The Karate Kid II
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Movie Reviews of The Karate Kid II
Movie Review: Great Nostalgia
Summary: 5 Stars
It really brings back some memories I had forgotten... It is a good film to watch. Sure there are some silly moments, but all in all, I rate this movie highly because of the introduction to Japanese Culture this movie provided to an entire American Generation.Movie Review: Does not embarrass uncle
Summary: 5 Stars
The best of the Karate Kid movies. Despite all that stuff Mr. Miyagi's always saying about not using karate to defend plastic metal trophy, in this one, Daniel doesn't, which is what makes it the most meaningful.Movie Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
This has been my favorite Karate Kid movie out of all of them. The disc ran through very smoothly without stopping. Rate this 5 stars.Movie Review: Getting real...
Summary: 4 Stars
The first Karate Kid literally spoke to any kid who felt out of place and picked on. Strongly enough, it was a concept played out over and over again. But the evenhanded direction of Avildsen made it a triumph. So what do you do for a sequel? You get real. Not that the first one wasn't real. The threat to Daniels safety in the first movie was always there and fully realized. But take this student and mentor pair and send them to Okinawa, and you have a whole different ball game. The story centers more on Miagi and his journey home to see his dying father, and facing demons he left as a young man. Asian culture takes certain things much more seriously. Honor in this movie is a subject brought up constantly, and we see it from Daniels perspective; as an American who does not understand why these people do things they way they do in the name of honor. As Daniel comes to grips with this life code in the small village of Miagi's youth, he realizes that the bully who has targeted him this time does not hold back. He's ready to kill Daniel. He has no qualms about it either and feels it's justified. As Daniel swoons a beautiful Asian girl and finds he's getting in deeper with the affairs of Miagi's past, he holds his ground, and his good upbringing helps to hold his own honor in place. In the end, the climatic fight scene is what really makes the movie. The whole story builds up to that moment. The idea is that this fight is real, there is no competition, no points. This is not a tournament, this is not a spectacle. Daniel is fighting to stay alive. And it is more brutal then the rules laden tournament of the first movie. Morita and Maccio play off each other so well it's obvious these two have great chemistry. The teacher/student relationship is apparent from the first scene despite their polar opposite personalities. As in the first movie, each character gives the other what they are missing. Daniel gets a father figure/teacher, Miagi gets a son/student. This movie is just as good as the first in my opinion, just different. A different set of circumstances played similarly to the first one. It's as different as it can be while still holding the same values. I give it four stars only because of some very minor inconsistencies but overall, it is a very good film.Movie Review: Mr. Miyagi's Personal Journey aka Karate Kid II
Summary: 4 Stars
Karate Kid II.
Such division in the views on this movie. Chalk me up as one who loved this one. I'll go as far to give it a notch up on Karate Kid I.
Several reasons for my views on this. One - Additional depth of the characters. I love that Mr. Miyagi is the center of the story. The movie gave him a back story and explained him much more. It humanized him. Second - It isn't all about Laruso. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the first film and its themes. It was brillance on the part of the writers make Laruso a secondary character to Miyagi in this one. Third - the themes are intact and expanded upon (honor, loyality, love etc) others have mentioned it. I whole heartidly agree.
On the sappy front I love Daniel's relationship with Kumiko. It was touching and felt much more honest and real opposed to Daniel's love intrest in I. Too bad Kumiko didn't return for III. Could've been some nice development there.
In regards to the acting - Its very good contary to some others opinons expressed here. The only exception being Miyagi's father's death scene. I thought the "death" was the only weak acting point. The scene is good, just the actor who played Miyagi's father I think overplayed the death. Other actors peform well.
Overall, this film avoids the cliches and trappings of sequels. It develops the characters and shows you new sides to them. It also keeps the themes intact of the original.
This film still holds up well. Its a bit different in that it doesn't play the bullying card the way the first movie does. It isn't just about Daniel and winning respect. This one is about support and love to a friend and mentor in his time of need.
A wonderful sequel that has earned its spot next to I.
Highly recommended.