The Next Karate Kid Distributor: Sony Pictures Format: 4-Disc Box Set, Region 2 (PAL) Length: 107 min. Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audio: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian Subtitles: English for the hard of hearing, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish Extras: Multi-level Interactive DVD Rom Games: Catch The Fly, Find The Village, & Capture The Bonsai Tree; Filmographies.

Year of Release: 1994; Origin: United States; Studio: Columbia Pictures

Director: Christopher Cain; Producer: Jerry Weintraub; Script: Mark Lee; Action Director: Pat Johnson; Cast: Pat Morita, Hillary Swank, Michael Ironside, Constance Towers, Chris Conrad.

Alternative Titles: The Karate Kid IV

Before Hillary Swank became an Academy darling with Oscar wins for Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby, she had to contend with family fluff like this, the fourth Karate Kid film which replaces the aging Daniel-san with a younger female version.

She plays a Boston-based orphan living with an out-of-sorts grandmother, until Oriental sage Mr. Miyagi shows up and minds the rebellious adolescent. She is crying out for a bit of discipline in her life, arriving home in police cars and throwing all sorts of stroppy tantrums.

Her transformation from moody teenager to Karate princess is a laborious process, with Miyagi rising to the challenge during a two week suspension from school in which they undergo a training montage with the help of some dancing monks.

The film’s risible young villains are based on the adversaries from the previous films, with a disgruntled Ironside playing an ex-army gym teacher who fills his students with archaic, violent rubbish to fuel his own vendetta against society.

Swank makes for a highly engaging alternative while the film’s corny morality might be a little too hard to swallow (particularly during those hawk scenes), but at least Mr. Miyagi is on hand to wax philosophical and generally keep things in good order, developing a tender chemistry with his new disciple.

They probably would have continued the franchise, too, if Swank hadn’t chosen to take her troubled, victimised stint into more dramatic and affecting affairs.