Yeah, I know, it’s a remake. And, yeah, you sorta know what’s going to happen from the first frame. The by-the-numbers, feelgood franchise (1984-94) ended up in shlock-pop purgatory, even though the Pat Morita/Ralph Macchio original (and it’s 1986 sequel) had heart.

But you know what? This one’s better.

The reboot of “The Karate Kid” has a lot going for it. In no particular order, it has China—the real China—from the Forbidden City and the Great Wall to a glimpse of culture and personality and daily life in the streets. It’s got Jackie Chan, in probably his best U.S. performance since “Shanghai Noon.” I’ve been a Chan fan since 1978’s “Drunken Master.” Chan is much more somber— not to mention sober— in this one, and it’s a nice facet.

It’s got Jaden Smith, perhaps the next future superstar of the new millennia. It’s nice to see the kid in a role where he does more than whine—although when you lose your home (“The Pursuit of Happyness”) or your planet (“The Day the Earth Stood Still”), I guess a certain amount of whining is to be expected.

Still, the young Mr. Smith (his father is Will, his mother Jada Pinkett-) does a superb job of kung-fu fighting as well as overall emoting. His scenes with Chan have a depth and sincerity missing from the ’84 original. I sense a Hollywood dynasty in the making, and from what I’ve been able to glean from various sources, it couldn’t happen to a nicer family.

But I digress. Dre (Smith) and his widowed mom (Teraji P. Henson) arrive in Bejing, where the slight Dre is quickly accosted by martial-art bullies. After a few nasty encounters, his building’s reclusive maintenance man, Mr. Han (Chan), intercedes. Dre begs the man to teach him kung-fu— at first for all the wrong reasons and eventually for all the right ones, so Mr. Han agrees.

“The Karate Kid” is off and running.

If you’re a fan of the first “Karate Kid,” this one’s a gently pleasing, gently ass-kicking (Dre’s words, not mine) surprise. It’s a sweet coming-of-age tale, a lightweight romance (with Wen Wen Han), and every 90-pound schoolkid’s fantasy revenge. Director Nicole Holofcener has made a couple of marvelous dramas in her career. Her 2006 gem “Friends with Money” was one of the best ensemble films to date—and I think “Please Give” has the same potential pedigree.

Catherine Keener (a Holofcener staple) and the everwatchable Oliver Platt play Kate and Alex, a superficially happy, apartment-dwelling NYC couple who own an estate sale furniture store.

Recently, Kate’s been feeling guilty about making her living off the dearly departed. Next door’s crotchety old lady Andra (Ann Guibert), visited frequently by granddaughters Rebecca and Mary (Rebecca Hall, Amanda Peet), has one foot in the grave. That’s worth mentioning because “Please Give” (and sorry, but it’s a corny title) is a coming-of-age tale when coming and going are sometimes the same thing.

It’s a somber story about baby boomers approaching that final frontier (i.e., the great beyond) and fretting all the way there. Kate and Alex want to expand their apartment as soon as Andra’s gone, common knowledge that makes for some awkward neighborly conversations.

Rebecca and Mary are troubled 20-somethings. Their mom committed suicide way back when, so one can understand the baggage they’re carrying.

Kate is also carrying angst— enough for a small village—but we never know why. She’s increasingly despondent, seeing tortured lives where none exists. She wants to volunteer her time—presumably to bring happiness to others—but she doesn’t have enough to give, and she’s reduced to handing out 10s and 20s to the local homeless.

Even these efforts are mostly thwarted, hapless Kate being one of those lost souls with a golden heart but a brass touch. One assumes that “Please Give” is a directive to her alone, to give not from the wallet but from within—and yet director Holofcener never allows us that reach.

This is a nice character study, a noble and gentle film, but it lacks sufficient depth. It’s also unrelentingly solemn—not necessarily a bad element for drama, but just when we think Kate’s coming up for air, she instead gulps down more anxiety, and so do we. Yes, there’s a glimpse of Kate’s redemption, but like the light at the end of a long tunnel, there’s still a lot of hard pavement between here and there.