Okay, let’s get something straight—this one at least addresses the issues with white male dominance that were present in the previous three movies. However, it does fall into stereotypes about Asian people... Or do I? Just kidding; I’m not like that. Honestly, nobody's probably going to finish reading this anyway. Still, I feel compelled to give this a two-star rating based on principle alone. I recall vaguely remembering the film being suppressed from my memory alongside Part III—probably as a way to shield myself from something truly awful... but I don’t think it warrants that kind of treatment. Back when I was in high school, a freshman, really, I held this firm belief that if Ralph Macchio wasn't involved, then it couldn't be considered a genuine Karate Kid movie. I actively avoided watching it and made an effort not to see it until it happened to come on cable. I’d like to believe my perspective has changed since then, but they are planning a reboot of Blade...and without Snipes. The same feeling applies. I suppose I haven't matured as much as I thought. Regardless, the absence of Macchio isn’t the only problem; it's also Ironside delivering what feels like his best attempt at impersonating himself and overacting to such an extent that I'm surprised the other actors managed to get through filming without visibly cringing. He’s kind of like Nicholas Cage, but without any charm, isn’t he? Moving on, Swank does a decent job portraying the physical demands of the role. I mean, I was quite large when I was in high school, and I wouldn't be shocked to learn that she could easily knock me out from here to anywhere. Even though she convincingly sells the physicality, it’s obvious even to someone without any special training that she doesn't understand the basics of a simple street fight. She did improve later on in her career, but it still leaves you with the impression that she'd never thrown a real punch in her life. And that, combined with Ironside’s performance, is enough to really sink this movie, even if Macchio had been in it... which he isn't, and I’m going to continue acting immaturely and insisting it can’t be a Karate Kid film without him.

Source on TMDB