“Who says the good guy has to be a guy?”

If only one could remain a kid forever. But even the ever-youthful appearing Ralph Macchio had begun to overstay his welcome in the Karate Kid franchise. Already into his 30s, by 1994 he was now The Karate Adult and that just didn’t have the same ring on a theater marquee. It was time for new blood and producers decided to give to role of troubled teen to female newcomer Hillary Swank, in The Next Karate Kid.

Everyone’s favorite mentor, Mr. Miyagi, is attending a funeral for an old war buddy, when he strikes up a conversation with the man’s widow, Louise. In her care is an orphaned granddaughter, Julie, a rebellious and troubled teen that is becoming hard to handle. The ever-helpful Mr. Miyagi graciously offers to care for the girl when Louise has to go out of town on business and soon has his hands full of teen angst.

School is where most of Julie’s problems lie. She has to contend with a militarist group of punks calling themselves the “Alpha Elite” who are doing everything in their power to make her life miserable. Her only friends are an injured hawk named Angel, that Julie is caring for on the school roof, and Eric, a member of the Alpha Elite who befriends her and soon becomes her romantic interest. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to control his cohorts, and when Ned, the obnoxious leader of the Alphas tries to forcibly have his way with her, she is the surprisingly the one who gets expelled from school.

With few options available, Miyagi sends the teen off to a Buddhist monastery. With a daily training of Zen and martial arts, Julie finds a new sense of inner peace and confidence, not to mention the ability to deliver some serious butt-kicking. She returns back to school with her newfound respect for all living things and attempts to pick up where she left off with Eric. The Alpha Elite see new opportunities to torment the once-troubled teen but this time they are in for a surprise. The new Julie is more than capable of fighting back now and their days are numbered.

Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, who had previously won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi was a welcome face in The Next Karate Kid and offered his usual brand of mystical charm. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win the hearts of filmgoers and would mark the end for the successful franchise. The Karate Kid had finally grown up.