The latest in the Karate Kid franchise, Karate Kid: Legends, opens in theaters on Friday. In honor of its release, today I’m looking at previous films. Below is my ranking of the other films, which appears in ascending order.

No. 5: Karate Kid Part III (1989)
About: This is the third film in the original series, and it has easily the weakest story. The bad guys feel cardboard, and a lot of the action feels ridiculous. Plus, by this point, it was really obvious Daniel was bad at fighting.

No. 4: The Next Karate Kid (1994)
About: Was this a good film? No, it’s not. This is an attempt to re-boot the franchise, this time introducing a new student played by Hilary Swank. I like Pat Morita, but this felt like a misfire. Still, I like it a touch better than the third film.

No. 3: The Karate Kid (2010)
About: This is a re-boot, technically. But since Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio are teaming in the new one, it goes in the roundup. Here, Chan is the new teacher, training Jaden Smith. The film is OK, paying homage to the original while telling a new story. It’s not great but it was a fine watch when it was released.

No. 2: The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
About: This film recycles the same formula from the original, but it moves the action back to Japan. I liked that touch. I also liked learning more about Morita’s Mr. Miyagi. This has some fun sequences.

No. 1: The Karate Kid (1984)
About: The best in the franchise is the original. In fact, it’s probably the only good film in the group. Some others are watchable. Some aren’t that watchable. But this one has a decent story and works well in that 1980s underdog mold.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.