Sigh. These days we’re used to “re-imaginings” where a new film rises up, phoenix-like, from the cheesy ashes of the old franchise. The Next Karate Kid was a lame attempt at reviving the original, failing for various reasons: not enough time had passed before the first (this flick came out in 1989 1994), not enough “re-imagining,” and lastly an almost total lack of chemistry between Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and new karate student Julie (Hilary Swank).

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By this juncture, The Karate Kid series has become (as many series do) cheese-ball and unintentionally funny. There’s a glimmer of the original film’s greatness but many aspects in Part III are decidedly off, round-kicking it into definite so-bad-its-good territory.

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As with the first Karate Kid, my personal biases made revisiting this flick more enjoyable. It’s a feel-good, Rocky type film that mostly lives up to the original. However, cheese and corn is definitely starting to ooze into the series.

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You might think I’m a bit odd for giving this one five stars, but I have fond memories this coming-of-age with a mysterious mentor, and there are some personal connections that are completely biased.

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Andy Sidaris may be the Alfred Hitchcock of So Bad It’s Good movies. His “Bullets, Bombs, and Babes” style flicks all follow a fairly standard pattern. This sort of movie has a specific target audience: bored twenty something college males. The movies are direct to video and rented by folks tempted by the women wielding weapons on the box covers. The low budget surely means it’s easier for the film to make back its investment.

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