THE NEXT KARATE KID

US, 1994, 102 minutes, Colour.
Noriyuki (Pat) Morita, Hilary Swank, Michael Ironside, Constance Towers, Chris Conrad.
Directed by Christopher Cain.

The Next Karate Kid is episode four in the series. During the 80s, John G. Avildsen directed a pleasing series with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. Now that Daniel has grown up, Mr Miyagi is getting older and semi-retired. Honoured with the widow of the American leader that he served with, he attends a ceremony, goes to her home and encounters her angry granddaughter Julie. Julie is portrayed by Hilary Swank, five years before she won the Oscar for Boys Don't Cry. Michael Ironside appears as his usual tough military leader with the fascist touch.

The film does not have as much action and training as the previous films, although Julie accompanies Mr Miyagi to a Buddhist monastery where she learns the basic techniques of karate. There are a few fights, obviously building up to a grand finale where Julie confronts the leader of a group of elite students being trained by Michael Ironside.

The film focuses on the relationship between Julie and Mr Miyagi, his being able to transform her from an angry young girl, grieving over her parents' death in a car accident, to a young woman who has faith in herself and the ability to relate to other people, especially another student, Eric, played by Chris Conrad.

Nothing particularly new except that the next Karate Kid is a girl.

1. An enjoyable part of the series of the Karate Kid and the training by Mr Miyagi? Audience knowledge of the other three films, their popularity?

2. The importance of karate, not just as a fighting technique, with Mr Miyagi's counselling against fighting, but as something in the inner person, giving them focus, concentration, indeed some spirituality? How was this exemplified in Mr Miyagi himself, in his training of Julie, in her growing response, to the Buddhist monks and their spirituality? The picture of the training techniques, the movements, the leaps, the fight skills? Combined with the Buddhist spirituality of the monastery, eating in common, Julie and her wanting to kill the cockroach and not understanding the gift of life, her later finding the grasshopper and returning it to the monk, her finding her own inner peace and self-confidence?

3. The Boston settings, the inner city contrasting with the beauty of the monastery with its Japanese garden and the meaning of the garden and its spirituality as explained by Mr Miyagi?

4. The opening, the focus on Japanese- Americans, the background of their history during the war - and the sometimes still unresolved hurt experienced by the Japanese Americans? The opening speech, the award to Mr Miyagi and the widow of his leader? Their going home, the meal, the initial encounter with the angry Julie?

5. The widow, her trying to educate Julie, their clashes, fights? The decision to go away to Mr Miyagi's house, Mr Miyagi staying and looking after Julie? Her initial negative response, offhand manner with him, not wanting to be told what to do?

6. Julie at school, looking after Angel, Ned and the squad and their antagonism towards her, violence? Her watching Eric and his encounters with the colonel, his being humiliated? Mr Miyagi watching? Her discussions with Eric after he was to take her to her classroom, getting him to feed Angel while she was away, his work as a security guard, his wanting her to miss him and her agreement?

7. Colonel Dugan, his squad, the tough training, an elitist group to manage the school, his rigid interpretation of rules, ordering Mr Miyagi off the school property? His relentlessness, his dislike of Eric, Eric punching him in the exercise? His wanting revenge?

8. Julie and Mr Miyagi, her fascination with him, his enigmatic sayings? Drawing on his experience, his Buddhist spirituality? His observing her at school? Seeing her almost hit by the car, realising she knew karate moves? The bargain to teach her if she would do her homework? Polishing the car? The gradual learning, inviting her to go to the monastery?

9. In the monastery, her gaffes at the table with the cockroach, with the food, noisy? Her learning to respect the ways of life of the monks, being friendly with them? The training and her initial failures, the building up of confidence, being blindfold? Inner focus? The return, her inviting the monks to visit?

10. Her return, friendship with Eric, Ned having taken Angel, her recovering him from the animal shelter? Mr Miyagi persuading her to let him go - as an image also of her own freedom? The clashes at school, Dugan and his hostility? The build-up to the prom, Mr Miyagi and his awkwardness buying the dress? Eric's arrival, the monks' arrival - the dance, the romantic atmosphere? The aftermath, Ned challenging Eric, going to the wharves, the group and their bashing Eric, incited by the colonel? Julie and Mr Miyagi arriving none too soon? The confrontation between Julie and Ned, her winning even though blinded by the sand? The colonel and his confrontation of Mr Miyagi, his loss, loss of face, the group disillusioned with him?

11. Julie and her self-confidence? Mr Miyagi and his role as a teacher? A genial picture of how to educate angry young people into a more positive approach to life?