The Karate Kid Part II (1986) Retrospective / Review
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- Karate Kid Part II (1986) Retrospective / Review
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I love the scene on the beach after Miyagi's Father dies. It's the only time that Daniel understands something (not having a Father) that Miyagi doesn't
The tea ceremony between Kumiko and Daniel was probably the first romantic scene I ever liked. So perfectly acted, shot and scored. Another beautiful scene is when Daniel comforts Miyagi by telling him about his own father's passing.
I really liked that scene too. Imagine if she'd come back with Daniel to live in the USA...
@@theserpent8667 Kumiko was by far his most beautiful lover. The one that got away. In cobra Kai season three we see he can’t resist her yet again.
@@Dad_Brad If she ever met Amanda, there'd be jealousy or worry in Amanda's head, knowing her husband still loves her after all these years. Would be interesting to see her back, and in the valley, in season 5. They could pull a sneaky on us and reveal that she was there as well, just off-screen.
@@theserpent8667 I was waiting for Kumiko to introduce Daniel to her 34 year old son. 😅😅
@@Dad_Brad *Raises arms*
Hold up?
Honestly my fave of the series, loved the development of Miyagi and the relationship with Daniel and Kumiko
horses for courses
I am in complete agreement with you Kayoko.
This was my favourite out of the three.
2 could have been so much more. I wish Zabka was more involved with his character and Kove was missed for sure. Not to mention Elisabeth Shue. But still fantastic nonetheless. Don't get me started on 3.
I thought Chozen was an interesting character aswell first seem as a dumb goon but that scene in the end where Sato starts using the drums and you see for a micro second the hurt in his eyes did so much for me the betrayal by the man who made him who he was goes back to the line Miyagi used. There is no bad student only bad teacher and you see he was also like Johny a product of the man who made him and turned his back on him. Even he was wrong I could still feel for him
vastly underrated movie.
ms3bani More like overrated. KK1 deserves its recognition. KK2 was a summer popcorn flick.
@@jasonleetaiwan is The Karate Kid(2010) canon
There are two ways you can do a sequel. You can go the Home Alone 2 route and give us more of the same. Or you can go the Karate Kid II route and try something completely different. Both approaches can work if they're done right, but I have to give extra kudos to sequels like KK2, which took a real risk and in my opinion succeeded.
Well said. This film is honestly very solid overall, and is arguably on par with the original IMO.
This film is WAY better than part III, jesus! I just watched all 3 and took me 3 sittings to get through part III. Part 2 has way more hart, dramatic tension and builds on the characters from the first film.
SB0780 Part III for me has reached complete irony at this point. It’s like watching The Room: it’s so terrible, the dialogue is so bad, and the plot makes absolutely no sense, that I greatly enjoy watching now. It’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen in my life!
The Next Karate Kid is an Oscar worthy masterpiece compared to Part III
Karate Kid 2, is great movie. It’s a true kung-fu classic.
SB0780 I like part iii waaaaaay more
Karate kid Part 3.
Why it sucks?
A love story that goes nowhere due to macchio being about 30 years old in real life when he did it.
Weak villains/terrible acting.
The ending is nothing he literally wins with one punch.
I feel like Part II should have been Part III and Part III should have been Part II. I think that would have made more sense for the series overall. I mean why would Daniel be so afraid to “fight” karate’s bad boy in a 3 point sparring match at a community center after he fought Chozen who was trying to kill him...
That gives me an idea, I might edit myself so that the begining of part 2 goes into part 3 and then the rest of part 2 plays after part 3
Jek lol I do something like that myself. I watch the beginning of 2 where Daniel sees Miagi beat kreese. Then after Daniel says he and Allie broke up skip to 3. Then after 3 watch the rest of 2. It makes more sense that way.
