The Next Karate Kid (1994)
Average Rating: 3.7/10
Reviews Counted: 26
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 24
The Next Karate Kid is 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.
Average Rating: 3.1/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 0 | Rotten: 8
The Next Karate Kid is 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.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.6/5
User Ratings: 60,508
Movie Info
Karate Kid, Part 4 is better known by its release title, The Next Karate Kid. The sole holdover from the first three KK flicks is Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, once more cast as janitor/martial arts maven Miyagi Yakuga. This time, his pupil is orphaned 17-year-old Hilary Swank, the granddaughter of Miyagi's war buddy. Relentlessly bullied by her male classmates and feeling responsible for her parents' fatal accident, Swank is taught self-worth through the tough-but-gentle guidance of Miyagi. While The
Aug 28, 2001
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Noriyuki 'Pat' Morit...
Miyagi -
Hilary Swank
Julie Pierce -
Michael Ironside
Colonel Dugan -
Constance Towers
Louisa -
Chris Conrad
Eric -
Arsenio "Sonny" Trin...
Abbot Monk -
-
Fred Fontana
Dusty -
-
-
Rodney Kageyama
Monk -
Annette Miller
Sales Woman -
Seth Sakai
Buddist Monk -
Brian Smiar
O'Connor -
Eugene Boles
Mr. Wilkes -
Gustave Johnson
Wison -
-
-
Bud Ekins
Jack Russell -
Tom O'Brien
Gabe
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (26) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (2) | Rotten (24) | DVD (5)
The Next Karate Kid is harmless as children's entertainment, but for 104 very long minutes, there isn't a recognizable human being in sight.
Top CriticThe overt message of any Karate Kid movie: Don't fight unless you absolutely have to. The implicit message: You'll always have to. Let the smitings begin!
While the message that a girl can defend herself against the boys threatening her is a good one, it's lost in a movie where the bullies look like Mussolini's bodyguards and where Julie waits for her boyfriend and Miyagi to come to her defense.
Only the reasonably-appealing performances of Morita and newcomer Swank keep it all from becoming even more of a loser.
Not that girls will go see this or boys will care.
The franchise is still kicking -- but not very high.
A few pre-prom dance lessons are the only significant departure from the tried and tested chop-socky formula, although Michael Ironside is good value as Swank's sinister gym teacher.
Amid its familiar banalities and formula twists, The Next Karate Kid comes up with one new idea for dealing with difficult American teen-agers: ship 'em off to a Buddhist monastery for two weeks!
This desperate attempt to keep the franchise alive and kicking resorts to a backhanded kind of political correctness: introducing a surly teenage girl karate expert who goes around talking about "kicking butt."
Swank and Morita make a personable pair, enough so that we don't miss Macchio. The monks exude a benevolent presence in a film less trivial than it could have been.
Violent sequel doesn't benefit from gender change.
...a weak sequel that boasts few compelling attributes aside from Pat Morita's expectedly stirring turn as Mr. Miyagi.
Almost a guilty pleasure. But not quite.
Overlong and utterly predictable, The Next Karate Kid offers little excitement, even in its culminating fight sequence.
Desperately trying to infuse new blood into the 1980s franchise, the fourth installment is a hodgepodge that fashions recycled ideas and characters; the rebllious girl is played Hilary Swank, who would go to Oscar glory.
Swank, here demonstrating that for as wooden and exasperating as her performance is in this picture, it's the only performance she's ever contributed to any film.
Formula still grabs, even with Swank as "Kid"
One time to the well too many.
The film does have a few warm moments and is at its best when simply developing the relationship between Miyagi and Julie. But, as you might expect, those moments are few and far between and overshadowed by all the ludicrous plotting.
Audience Reviews for The Next Karate Kid
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Movies Like The Next Karate Kid
-
- Miyagi: Julie-san, fighting not good. But if must fight... win.
-
- Miyagi: Boys are much easier!
Discussion Forum
What's Hot On RT
New Desolation of Smaug trailer!
Naomi Watts is Princess Di
Gravity sets new record
Trailer for a squirrely heist flick
See what's on TV tonight
Latest News on The Next Karate Kid
November 26, 2005:
Sayonara, Miyagi-SanFor over two decades he endeared himself to young moviegoers as the sage, kind mentor Mr. Miyagi;...
August 11, 2005:
Voight and Davidovich Sign on for Cain's "Dawn"Jon Voight and Lolita Davidovich will star in Christopher Cain's "September Dawn," says...
Fresh Links
Featured
Halloween Movies For Wimps
Scary movies too scary for you? Here are some alternatives for October 31st.
10 Best Superhero TV Shows
HitFix combs through TV history to compile a superpowered list.
Ridiculous Movie Mistakes
RollingStone proves even the best movies miss a details here and there.
Deadly Movie Kids
Moviefone lists 11 Movie Kids Who Could Kick Our Asses.
50 States, 50 Movies
For July 4th, TimeOut has compiled 50 state-specific movie choices.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- NYFF: Joaquin Phoenix and James Gray talk The Immigrant 1
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Gravity Stuns with Record $55M Launch 37
- Primetime Preview: Witches of East End, Once Upon a Time and More 2
- Weekly Ketchup: Disney Plans Live Action Cruella de Vil Movie 36
- Primetime Preview: Last Man Standing, The Neighbors and More 5
- Critics Consensus: Gravity is Certified Fresh 68
- Parental Guidance: Gravity and Parkland 3
Top Headlines
