Review of The Next Karate Kid (1994) by Clark P — 20 Aug 2008
10 years after the release of the hugely successful 'The Karate Kid', a third sequel materialised but without the presence of series' star Ralph Macchio. For a pre-stardom Hilary Swank is Julie Pierce, 'The Next Karate Kid', a troubled teenager who is taken under the wing of series' regular Pat Morita in his Oscar-nominated role of Mr.
Miyagi. The movie is often unfairly dismissed as a tired cash-in on the popularity of the original trilogy. Yet 'The Next Karate Kid' is actually not a bad movie. Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi is always a joy to watch and Hilary Swank handles her role remarkably well.
The filmmakers manage to avoid a simple retread of the previous movies and there are some inspired moments. The only criticism is that the climax of the movie failed to generate the same excitement as it's predecessors.
But it's definitely worth a second glance.
This review of The Next Karate Kid (1994) was written by Clark P on 20 Aug 2008.
The Next Karate Kid has generally received mixed reviews.
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