The Next Karate Kid

The Next Karate Kid' has all the makings of a terrible movie, but it never quite becomes one. One reason might be that cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs just loves a beautiful picture. [10 Sep 1994, p.E6]

Overlong and utterly predictable, The Next Karate Kid offers little excitement, even in its culminating fight sequence.

This film feels like a desperate attempt to squeeze a few last bucks out of what was once a very obliging cash cow.

Clearly, three sequels haven’t improved Miyagi’s English, but there is something bitchin’ about seeing a babe give a bully a good thwack. Not that girls will go see this or boys will care.

Almost a guilty pleasure. But not quite.

The Next Karate Kid doesn't even try to achieve surface credibility. Under the patient ministrations of Miyagi, Julie metamorphoses from an angry tomboy into a loving, disciplined beauty in a matter of weeks. [10 Sep 1994, p.14]

The Next Karate Kid is equally pointless; a fourth installment of a series that stopped kicking and started creaking in round 2. [11 Sep 1994, p.18C]

6.5/10 The Next Karate Kid gradually grew on me, yes, Ralph Macchio absence was deeply felt, his presence was the heart and soul of the original Karate Kid trilogy, and without him, that special spark was noticeably missing, within the first 15 minutes, i already felt disappointed, particularly with the introduction of Julie Pierce, played by Hilary Swank, her character didn't resonate with me at first, lacking the immediate relatability that Daniel LaRusso had. But Mr. Miyagi solve everything doesn't he, his calm wisdom and genuine warmth breathe life into every relationship he forms, and his bond with Julie becomes the emotional core of the story, watching her gradually grow, not just in karate skill but in emotional maturity was satisfying, especially under Miyagi's unique and gentle guidance. The addition of the peace-loving monks added a quirky and entertaining dynamic, contributing some lighthearted moments reminiscent of the original films blend of humor and philosophy, still, i couldn't quite connect with Eric or the antagonists, the bad teacher and the gang lacked the depth or menace of figures like Johnny Lawrence or John Kreese from Cobra Kai. Despite its flaws and the absence of a key piece of the franchise, The Next Karate Kid still manages to deliver moments of charm, heart, and the enduring wisdom of Mr. Miyagi.

The Next Karate Kid é notável por dar ao público a chance de ver uma Hilary Swank, mas além de um desempenho tipicamente sólido de Pat Morita.

If anything, this last instalment gives a new light to the franchise by introducing the wonderfully played Julie. There is something to be said for The Next Karate Kid going for some other directions after 2 sequels of the same formula.

The main character is a stereotypical teen girl. The main antagonists are the stereotypical overly creepy and misogynistic high-school boys in black leather jackets that try to win her by being aggressive against her. There are a couple scenes that make no sense at all and were probably just made to capitalize off of current trends at the time. Mr. Miyagi remains to be an enjoyable character, but that's about all I can give it.

I don't understand why this came about. If it was supposed to be a girl version or something. I don't know. But it was totally unnecessary. But I'll start with the good stuff. I love the Karate Kid series and I've seen the whole trilogy, and I've seen the Cobra Kai series, so I ended up picking this up to get the full thing. I don't regret it because I got to see Mr. Miyagi again, which was nice, but that's about it. The story was pretty much nothing for me. The location wasn't great either, although the monastery was still more interesting than Okinawa in my opinion, but still not much. I just don't get it. I take it that it was simply a case of milking the brand and they wanted to make some more money from the series. This was so unnecessary. For me, a bad movie that I don't recommend even to fans of the franchise.