Benjatron26354 once a wimp always a wimp
Though, the thing is kinda made myagi a scam artist
In the original karate kid film : it was strongly implied that mistreatment myagi was actually born in America to Japanese parents a second generation nesei, attended university most likely the university of California Los Angeles or perhaps the Santa Barbara university, fought in world War 2 in 442nd devision and was awarded a congressional medal of honor for fighting for America in the European theatre then, in the second karate kid movie installment he's got a totally different back story - he's nicked his best friends girlfriend then, fled to America in order to evade his reprocussions of his own actions though, there's a problem there with his backstory
No Japanese immigrants were allowed to immigrate to America after 1923 ( all in the name of national security ) so either the American federal government made an exception ( just for mister myagi ) or perhaps mistreatment myagi was a big fat liar - who came up with the perfect con - fooling a teenager to remodel his place under the guise of teaching the victim martial arts style techniques
Also : mister myagi says that the drum technique is supposed to be a myagi family karate secret when there's plenty of drums here.
All this has likely been pre planned and even pre rehearsed
Part II is a solid sequel and a good extension to the story. Learning more about Mr. Miyagi was a good direction to go. Although the plot is basically the same as the first but set in Japan, there is just enough new elements to keep it fresh.
I like The Karate Kid 2 overall. Chozen was Daniel's most skilled and serious opposition.
Chozen would have killed Daniel irl.
That's what made watching part 3 so frustrating. Daniel faces a life and death situation with Chosen and meets the challenge, but gets pushed around by a punk ass kid after that. And, Miyagi just seemed out of character for me somehow.
I love what an unrepentant, scenery-chewing villain he is.
Mike Barns was a real badass
In Cobra Kai when Chozen comes to town Daniel is really going to shit himself & he thought his issue with Kreese was bad Chozen was his ultimate nightmare.
Oh... dont worry, these story lines/characters will pay off....
just 34 years later.. :) patience Oliver-san, .... patience.
I literally still cry when Daniel speaks with Mr Miyagi after his father dies, I can relate to it, losing a father. Daniel also says his father died and that he was filled with guilt for not being a good son, for not being there, as that is what Mr Miyagi felt. This was the music in that scene 14:14 - 15:06 which is so beautiful and sad, it goes straight into my heart.
I love Karate Kid I and II with all my heart. You get something different each time you watch it.
KK I: 9/10
KK II: 8.5/10
i liked 1& 2, 3 was ok and i like 4 too
@@mattnelson8833 I wasn’t born in the year the Karate Kid films came out.
Did you notice that in Part I Daniel catches the fly with chopsticks,but in Part II Miyagi catches the fly with chopsticks
@@MiguelRodriguez-dk2dsYes I have watched the film.
I’m sorry but karate kid 2 was boring the only thing good about the second one was miyagi and his feud with sato.
I always watched this one the most when I was younger therefor has much more nostalgia with me.
Also Ive always found the scene when Kumiko makes Daniel the Japanese tea absolutely beautiful.
totally agreed. I liked it as a kid and love it even more now.
Indeed. The acting, music and unspoken words conveyed through facial expressions make this my favourite romance scene in the Miyagi-verse.
Chozen didn’t hate Daniel for exposing his scams, he hated him from the moment he met him! Re: the handshake scene
I have been waiting for you to do this retrospective for a long, long time. I love your work, Oliver, but I have to disagree with your criticisms. I am without question one of the biggest Karate Kid fans there is, and I have long felt that "The Karate Kid Part II" is the best of the trilogy.
The music is stirring and powerful and the cinematography is magnificent. The film excellently explores not only the origins of Miyagi family karate, but also Mr. Miyagi's personal background, which includes a touching relationship with Yukie and tragic friendship with Sato. The Miyagi/Sato story is not about them having a physical battle, but about Mr. Miyagi helping Sato redeem himself through an act of friendship.
What "The Karate Kid Part II" does best is the father/son relationship between Mr. Miyagi and Daniel, which it beautifully develops. The scene in which Daniel comforts Mr. Miyagi after Miyagi's father dies is truly beautiful. Daniel is at his best in this film. As both a Karate student and son/friend he is never better. He truly comes into his own in this movie, and this is shown through his drum technique practices, his breathing/focus training, the amazing ice break scene, and the thrilling final battle.
Also, Daniel falls in love with Kumiko, easily the greatest of his love interests. The love story is gentle and sweet and feels much more natural than Daniel and Ali's relationship; it is a truly lovely romance. Let's get back to the final battle - the Death Match.
