PHOTO BY JONATHAN WENK / CMTG, INC.

The assembled characters in “Karate Kid Legends” are fond of repeating a zen-adjacent phrase: “Two branches, one tree.” In context, they’re referring to martial-arts styles; in practice, they’re referring to their own franchise.

One branch consists of the original series, which began with the 1984 hit and continued through three sequels. The other branch is solely composed of the 2010 film “The Karate Kid,” a latter-day sequel with only slight ties to the other films. Undoubtedly, this is the weaker — and largely forgotten — branch. It does, however, include Jackie Chan, who appeared in a role similar (and connected) to the sensei character played by the late Pat Morita. (Archival footage of Morita and Macchio, taken from “The Karate Kid Part II,” is used to underline the link between these characters.)

The plural in “Legends,” then, presumably refers to the meeting of the various notable characters across the franchise; advertising has largely focused on the meeting of Chan and original series star Ralph Macchio. In actuality, however, this film belongs to yet another new generation of characters; fortunately, they’re charming enough to succeed, with the help of a stalwart formula.

Li (Ben Wang), a teenage kung-fu student dealing with some recent trauma, is whisked away from his native Beijing when his mother (Ming-Na Wen) takes a job in New York. He’s devastated; in Beijing, he spent all his time studying under the amiable shifu Mr. Han (Chan). Fortunately, Manhattan offers fights of its own; he quickly becomes enamored with neighborhood pizza-shop heir Mia (Sadie Stanley), whose father (Joshua Jackson) is a former boxer with some bad debts.

The pizza shop is in trouble, and after a boxing match goes badly awry, the best idea anyone has to fix things involves Li winning a prestigious karate tournament. After Mr. Han flies in from China — and retrieves Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) from Mr. Miyagi’s former home in California — the lessons can begin.

“Karate Kid Legends” lacks the deliberate and inviting slowness that the original films used to great effect, and it relies too heavily on characters trying to stop one another from climbing into the ring. (What’s a fight movie without a bucket of clichés?) Fortunately, Wang fits nicely into the Macchio headband — figuratively and literally. Jackson, too, is a welcome presence — and while the meetup between Mr. Han and LaRusso is delayed, it is delightful.

Ultimately, we’re going to watch a character we like and a character we hate fight on a New York rooftop, with a golden-hour sunset in the background. However shaky the buildup, isn’t that exactly the sort of moment that draws us to the movies?

My Rating: 6/10

“Karate Kid Legends” is now playing in theaters.