The Next Karate Kid

The Next Karate Kid is a 1994 American martial arts drama film directed by Christopher Cain, produced by Jerry Weintraub, and written by Mark Lee. It is the fourth installment in The Karate Kid franchise and serves as a standalone sequel to The Karate Kid Part III (1989). The film stars Hilary Swank (in her first theatrical appearance in a starring role) as Julie Pierce, and Pat Morita reprising his role as Mr. Miyagi from the first three films (the only original cast member to return in this film and his final involvement with the Karate Kid franchise before his death in 2005), with Constance Towers, Chris Conrad, Michael Cavalieri, Walton Goggins, and Michael Ironside in supporting roles. Bill Conti, the composer of the previous films, returned to score the fourth. It is the first installment in the franchise not to feature Ralph Macchio in the lead role as Daniel LaRusso, and the first film not to be directed by John G. Avildsen, who directed the first three films.

Produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures, The Next Karate Kid was released on August 12, 1994, to negative reviews by critics and became the lowest-grossing film in the franchise.

Mr. Miyagi travels to Arlington National Cemetery for a commendation for Japanese-Americans who fought in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. He is referred to as "Keisuke Miyagi" during the ceremony. While there he also meets Louisa Pierce, the widow of his commanding officer Jack Pierce, and they both listen to the opening speech given by fellow veteran and Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye.

At Pierce's home in Boston, Miyagi is also introduced to Pierce's granddaughter, Julie, a teen struggling with anger issues due to her parents' death in a car crash. Her behavior has led to friction between Julie and her grandmother, along with her fellow students and teachers. She sneaks into the school at night to care for an injured Harris's hawk named "Angel," which she keeps in a pigeon coop on the roof. That night she evaded the police after being spotted on the roof.

Miyagi invites Louisa to stay at his house in LA to enjoy tending his garden while he remains in Boston as Julie's caretaker. At school, Julie meets and befriends Eric McGowen, a teenage security guard-in-training and a pledge for a shady school security fraternity, the Alpha Elite. The members are taught to enforce the school rules, mostly using physical force, by a self-styled colonel, Paul Dugan. His toughest and most aggressive student is the short-fused Ned Randall, who makes unwelcome sexual advances upon Julie and even frames her for other infractions when he's rejected.

When Julie survives almost being hit by a car by jumping into a tiger position, she finally learns to confide in Miyagi when he recognizes her skill. She reveals she was taught karate by her father, who learned from her grandfather, Miyagi's student. She then requests Miyagi to teach her, and one lesson involved babysitting some young delinquents who were attacking her with Nerf toys.

While trying to feed Angel one night, Julie is detected by the Alpha Elite, who were staking out the place and chased her through the school. Although she escapes them, she is arrested by the police and gets suspended for two weeks by Dugan.

Miyagi uses this time to take Julie to a Buddhist monastery to teach her the true ways of karate and how to handle her anger issues. During the trip, he pacifies an attack dog at a gas station, sparking the ire of some local thugs, which Miyagi easily defeated. At the monastery, Julie learns through direct lessons about balance, coordination, awareness, and respect for all life. She befriends the monks, who eventually have a birthday party for her, giving her a cake and an arrow that Miyagi had caught in mid-flight in a demonstration of Zen archery. They also concede to her wish that they visit her in Boston, where they go bowling with Miyagi. A local player challenges them, loses the match, and accepts their tutelage in how to bowl a strike blind in the art of Zen Bowling.