The Next Karate Kid Details

Ralph Macchio may have departed, but at least the fourth instalment in this singularly unremarkable series could still call on the services of Pat Morita. Even he must have questioned his loyalty during shooting, however, as a sense of déjà vu wafted over him. Essentially, this is a case of “same stunts, different sex”, as future Oscar-winner Hilary Swank becomes Morita's prize pupil in the wake of her parents' death in a car crash. A few pre-prom dance lessons are the only significant departure from the tried and tested chop-socky formula, although Michael Ironside is good value as Swank's sinister gym teacher.

This is another series running out of steam; the attempt to revive it by changing the gender of its protagonist yields small returns, since otherwise the story is as before.