Movie Reviews for The Next Karate Kid

The Next Karate Kid

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Movie Reviews of The Next Karate Kid

Movie Review: Fine movie but really not the series's sequel
Summary: 3 Stars

If you love the Karate Kid series, you probably like the original casts, and you want to know what's going on with them after the first, second, and third sequels, and so on. You feel being with them and share their adventure one after anothers. That's what the series for. In this "The Next Karate Kid", Miyagi is the only one from original series casting. Although this movie is good and great performance from Hilary Swank (the new karate gal named Julie), it really does not fit in the series. It is more like a side story for Mr. Miyagi but mainly focuses on the new karate gal Julie. I'm a bit disappointed.

Movie Review: YEAAAHHH....
Summary: 3 Stars

This wasn't a bad movie--it wasn't the best either. Yes I will watch it when it's on tv, but other than that I can do without it. Opposed to what others have said, i think that KK3 was better than this one. To me that one had a lot of emotion.

Movie Review: No More Macchio
Summary: 3 Stars

Freed from the thrall of that eternal but tedious teen idol, Ralph Macchio, this is easily the best of the "Karate Kid" installments. Hilary Swank is an altogether "winning" heroine.

Movie Review: A Sad End To a Great Series
Summary: 2 Stars

Giving you a brief rundown of where I stand, I thought Part 1 was excellent. I thought Part 2 was even better. I didn't like Part 3 as much, but it did have an interesting theme as well as some great moments. This 4th chapter was really a sad end to this great series. Mr. Myagi is still in great form, but there are not many other good things I can say about this 4th chapter. In Daniel's absence, Myagi trains Julie Pierce (Hilary Swank). Julie is a really nasty girl, and even though she has some redeeming points, she fails to endear herself to us the way Daniel did depsite his faults. Moving on, Julie finds herself getting into trouble at her school which is controlled by bullies. The ringleader Colonel Dugan (Ironside) is too put it mildly, a major jerk who carries no charm. In Part 1, Kreese carried a charm despite his psychosis. In 2, Sato was frightening, but we never really forgot that he had some redeeming points. We can also speculate that Kreese or Sato would have destroyed Dugan with one hand tied behind their back, without even breaking a sweat. Most of the fight scenes in this movie are forced and unconvincing. (Especially the fight at the service station.) Moving on, Julie in a sympathetic moment gets suspended from school. Mr. Myagi takes her to a monastery. There, Julie cause some havoc by trying to kill a cockroach. In the high point of this movie, Myagi has to explain to Julie that ALL life is sacred to the monks. (A deep profound moment in this weak movie. This is the one gem in this 4th chapter. ) Moving on, Julie goes back to school. In an absurd scene at the dance, Julie's friend Erick gets into a fight with Dugan's bootlicker Ned. This leads to a totally preposterous street confrontation. While the street fight in "Rocky V" was actually quite plausible, the street fight in this weak KK 4 was a sad way to end this series. On the + side, there was some satisfaction in seeing Myagi easily trash Dugan. In one saving moment, Myagi gives Julie a proverb: "Fighting not good. But if must fight, win." Compare Julie's comment: "Mr. Myagi, we kicked butt," to Daniel's beautiful comment: "Mr. Myagi, we did it!" Being totally honest, Mr. Myagi did the best he could in this poor movie, and there was the profound scene in the monastery. But try comparing this 4th chapter to Part 1, 2, or even 3. See if 4 is ANYWHERE near as good as one of the other 3. While Director John Avildsen faithfully stayed at the Directing Helm from parts 1 to 3, he was smart to not have anything to do with this miserable 4th one. With all respect to Director John Avildsen, even his great directing could not have saved this doomed 4th chapter.

Movie Review: Missing Something
Summary: 2 Stars

This movie was alright but it is seriously lacking something. I watched it when it came out on VHS and I kept on waiting for Daniel to show up or hell be mentioned but in this movie it was as though he never exsisted and isn't Daniel supposed to be living with his mentor in CA? So if this is the case and his mentor sent the grandmother to CA to his house shouldn't he have warned her about Daniel being there at least? They could have mentioned what happend to Daniel but in this movie they totally scratch him out and this movie is lacking because of it. Another thing is this movie doesn't touch the other three in any way shape or form. Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio had an on screen chemistry that you just couldn't denye was there and it made the movies all that much better but Pat and Hilary don't have that same chemisty that made Pat and Ralph such a great acting team and it shows in the movie. Also the other Karate Kid movies each have a theme to them especially the second one and this one leaves you with no theme what so ever except bullies always get what they deserve in the end which is a tad over done by this installment and the fight scene at the end is a little over done as I think they were aiming for the same affect they had in the Karate Kid II but they missed it by a long shot. Over all this movie is pretty good. Has some good moments but it should not have been a stand a lone movie all on its own in my opinion as it could have been much better then.
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