The Next Karate Kid (1994)

A surprise. I quite liked this one. There may not be anything outstanding, or even massively good, about <em>'The Next Karate Kid'</em>, but I actually felt content with what I had just watched when the end credits came along. It turns into a sweet story, even after a fairly rocky start. The villains are meh, a little iffy but fine... far better than those from <em>'The Karate Kid Part III'</em>, that's for sure. Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi) is a little cliché-filled but still super endearing and likeable. A young Hilary Swank, in her first major film role, brings a solid performance as Julie. At first I wasn't convinced, but by the end I felt like I saw a positive journey with the character. In my opinion, it's the best sequel to 1984's <em>'The Karate Kid'</em>. That's a big surprise, considering the downward trajectory of the preceding two. Don't get me wrong, it's close to being a not so good film. However, for me, it just about floats above the required marker. I like it, can't lie.