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 The Karate Kid Part II :: 0767861450
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| Literally picking up about five minutes after the conclusion of the 1984 The Karate Kid, this 1986 sequel, also directed by John G. Avildsen, sends Ralph Macchio's and Pat Morita's characters to the latter's home turf in Japan, where the older man is confronted by an old rival, and Macchio's newly confident fighter gets a tougher challenge than the punks back home. Sillier than its predecessor, this follow-up at least has some distracting soap opera elements in Morita's coming to terms with an old flame, while Macchio woos a lovely local girl. Ironically, it's the action that evokes laughter, particularly a climactic fight that gets over the top quickly. --Tom Keogh Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
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Author: Guest
If you are interested in this film, you may want to spend a couple more dollars on the four film KARATE KID SERIES that includes THE KARATE KID, THE KARATE KID 2, THE KARATE KID 3 and THE NEW KARATE KID (Starring recent Oscar winner Hillary Swank!) In this set the KARATE KID DVD has a running commentary and an hour or so of extra features. Even if you find the sequels unnecessary, it is still worth the consideration.
Throughout history, bullies have terrorized weaklings, kicking sand in their face on the beach. Along comes the movie THE KARATE KID and suddenly there was hope. The underdog had someone to look up to in Daniel LaRusso, a hot headed troubled teen who eventually alters his situation and wins one for the good guys. This second film takes up where the last one ended. This time, Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) are off to Okinawa. Miyagi is confronted by an old rival, Sato. Meanwhile Daniel gets a tougher challenge from Chozen and his gang, all karate experts better than the punks back home. Daniel and Miyagi both balance love stories this time, but at the end, the story is again decided upon by a karate match.
Director John Avildsen did an excellent job with the first film. This time around he was given a bigger budget so KARATE KID 2 is a much prettier film with Oahu, Hawaii standing in for Okinawa. The result? This film surpassed the original in box office take, but it is by no means a better film. The spirit of the original is lost. This film tries to be more serious, draining much of the entertainment. But, it still carries some of the corny dialogue from the first:
Kumiko: Do you think that I would like America?
Daniel: I think you'd love it.
Kumiko: Do you think that it would love me?
Daniel: Well, I know one part of it that already does.
Daniel's training scenes, although brief, are not very memorable. There is no "Wax On! Wax Off!" Rather, Daniel's growth seems to depend on Miyagi's ability to handle his own personal issues. And because of that, the final fight feels brief and unfulfilling. Watch for OZ's B.D.Wong as a boy on the street.
The DVD has a nice audio video transfer and is available in many languages.
The musical soundtrack this time around features Bill Conti doing a rich musical score with a heavy Japanese influence. Like the film itself, it is a more serious effort. Probably the most successful single element of this film is the Peter Cetera song "Glory of Love" which was written for the film and still gets some radio time even today.
I know that a sequel was necessary, but it seems the creators had a hard time figuring out why the first film was a success. I mean, Crane technique was cool. But drum technique?
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Author: Guest
Part II picks up where the first one left off. Daniel has triumphed over the bullies of the Cobra Kai dojo, and finished high school. Mr. Miaghi has gotten word that his father in Okinawa is dying, so he and Daniel rush off to Asia to be at his side. While there Miaghi is confronted by a former friend / bitter enemy, revisiting a love triangle, and resolving a feud he left years ago. Daniel meets up with his own conflicts: creating an enemy (who just happens to be the nephew of Miaghi's enemy, Sato), meeting his own next love in a semi-triangle (who just happens to be the neice of Miaghi's lost love), and resolving his own feud.
This was just a little too predictable this time around. Miaghi and Daniel being in parallel planes was a little too ridiculous, and the resolution between Miaghi and Sato was known from the beginning. The pace of the movie was a little too slow, Daniel didn't ease up with his Jersey smart guy routine as we'd hoped he would from the first, and the final conflict was both predictable and cheesey. It boardered on campy quite frankly.
But, there are some good messages still in this movie. It reinforced the important relationship between teacher and student, showed that it's important to have inner strength over muscle strength, and of course, the conflict and ultimate triumph of good over evil.
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Author: Guest
Having worked and lived in five countries, doing from Law to Commerce and watching thousands of movie in a few languages for the past 25 years, I CAN CONFIRM with experience that the KArate Kid II (even all of them) belongs to classics with quality!
True, the story is not a profound dramatical one or the acting is not amazing but all of it, still, has got a high level of good acting: the characters are all believable and most of all, you feel for them.
I, myself, have lived in quite a big porcentage the Karate Kid story! I lived with my Sensei for a year and he taught me what Karate is all about, one on one: Honor, Sharing, Friendship, Inner Peace, Equilibre even to grow into yourself like a strong tree and of course, techniques for self defense ONLY at the last resort. I did the training on the beach, the Karate chops on trees, the philosophical research into my soul...
ALL THIS, is represented by the Karate Kid movies. Judge them for what they are: A "can do" story with tolerance of different people and how to turn you anger into peace and harmony somehow...It never pretented to be anything else. Be dreamers and realize your dreams! the Karate Kid is what people need again nowadays: an underdog tale that comes back for winning especially into himself by being a better person
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Author: Guest
Most are divided on this sequel, but if you look at it deep down, some elements are better than the first film. First and foremost, Daniel is not protected by the confines of a tournament anymore. Or a nice enough bully who kicks you and walks away. This film's tagline in 1986 was "This time, the combat is real". And that is the core. In the end, Daniel's new foe wants him dead, and this time neither Miyagi or "points" can save him.
Even the storm sequence, which in another film would be hokey time-filler, is actually a device to bring Sato and Miyagi together again as friends. As well as drive the final rift between Chozen and Daniel. And the tea ceremony just an excuse to kiss? Not if you recall Kumiko saying during Miyagi and Yukie's ceremony, "They are falling love again". Kumiko was not only telling Daniel she wanted to be intimate, but that she was falling in love with him. So many great set-ups and pay-offs for the viewer.
So if you're new to writing watch this film again if you don't know it by heart :). (...)
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Author: Guest
This movie could have been a really bad idea, but it's not bad at all. Not great, but worthy enough of the previous film. The story actually focuses more on Miyagi than Daniel. The beginning gives us a nice cameo from the evil John Kreese, but soon Daniel and Miyagi are in Okinawa because Miyagi's father is dying. Miyagi's old buddy, Sato, has been harboring a hatred for Miyagi for over 40 years coz Miyagi stole his chick and made him look like a schmuck in public. Most of the movie has Sato trying to force Miyagi into having a death match with him to regain his honor. In doing this, he does things that make him look even more and more dishonorable. He destroyes Miyagi's family dojo, destroyes his garden and threatens to even destroy the village! Daniel's not off the hook either. He gets harassed by a whole new group of bullies in Okinawa. The leader is Sato's nephew who's played by the guy from Better Off Dead that tries to get John Cusack to race and talks like Howard Cosell. Daniel also falls in love. Apparently Elizabeth Shue couldn't be lured back, so she was written out via falling in love with another guy. Daniel now says the word "karate" with an annoying accent, he slices through six slabs of ice, punches a guy in the crotch and rescues a girl during a storm. My only complaint, and I'm sure most agree with this, is in the final fight scene. That whole deal with the drums and Daniel swinging his arms back and forth. Isn't that a little lame? Like you wouldn't be able to dodge that. Of course in reality Daniel would certainly have lost that death match, but that wouldn't be a very good way to end the film. Plus, we wouldn't have had that cinematic masterpiece, Karate Kid 3 now, would we?
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