karate Kid" after the publisher’s thirty-first century martial artist character that was part of The Legion of Super-Heroes).

In the end, concerns could simply be alleviated by part of the promotion also being educational, and discussing the historical and social implications of karate’s origin as a fighting form. It could very well be that after seeing the film all will be revealed and work out to everybody’s satisfactions. I will have to see. Won’t we all?

At this time, The Karate Kid is set for a June 11 theatrical release.

The crash of a small civilian plane into a building in Austin, Tex., points up national vulnerabilities as US officials begin to investigate the incident.

The crash was an obvious reminder of what a pilot with ill intentions can do with an aircraft, and it undoubtedly raises questions about the ability of the US military and Department of Homeland Security to respond quickly and effectively.

Thousands of civilian planes fly within the general aviation system every day. But there are few regulations, laws, or security procedures that would prevent a pilot with ill intentions from using the plane for evil purposes. The pilot, named by officials as Joseph Andrew Stack, was apparently disturbed and had ranted about various concerns before posting a suicide note online and flying his plane into an office building in Austin.

Few ways to prevent a suicidal attack

“There are no security measures for this,” says Fred Burton, a counter-terrorism expert and vice president for intelligence at STRATFOR, a terrorist tracking firm based in Austin. “There are no counter measures to put into place that can stop this from occurring.”

The response of the US government after 9/11 focused primarily on commercial aviation, not general aviation, he says. “We need to rethink how we’re looking at this threat.”

Although it is virtually impossible to protect American infrastructure from such attacks, a higher level of security around even small airfields and a different mind-set about general aviation could diminish the risk, says Burton.

He notes the extent of the damage the plane had on the building, blowing out windows and setting it afire even though it hit the concrete slabs between floors. The crash reveals the vulnerabilities across the country, he said.

For example, Texas alone has hundreds of airports, including small airfields and airstrips on ranches that can be used as a launching pad for any terrorist threat against “softer” targets such as state capitol buildings or other office buildings that typically aren’t protected to the extent that many federal buildings are.

NORAD launched two F-16 fighters

North American Aerospace Defense Command launched two F-16 fighters to patrol the skies over Austin, Texas for a few hours after the plane crashed – a routine measure in the wake of 9/11. A spokesman for NORAD said the command responds to about 200 incidents per year, including a variety of violations and air incidents.

The military jets were sent from an airfield near Houston to conduct a patrol within minutes of the crash at a federal government building that houses Internal Revenue Service offices. The planes have since returned and landed, officials at NORAD said.

“This response from NORAD is a prudent precaution and consistent with our response to recent, similar air incidents,” said Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for NORAD