The Next Karate Kid
Movie, 1994, Miyagi-Do, Set in Boston
The Next Karate Kid is #4 of 7 in release order and #4 of 7 in chronological order in the The Karate Kid.
The story
Mr. Miyagi decides to take Julie, a troubled teenager, under his wing after he learns that she blames herself for her parents' demise and struggles to adjust with her grandmother and fellow pupils.
The Next Karate Kid recap
Mr. Miyagi attends a ceremony at Arlington for Japanese-American veterans and meets Louisa Pierce, widow of his old commanding officer. Her granddaughter Julie, angry and withdrawn since her parents died in a car crash, is in trouble at her Boston school, where she secretly cares for an injured hawk on the roof. Miyagi stays in Boston to look after Julie while Louisa house-sits for him in Los Angeles. At school, a group called the Alpha Elite, a security club run by the bullying Colonel Dugan, harasses Julie, and their member Ned frames her when she rejects him. Julie reveals her father taught her karate and asks Miyagi to train her. He takes her to a Buddhist monastery, where she learns balance and respect for life. Ned has her hawk taken away, and she and Miyagi free it.
The Next Karate Kid ending explained
After the prom, Ned and the Alpha Elite burn the car of Julie's date Eric and beat him at the docks. Julie challenges Ned and beats him, and when Dugan orders his boys to keep fighting, they refuse. Miyagi defeats Dugan, and the Alpha Elite abandon him. Julie has learned to let go of her anger, and the film ends with her hawk flying free over the water.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Next Karate Kid
The Next Karate Kid is streaming on YouTube (free) in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 4.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 20%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Karate Kid Part III, before The Karate Kid.
- Chronological order: after The Karate Kid Part III, before The Karate Kid.
What to watch before The Next Karate Kid
In release order, the essentials before The Next Karate Kid (1994) are The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). The Next Karate Kid itself is optional in the The Karate Kid order.
Cast
- Pat Morita as Miyagi
- Hilary Swank as Julie Pierce
- Michael Ironside as Dugan
- Constance Towers as Louisa
- Chris Conrad as Eric
- Arsenio Trinidad as Abbot Monk
- Michael Cavalieri as Ned
- Walton Goggins as Charlie
- Jim Ishida as Tall Monk
- Rodney Kageyama as Monk
- Seth Sakai as Buddhist Monk
- Eugene Boles as Mr. Wilkes
Directed by Christopher Cain.