Product Description Noriyuki "Pat" Morita and Acacemy Award� winner Hilary Swank co-star in this story of a rebellious teen, Julie, who blossoms with a little help from her friends - in this case, the wise Mr. Miyagi and a trio of buddhist monks! .com A vast improvement over its immediate predecessor, The Karate Kid III, this appealingly understated 1994 drama features a compelling performance by Hilary Swank, who would later win a Best Actress Oscar for her work in Boys Don't Cry. Swank plays 17-year-old Julie Pierce, the recently orphaned and troubled granddaughter of an old war buddy of Miyagi Yakuga (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, the lone holdover from the previous Karate Kid films). Harassed at school by adolescent boys under the sway of an evil coach (Michael Ironside), Julie reluctantly finds refuge in the calm teachings of Mr. Miyagi. While the film's violence is as contrived and silly as that of the other KK features, the script provides exotic compensations via a subplot set in a peaceful Buddhist monastery. Still, it's Morita's crafty professionalism and Swank's emotional authenticity that makes this film more watchable than anyone might have expected. --Tom Keogh
A**R
Nice movie.
We enjoyed watching the monks dance.
N**R
Great movie
Great movie
K**N
2nd Best in the Series, Negative reviews undeserved
Honestly I think people didn't like it because it was a female lead. Hilary was a phenomenal actress. The finale move was the best, most climatic move out of all the movies. The fight scenes were better choreographed than the others as well.The called this movie a coming of age story. Funny thing is, all of the karate kids were a coming of age story. The boy versions all centered on young love, bullies, discipline and self-respect. Julie found young love, self-discipline, values and respect of self as well as human-life... no difference. Both kids, were without their parents only Daniel's mom was alive. This movie was amazing, I'd want my daughter to watch this movie and aspire to be like Julie.
K**E
SO much better than the third movie!
I am SO glad that this one was not as bad as KK3. The plot is interesting, Mr. Miyagi is acting like himself again, and Hillary Swank is a great actress. The very beginning was a little shaky, but after that the movie became very good.This movie has the idea of the first one somewhat, but featuring a quick-tempered girl, Julie. Mr. Miyagi is staying at her house while her grandmother goes to his house for some peace and quiet. Miyagi first has to earn Julie's respect during his stay. While he is there, he teaches her Kata for self-defense against a guy she hates, as well as how to dance for the upcoming prom. It may sound cliché, but when you see it you will like it.Mr. Miyagi also takes Julie to a Buddhist monastery, with monks who turn out to be quite humorous. The best part is when they visit Julie's house and go "Zen bowling" on her prom night.Overall, this was a great comeback from the horrible KK3. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is nothing can truly match up to the original Karate Kid. My advice? Buy the DVD of this one and the original, skip KK2 and KK3. This is the perfect sequel for the first one, as it does not ruin the charactars.
S**R
Great
Great
D**L
Karate Kid series
This movie is rarely talked about in the Karate Kid series, but well worth watching. Highly recommended.
K**H
Love a bad girl
Hilary Swank takes over as The Next Karate Kid bringing a sense of charm and love to the film. Not one of the best but very fun to watch. Hilary Swank plays Julie- a very bitter & angry young woman who is having a hard time dealing with the death of her parents dying in a car accident. Miyagi (the late great Pat Morita) takes on the dawning task of trying to help Julie channel her inner anger by helping her the way he knows best: The art of Miyagi-do karate. He soon discovers girls are far more different than boys dealing with her stubborn attitude & violent mood swings. But in the end, Julie finds the mentor & father figure in her troubled life well needed to help her own a sense of belonging & balance in her life to help her cope with all things around her & going on.
S**P
a favorite movie - and important message for all of us
A comedy drama coming of age story that shows how to live a peaceful life in this world. The lessons are genuine. The chemistry between student Julie (played by Hilary Swank) and spiritual martial arts teacher Mr. Miyagi (played by Pat Morita) is excellent. Speaking as a Zen Buddhist minister familiar with martial arts instruction, the lessons are genuine. Unusually, the depiction of the Zen monastery is respectful, intriguing, and not too far off in details. It gives us something rarely seen in movies: a glimpse at a deeper world beyond the drama of seeking to live well in daily life, a way of living that can guide and inspire us all.And the Zen bowling scene is a hilarious send-up of people like me! I loved it!
Trustpilot
5 days ago
2 months ago