The Death Match between Daniel and Chozen is amazing - absolutely epic and thrilling. What makes it so great is how rough and realistic it looks, which makes the battle feel truly real and the stakes fearfully high. The ending with the drums and Daniel summoning what strength and focus he has left is astonishingly powerful - my heart swells every time. And Daniel's honk to Chozen's nose is brilliant and a perfect bookend to Mr. Miyagi's earlier honk to Kreese's nose. Also, it's a perfect way for Daniel to show Chozen mercy while also humbling him.
And finally, after the final battle, Daniel embraces Kumiko and looks up at Mr. Miyagi, who smiles at him with fatherly pride and winks. It is the most perfect ending, satisfying in every way. "The Karate Kid Part II" is the ULTIMATE Karate Kid film. Cue Glory of Love.
I don't think they are criticisms, they are opinions. I also agree with him. KK2 was fine and different, if not over the top and the ending was cool but also very contrived. And Kumiko was no Ali, Elisabeth Shue's absence was strongly felt for me.
@@scottyclayton5604 Honestly, how was the ending of part two any more contrived than the ending of the first film? Because it really wasn't.
Agreed!
Haha! I enjoyed reading that, do a video review of kk2!
I agree with everything you've said here. This film is honestly very solid overall and I really enjoy it every time.
Part 3 is my least favorite, by far. "I'm afraid!" What?! You were in a DEATH MATCH! And he's sooooo stupid in Part 3, even turning to the dark side. It wasn't the same character. I hated it.
But Part 2? I have always found it beautiful and heartfelt, even when I was a kid.
I use to hate part 3. Still not a huge fan. But I get the more adult themes about growing up in it now. Still Daniel being super annoying in it and Barns drive me nuts. What a stupid bad guy and stop being so pathetic, Daniel, wtf
He's so skittish, like the actor has taken drugs. -_-
Joseph Adam dont agree at all. It showed shape to his character. He was flawed and always was. Cobra Kai was seductive. But I do think part 3 should have been part 2
My theory on why he was scared is that he had PTSD from his death match with Chozen. He probably thought he would be killed if he didn't win because of it. I think it was Mr. Miyagi who snapped him out of it.
Glory of Love, my guilty pleasure, so awesome. And man, how I was in love with Kumiko back then. As a kid, Part 2 really was my fave.
I have to disagree that part 2 is the weakest. Part 2 is a great movie, almost as good as the first, and part 3 is clearly the weakest. KK2 has plenty of action, plenty of drama, Daniel and Miyagi both get enough screen time. The two leads both have romances, and as a viewer, we care about and believe them both. We believe the rivalry with Sato, we believe the rivalry with Chosen, etc. The storm is a great action scene! There's a couple good fight scenes early on where Daniel faces the bullies, training... There's a lot of good stuff in here!
New Rule Media I agree the only thing i would change is the final battle make more real
Yes, KK3 was very disappointing. Both villains are like cartoons and not funny or believable; the actors were over acting. Daniel never got involved with the girl, and the final fight scene had this bad individual scared of a few hand movements.
I was a kid when this came out and I thought it was amazing. I watched it in the theatre with my dad and I couldn't stop talking about it. I was a huge fan of the original and took karate. It baffles me that people that like pineapple on pizza don't like this movie.
Adam Gardner KK3 was dumb
@@adamgardner28 As a kid I never liked Part 2 very much. It is just a lifeless and completely forgetable try to come up with some drama which does not really work. It feels like a karate telenovela. How is Part 2 believable? :-D Fight to the death in a pit, the ex who stayed alone for xx years, Daniel cracking the ice without ever practicing it. Bullshit. Part 3 was somewhat cartoonish but at least it had several memorable scenes.
I'm still in love with Kumiko.
Trendkiller me too
I had such a crush on her when I was a kid and as a young adult. I was so disappointed when she wasn't in the 3rd movie, to continue being Daniel's love interest. I was under the impression she would go with Daniel to America. :(
It's Kumiko! not Komiko if you love her at least get the woman's name!
