As a big fan of the Karate Kid films as a kid, I always loved the dynamic of Mr. Miyagi and Daniel. By the time I got a little older, “The Next Karate Kid” came out with a new lead and I had very little interest in seeing it. I don’t even recall why, but I just didn’t want to see this movie. As I grew older, I grew curious about this movie. I had read a lot of negative reviews about this film but as any of my readers know, I don’t always agree with the critics but I usually make my case for why I like or don’t like a film.
“The Next Karate Kid” sees Mr. Miyagi agree to watch over Julie, the granddaughter of his former commander and friend during the war. After seeing Julie do a martial arts style jump, Mr. Miyagi inquires where she learned it to do that. Upon learning that her grandfather taught her some moves, Mr. Miyagi reveals that he taught her grandfather martial arts and that he would like to train her. After Julie gets suspended from school, Mr. Miyagi takes her to train with monks. Upon her return, she goes to a school dance and her date is confronted and beat up by a group of bullies. Along with Mr. Miyagi, the pair take on the bullies during the climax of the film.
So, what are my thoughts on this movie? Well...I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. Now, this isn’t the best movie ever, nor is it the best Karate Kid movie, but it was better than I thought it would be. The film is not without it’s faults but I actually think having Mr. Miyagi train a new student was the best route for a sequel. This film reminds me a bit of “The Greatest American Heroine”, the failed spin-off of “The Greatest American Hero” which saw a female take over as the lead. I wish more time had been spent showing Julie training. Though some may consider training montages to be a bit of cinematic cheating, they are effective and move the plot along while giving you a sense time has went into a character’s training.
John G. Avildsen, director of the first three Karate Kid movies, sat this entry out. Christopher Cain (adopted father of former Superman Dean Cain) takes over the director’s chair. Cain doesn’t have the visual mastery Avildsen had but is passable.
Hilary Swank makes her big screen debut in this film. Swank gives a very solid performance especially for her age at the time. Noriyuki “Pat” Morita gives his final performance as Mr. Miyagi. Morita’s character is given more of a backstory in this movie which he deserved. Michael Ironside delivers yet another solid performance as the villain of this movie. Walton Goggins from “Justified” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp” also has a small role in the film which was fun to see.
Much like “The Karate Kid Part III”, this movie doesn’t feel super necessary, but overall this film is more enjoyable than the third part. “The Next Karate Kid” isn’t perfect but is about on par with most 90s action films.
Grade: C+
Now...I would like to note that the kind folks at Mill Creek Entertainment provided me a review copy of this film (which is now available in stores). The picture quality and audio are both very good. The release has a simple to navigate menu in which you just pick which movie you want to watch (the film was released with “The Karate Kid Part III” as well) and it starts right up. Thank you again Mills Creek Entertainment!
Now...I would like to note that the kind folks at Mill Creek Entertainment provided me a review copy of this film (which is now available in stores). The picture quality and audio are both very good. The release has a simple to navigate menu in which you just pick which movie you want to watch (the film was released with “The Karate Kid Part III” as well) and it starts right up. Thank you again Mills Creek Entertainment!
No comments:
Post a Comment