The Next Karate Kid movie storyline. During a commemoration for Japanese soldiers fighting in the US Army during World War II, Mr. Miyagi meets the widow of his commanding officer. He gets to know her granddaughter Julie, an angry teenager who is still feeling the pain of losing both her parents in an accident and is having problems with her grandmother and her fellow pupils. Mr. Miyagi decides to teach her karate to get her through her pain and issues and back on the right path.
The Next Karate Kid (also known as The Karate Kid Part IV) is a 1994 American martial arts drama film starring Pat Morita and Hilary Swank. It is the fourth and final installment in the original The Karate Kid series. It was directed by Christopher Cain and written by Mark Lee, with music by Bill Conti.
It was the only film in the series released in the 1990s, ten years after the first installment, and was also the only film in the series not to feature Ralph Macchio in the lead role or be written for the screen by Robert Mark Kamen nor directed by John G. Avildsen.
About the Story
Mr. Miyagi travels to Boston to attend a commendation for Japanese-American soldiers who fought in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. He meets Louisa Pierce, the widow of his commanding officer, Lieutenant Jack Pierce. At Pierce’s home, they catch up on old times and war stories.
Miyagi is introduced to Pierce’s granddaughter, Julie, a teenage girl struggling with anger issues due to her parents’ deaths in a car accident. Her behavior has led to friction between Julie and her grandmother and her fellow students. She sneaks into the school at night to care for an injured hawk, Angel, which she keeps in a pigeon coop on the roof.
Miyagi invites Louisa to stay at his house in Los Angeles to enjoy peace and quiet tending his garden while he stays in Boston as Julie’s caretaker. At school, Julie meets and befriends Eric McGowen, a 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, even using physical force, by a self-styled colonel, Dugan. In this group is Ned, who makes repeated unsuccessful sexual advances on Julie. Eric learns of Angel and promises to feed her while Julie is with Miyagi.
When Julie survives almost being hit by a car by jumping into a tiger position, she reveals to Miyagi that she was taught karate by her father, who learned from her grandfather, Miyagi’s student. The next time she sneaks into the school to feed her bird, she is detected by the Alpha Elite, and chased through the school. Julie hides in the cafeteria until Ned finds her, at which point she hits a fire alarm with her backpack, causing Ned to let go of her. Escaping the school, she is arrested by the police and gets suspended for two weeks. Miyagi uses this time to take Julie to a Buddhist monastery to teach her the true ways of karate.
Julie learns through direct lessons about balance, co-ordination, awareness and respect for all life. She befriends several monks including the Grand Abbot. The monks hold a birthday party for her, giving her a cake and an arrow that Miyagi had caught while it was in flight in a demonstration of Zen archery.
Upon Julie’s return to school, she finds that Angel is now able to fly and Miyagi assists Julie in releasing the bird back to the wild. In preparation for the prom, Miyagi teaches Julie how to dance and buys her a dress. While Julie goes to the dance with Eric, Miyagi and the Buddhist monks go bowling. A local player challenges them, loses the match and accepts their tutelage. Under the orders of Colonel Dugan, the Alpha Elite bungee jump into the dance. When one of the members breaks his arm, Eric shows concern but Ned angrily tells him to mind his own business.
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
Directed by: Christopher Cain
Starring: Pat Morita, Hilary Swank, Michael Ironside, Constance Towers, Chris Conrad, Michael Cavalieri, Walton Goggins, Rodney Kageyama, Eugene Boles
Screenplay by: Mark Lee
Production Design by: Walter P. Martishius
Cinematography by: László Kovács
Film Editing by: Ronald Roose
Set Decoration by: Tracey A. Doyle
Music by: Bill Conti
MPAA Rating: PG for violence and some mild language.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: September 9, 1994
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