“Way down to Kokomo!”
RDuke I hope they bring her back for the next season of Cobra Kai.
I'm also ashamed to admit I enjoy this more than the first. Love the focus on Miyagi and the setting.
Sato and Chozen are awesome as well.
Shout out for the Cobra Kai series on YT as well. It's a lot of fun and seeing Johnny and Daniel years later is great.
Don't be dude. Its Goddamn awesome no matter what critics say because at the end of the day, film is subjective.
Scrabdusan Productions Subjective, like saying The Next Karate Kid or the cartoon of magic is better than Cobra Kai or The Karate Kid 1984.
@@TechRefreshed1000 hey that could be somebody's opinion. Sure its complete horseshit, but somebody could've thought that. Then again for something to be considered at least somewhat good the artist have to intend for it to be good.
Scrabdusan Productions Even if some of the Karate Kid movies are not great, they have great scenes that can be presented as nostalgic flashbacks in a good story like Cobra Kai which keeps the original sequels and the original cast alive. The sequel flashbacks are more nostalgic than the karate kid 1 flashbacks because they feel new.
@@TechRefreshed1000 thats true. All I was saying is that art is subjective.
I must admit I like the sequel. The first one was good and had that great ending and it would have been very easy for them to just re-hash the first film and have all the baddies come back (which is pretty much what they did with the 3rd film). But instead they did something different and made a film that expanded on Miyagi and built on the ideas of honour that the first film had set up. Whilst not perfect I think it is a great film and whilst the drum technique isn't the best filmed, the build up, with the music and the rotating drums, is a stunning and very emotionally lifting sequence.
Whilst the first film is probably the best in purist terms, I actually think the 2nd improves on it a great deal. it was the third film i found a real letdown, including the end confrontation which I found laughable. So yes, I think the 2nd is a worthy sequel to the original.
Definitely agree. The third one was abysmal!
Ya I agree. I enjoyed spending another couple hours with these wonderful characters. I love Karate Kid 2 for expanding on Miyagis backstory. I honestly never cared much that Daniel was relegated to sidekick character. I remember watching the movie for the first time in the theater when I was 8 years old. That was one of the earliest memories of a movie giving me goosebumps when they started up the rotating drums during the final fight scene haha.
I wish Zabka and Kove were a bit more involved in 2.
The only baddie that came back in the 3rd movie was Kreese but yeah it repeated the same plot all over again. I think the movie would have worked better if the plan to destroy Daniel would have been revealed as a surprise. If audience really thought Kreese was dead but then he suddenly appeared on the scene. Bang. That would be so much better. As it is only the protagonist was shocked and not the audience which takes a lot from the built up connection protagonist-audience. I found 2nd ending more laughable than 3rd ending... Fight to the death a in a pit. Really? And there are no memorable scenes in the 2nd movie.
@@kkarx who cares what u think. about 2nd film ending,the film overall is miles better than the shit show of the 3rd so curb ya thoughts ya no film expert.
Had such a crush on Kumiko as a kid! Thanks for highlighting the beautiful music in this film too.
I liked this one better than Part 3. Was beautiful to look at and you learn more about Miyagi. I also love Glory of Love, can't help but think about this movie when I hear it!
God, Bill Conti's score still gives me goosebumps to this day.
I am also in the camp who thinks Karate Kid 2 is better than 3. Though I did finally watch 3 years ago and I feel that it has the same problem as Highlander 3 does for me. Good movie stand alone but when part of a series it is too similar to the first one for it to really stand out.
Cobra Kai never dies. Shop LaRusso Auto Group!
“Talk to Bill Deal down at Northstar..We’re Not A Bank Here Jerry!”
We kick the competition
I don't care what anyone says: This is BY FAR AND AWAY the best of the three films!!!! I am not even a big fan of the first film and the third was an absolute train wreck. This film went in the right direction by focusing more on Miyagi. Oh and the film doesn't relegate Daniel to a ancillary character, either. I really disagree with that criticism. The setting of Okinawa is FAR more interesting than the bland setting of the first and third. Personally, I found the Cobra Kai stuff rather cheesy, so I didn't care that they eschewed it for this one. I think it is a better film because of it.
