The Next Karate Kid

The Next Karate Kid
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Christopher Cain
Written by	Mark Lee
Based on	The Karate Kid byRobert Mark Kamen
Produced by	Jerry Weintraub
Starring	Noriyuki "Pat" Morita Hilary Swank Michael Ironside
Cinematography	László Kovács
Edited by	Ronald Roose
Music by	Bill Conti
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	August 12, 1994(1994-08-12)
Running time	107 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$12 million
Box office	$15.8 million

The Next Karate Kidis a 1994 Americanmartial artsdrama filmdirected byChristopher Cain,produced byJerry Weintraub,and written by Mark Lee. It serves as the fourth installment in theKarate Kidfranchise,followingThe Karate Kid Part III(1989). It starsHilary Swank(in her first theatrical appearance in a starring role) asJulie Pierce,andPat Moritareprising his role asMr. Miyagifrom the first three films, withConstance Towers,Chris Conrad,Michael Cavalieri,Walton Goggins,andMichael Ironsidein supporting roles.Bill Conti,the composer of the previous films, returned to score the fourth. It is the first film in the series not to featureRalph Macchioin the lead role asDaniel LaRusso.

Produced and distributed byColumbia Pictures,The Next Karate Kidwas released on August 12, 1994, to generally unfavorable reviews from critics.

Plot

Mr. Miyagitravels toArlington National Cemeteryfor a commendation forJapanese-Americanswho fought in the442nd Regimental Combat TeamduringWorld War II.He meets Louisa Pierce, the widow of his commanding officerJack Pierce,and they both listen to the opening speech given bySenator Daniel Inouye.

At Pierce's home inBoston,Miyagi is also introduced to Pierce's granddaughter,Julie,a teen struggling with anger issues due to her parents' death in a car accident. Her behavior has led to friction between Julie and her grandmother, along with her fellow students and teachers. She sneaks into the school at night to care for an injuredHarris's hawknamed "Angel," which she keeps in a pigeon coop on the roof.

Miyagi invites Louisa to stay at his house in Los Angeles to enjoy tending his garden while he remains in Boston as Julie's caretaker. At school, Julie meets and befriends Eric McGowen, a teenage security guard-in-training and a pledge for a shady school securityfraternity,the Alpha Elite. The members are taught to enforce the school rules, mostly using physical force, by a self-styled colonel, Paul Dugan. His toughest and most aggressive student is the short-fused Ned Randall, who makes unwelcome sexual advances upon Julie.

When Julie survives almost being hit by a car by jumping into atiger position,she finally learns to confide in Miyagi when he recognizes her skill. She reveals she was taught karate by her father, who learned from her grandfather, Miyagi's student.

While trying to feed Angel one night, Julie is detected by the Alpha Elite, who chase her through the school. Although she escapes them, she is arrested by the police and gets suspended for two weeks by Dugan. Miyagi uses this time to take Julie to aBuddhistmonasteryto teach her the true ways of karate and how to handle her anger issues. Julie learns through direct lessons about balance, coordination, awareness, and respect for all life. She befriends the monks, who eventually have a birthday party for her, giving her a cake and an arrow that Miyagi had caught in mid-flight in a demonstration ofZen archery.They also concede to her wish that they visit her in Boston, where they go bowling with Miyagi. A local player challenges them, loses the match, and accepts their tutelage in how to bowl a strike blind.

Upon returning to school, Julie discovers that Angel was found by Ned, who called animal control. Miyagi assists Julie in releasing the bird back to the wild, usingthe pain suppression technique from the first filmto heal her broken wing. In preparation for theprom,Miyagi teaches Julie how to dance, and buys her a dress. Julie goes to the prom with Eric, but under Dugan's orders, the Alpha Elite bungee-jump in. When one of the members breaks his arm, Eric shows concern, but Ned tells him to stay out of it.

Eric drives Julie home and kisses her. Ned follows them and smashes the windows of Eric's car with a baseball bat. Ned challenges him to a fight at the docks, and is joined there by Dugan and the Alpha Elite. They set fire to Eric's car and severely beat him, but he is saved by Julie and Miyagi. Ned tries to grab Julie, but she challenges him to a fight. She holds her own, using the karate she has learned, even when Ned throws sand in her face. Julie defeats Ned and turns her back on him. Dugan bullies the rest of the group to continue the fight, but they refuse. Miyagi challenges Dugan to a fight and wins, leading the Alpha Elite to abandon him. The film concludes with Angel flying freely above the water.

Cast

Main article:List of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai characters

• Noriyuki "Pat" MoritaasMr. Miyagi
• Hilary SwankasJulie Pierce
• Michael IronsideasColonel Paul Dugan
• Constance TowersasLouisa Pierce
• Chris ConradasEric McGowen
• Sonny TrinidadasAbbot Monk
• Michael Cavalieri asNed Randall
• Walton GogginsasCharlie
• Senator Daniel Inouyeas Himself (cameo)
• Frank Welkeras Angel the Hawk (voice)

Reception

The Next Karate Kidwas critically panned upon release in 1994,although many critics praised the performances of Morita and Swank, and it is still considered to be Swank’s breakout role.

On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,it holds an approval of 7% with an average score of 3.80/10 based on 29 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "The Next Karate Kidis noteworthy for giving audiences the chance to see a pre-Oscars Hilary Swank, but other than a typically solid performance from Pat Morita, this unnecessary fourth installment in the franchise has very little to offer ".OnMetacritic,the film has a weighted average score of 36 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

The Next Karate Kidwas the least successful movie of the series at the domestic box office. The total box office gross forThe Next Karate Kidwas $8.9 million ($16.71 million when adjusted for 2021 inflation), compared to $90.8 million ($247.27 million in 2021) for the original, $115.1 million ($274.72 million in 2021) forPart II,$38.9 million ($80.75 million in 2021) forPart III,and $171.8 million ($217.01 million in 2021) for the 2010Karate Kid.

Year-end lists

• Dishonorable mention – Dan Craft,The Pantagraph

Home media

The film was released on DVD on August 28, 2001. A manufacture-on-demand Blu-ray release was released on September 6, 2016, as part of Sony's Choice Collection. It was later reissued as a "double feature" Blu-ray withThe Karate Kid Part IIIby Mill Creek Entertainment on January 8, 2019.

See also

• List of female action heroes and villains

External links

• Official trailer
• The Next Karate KidatIMDb
• The Next Karate KidatAllMovie
• The Next Karate KidatBox Office Mojo
• The Next Karate KidatRotten Tomatoes
• How Julie Pierce Paved The Way - Character Analysis/Theory,April 30, 2021