The Next Karate Kid
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.
James Saenz reviewed
June 3, 2025•
watch out!— walton goggins jump scare!
there was so much promise in the protagonist being a female character whose main antagonists are a fascist paramilitary student group ran by a xenophobic, hyper-masculine teacher; alas, instead the film foregoes a lot of that dramatic conflict until the final act.
mr. miyagi honestly could’ve been any other sage mentor figure; this genuinely feels like a screenplay that was rewritten to fit under the karate kid franchise label to garner more interest. there are so many references to the previous films that feel tacked on and weightless. the moments with the buddhist monks, while providing the most levity and time for julie to develop as a character, feel so meandering.
there’s some really beautiful cinematography at times, but pretty shots don’t save a movie.