I have a soft spot for part 2, part 3 is the one I didn't really care too much about. I will admit there were parts in this that bored me as a kid but came to appreciate more as an adult. I think I still have a VHS in the loft somewhere that was recorded off SKY in the late 80's , it has Karate Kid II followed by Transformers the movie straight after, as you can imagine it got played a lot lol.
Part 2 is my favorite.
I’ll take Part II over Part III any day. Also, more Bond and Trek, PLEASE!!!!
Can you imagine if Rocky would have used that song instead of Hearts on Fire. LMAO.
Love both part 1 & 2 equally.
Decent sequel.
The original Karate Kid is still the BEST!
It is a real treat when Ollie uploads a Retrospective / Review. Thank you for another great video.
Other than the finishing move, I really enjoyed the final fight. I especially loved the fact that Daniel tries to use the same technique he used in the last movie, only to fail miserably. What I noticed about this fight is that both fighters seem sorta equally matched. Like, clearly, Daniel is the weaker of the two until the end, but that doesn't mean he doesn't get a few good hits in.
back to the roots. This one I liked.
Love your reviews, but your off a bit on this one. My favorite of the series. And it holds up just fine against the rest. My personal favorite for the series. Next to cobra Kai =)
Another fantastic Retrospective to one of my favourite childhood trilogys Oli!! Been waiting a while for this one...thank you 😁 Can't wait for your Cobra Kai review...AMAZING series!!!
Kudos for reviewing all films from the original trilogy (1984-1989). I guess it's clear to review The Next Karate Kid (1994) and Karate Kid (2010).
yes!! Ollie!! thank you for finally making one on part 2. A very good sequel to it's original!!
Brilliant review. Part 2 is the best film in the series.
"The Karate Kid Part II" is good. I l like other 80s and 90s movie.
Just as good as the first movie. More interesting with the Japanese culture and the haunting music etc to me. Understand why most people would still favor the original one though. And Kumiko smokes Ali as a love interest.
I agree. I resonate with everything you've said.
👍
Cobra Kai, the CZcams Red series, is the best sequel to the original movie.
There is another movie that Pat Morita and Danny Kamekona (Sato) starred in called "Collision course" from 1989. If you think the crane kick was something, then you should see the kick that Pat Morita does towards the end of "Collision course" in the alley scene. That one scene made the entire movie gold for me :)
Edit: Found that kick scene on here at czcams.com/video/_auekKc1580/video.html
Niiice! He attacked him with the power of bluescreen. Also Pat Morita and Jay Leno! Unlikeliest buddy buddy team-up ever
While I do not entirely agree with you review in full (Part 2 is my favorite of the films, followed closely by Part 1), I am in complete agreement in the furstration of the way they handled the new characters introduced this time around. I actually really liked Kumiko as a character, and thought that both Daniel and herself made a great pair. I really wanted her to come back for Cobra Kai, and was really disappointed she didn't.
I honestly don't care at all for Daniels wife in the new series. While she has a couple of moments where she is helpful as a character, I just find her a bit bland and irritating. I do hope to see Kumiko in the future, but I really don't know that I will enjoy how they handle that, though I really love Cobra Kai as a whole. I also feel the same regarding Miyagi and his love interest. The fact that they never even mention it again was just sloppy.
Fantastic as always. To be honest with you, out all the "Karate Kid" movies, this is probably my favorite sequel out of the bunch, yeah there's not much action and the ending with Daniel honking Chozen was a dumb, but I thought the story was a good upgrade to the first seeing that it focused more on Mr.Myagi, having him rekindle with his old love as well giving him a rival, even though neither had any kind of payoff. I also like how it ups the anti for Daniel having to fight Chozen to the death as apposed to another tournament like Part 3. I think James Rolfe said it the best when he reviewed the whole franchise (except for "The Next Karate Kid", but could you blame him?), not as good as first, but good in its own right. I haven't seen the new "Cobra Kai" series, mostly because I don't have "CZcams Red", also because it seemed to portray Daniel as the supposed villain, but seeing that bit of footage training with that girl, that doesn't seem to be the case...I hope. :)
sfigher00 I've always thought part II is the best out of the trilogy for pretty much the same reasons you've written. I highly recommend Cobra Kai. It doesn't make Daniel the bad guy but it puts a different perspective on whose right or wrong (Daniel and Johnny).
