I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. 'The Next Karate Kid' might not be exceptional or even particularly impressive, but I found myself feeling satisfied after watching it finish up. It develops into a heartwarming narrative, despite having a somewhat difficult beginning. The antagonists are unremarkable, a bit questionable but acceptable—certainly preferable to those in 'The Karate Kid Part III'. Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi leans into familiar tropes, yet he remains very charming and pleasant to watch. Hilary Swank, appearing in her first significant film role, delivers a dependable performance as Julie. I wasn’t entirely sure about her initially, but by the time it was over, I felt like I witnessed a worthwhile progression for the character. I believe this is the strongest follow-up to the 1984 original. That's quite unexpected, given how the previous two installments declined in quality. It comes close to being subpar, no question. Nevertheless, it manages to clear the bar—and I do like it, I have to admit.

Source on TMDB