Sadly it was all a scam - myagi was actually running a scam - remember : when, komutico was having a chat - she said to, danny, want her advice : don't hurt him : this leads me to believe that, kreese, directly set on, johnny, using directions from, .Myagi plus another tell tale sign is the drums at the end - waits a minute - I thought the drums were supposed to be a myagi family karate secret yet there's plenty of drums around - looks like the drums were a kids toy after all - just like, chozen ( or whatever his real name was supposed to be ), declared
Re Cobra Kai: Eh its not so much that hes the villain more like bad decisions are made due to preconceived notions and bad information which leads to both Daniel and Johnny doing stupid "bad" stuff to the other. People make mistakes. As for "CZcams Red" the first 2 episodes are free to watch. After that there is a free trial so you can just sign up and binge the series on a weekend (half hour episodes) then cancel if you don't wanna spend the money on the service.
sfighter00 I really do enjoy this movie. It is very different from the first movie, but I appreciated that it continued the story, developed characters like Miyagi and loved the change of setting. It does suffer in that it does drag and we get the bully again. But Daniel is great in this and I appreciated the change. In my head canon, the first movie, this one and Cobra Kai are what happens. Part 3 does not exist and the Next karate kid; no. Also, I like the reboot, but that's its own separate universe. And really, it is NOT Karate; it's Kung Fu. Big difference.
This is awesome! I had watched your Aliens retrospective a while ago, and I finally came across your channel again and smartly subscribed so I wouldn't miss out on any more future material. Love your editing and commentary. I definitely prefer the first movie out of all of them (I'm starting to watch Cobra Kai and absolutely love it), but the second one does have a place in my heart. I tend to quote Sato ("You betrayed me") even as an adult: I still get such a kick out of Sato screaming at Miyagi that he's a coward even during the typhoon sequence. My grandma was one of the extras in the Obon festival at the end of the film. Although you can't see her, it always makes me smile to think that she will always be in that crowd of people every time I watch the film. Thank you for such awesome content, and I'll check out your Kickstarter!
Wow, I’ve been waiting awhile for this retrospective. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that, either. I loved the AVGN mention. I wonder how many fans here are fans of him, too. Seeing the Amiga game was pretty interesting. The graphics look great! I think I would’ve had the same reaction as a child as you did.
You're not alone in wanting to see this retrospect on this film. I once made a request with Oliver a few years back.
AVGN was good back in the day, but the older I get, the more and more juvenile and less funny his type of humour seems to get for me.
RDuke well, who could blame us? He does a fantastic job.
Tru Dis his newer stuff has matured a lot in style, too, though. I agree that it was funnier in my 20s, but I still appreciate the art and nostalgia of it.
Tru Dis I never saw AVGN in the early days, and watching it now it's just some guy screaming 'ass', other curses, and... just screaming. James' much more watchable when he's just himself these days, calmly reviewing films like Oli here. (A lesson some other youtubers could have learned long ago.)
I always liked this one, it might be my favourite. I wish the end fight had been a bit longer.
I love that line about if Mr Miyagi could split a log: “Don’t know. Never been attacked by tree.”
Glory of love is a fantastic song,might be cheesy but really fits well with the overall feel of the film,Fantastic sequel.
Your intros are always masterfully edited.
Funny that twice The Karate Kid films got rejected Rocky songs! You're The Best Around which was rejected from Rocky 3 (and also Flashdance), and Glory Of Love from Rocky 4.
Thank you for using the right cover of this movie for your thumbnail. This fantastic masterpiece deserves more notoriety than the crappy DVD and Blu-ray covers they made for this film. It should have been the original which is what you presented. Thank you.
LMAO! That tiny little moat actually stopped all the men from rushing Chozen in the final fight. Ooohh he dropped that little stinkin' bridge. Hahahahahahaaa!!!
Pat Morita also starred in a cop show called O'Hara. Would love to see a retrospective on that since it is almost a continuation of Miyagi.
I really love your channel. Keep you the good work.
As always a very in depth retrospective! If I may add I feel part 3 actually makes part 2 more superior in my opinion. The fact that Daniel fought for his life against Chozen, Daniel shouldn’t have been that fearful of Barnes. I felt in part, they got lazy, and didn’t evolve Daniel at all! The filmmakers didn’t even try to incorporate a new special move. While the kata is cool, climatically wasn’t satisfying. It took me years later to realize Daniel used the kata at the end of p3 to refocus to win. Also I totally agree, Avildsen shot the end move of p2 too close and it didn’t have a full payoff. I suppose maybe the tv versions of the Shaw Bros and various kung fu films that were shown in tv were full screen. Perhaps filmmakers like Avildsen follow suit, or gave poor judgement on the end shot.
1984: kid learns to face his bullies and wins in local karate tournament.
1986: Same kid enters a duell to the death in some castle ruins? Well that escalated quickly.
1989: Kid is back to open a Bonsai Shop. That ... pacified quickly?
man, I loved this movie growing up. Still think it's my preferred film in the franchise. Though admittedly, I haven't watched it since I was a child so... I was young and it was my first introduction to Japanese culture and iconography and I fell in love. I used to practice the tea ceremony every chance I got and I was still humming the score long into adulthood. I don't know how it holds up since I haven't watched it with my new discerning grownup eyes but I remember it being very important to me. Hell, it was my first visual representation of an interracial relationship on the big screen. It left its mark and holds a warm place in my heart. Certainly more so than the first. Maybe as a child I simply felt more connected to the trials of family and community rather than a teenage boy getting bullied and trying to get the girl.
This just made me realize I didn't watch your video on the first movie. Then I have to watch both reviews back to back!
Honestly this one is my favorite of the series. Maybe its because I didn't find them until I was older, but I love it as a movie. The music, the cinematography, the action, the writing, the costume design, the lighting, the acting, etc is amazing. The time it takes in the opening scenes, the sadness of the funeral, the beauty of the village, the adrenaline of the ice breaking scene, hurricane and end fight, it's a textbook sequel in the best of ways.
Each to his own, but this is my personal favorite.
I've also heard that the opening sequence is a complete deleted scene shot for KK1. Where I read it, Columbia had the sequence in their vault doing nothing, and as it made a good start to KK2, they decided to get their money back and save money on shooting a new opening. This reminds me of how much of BTTF was shot with Eric Stoltz, I keep hearing varying amounts. Or whether Spielberg shot Poltergeist, or at least how much involvement he had. Same with The Goonies. I'd agree that the lack of Elisabeth Shue or Randee Heller as his Mom in the sequence is probably a good indicator it wasn't shot during KK1. It is weird that they wouldn't be leaving with Daniel and Myagi. Although that said they didn't arrive with them, so maybe they were just parked somewhere else and were to meet up after?
To this day, I can’t hear the word ‘midnight’ without hearing Sato’s booming voice in my head saying ‘MIDNIIIGHT, MIYAGI!!!!!!’
I'd say part two is my favourite, the story felt more serious, I remember as a 10 year old having a huge crush on Tamlyn Tomita (Kumiko) the score is brilliant, I do agree Sato's voice is a bit funny, especially when he turns 'good' ... I always took him pinching the nose as miyagi did at the beginning to choose non violence to end things..
Another outstanding review. Although I haven't seen any of the Karate Kid films in years, the recent Cobra Kai series has effectively renewed my interest in these characters. I do feel that Part II is a far superior sequel to Part III, as it ups the stakes beyond the All-Valley tournament whereas Part III retreats back to it. I've always felt that Part III should have had Daniel fighting Kreese himself in III, which would have upped the stakes even higher for Daniel. And given that Sato was 40 years karate instructor to the U.S. military, it would have been perfect if it had turned out that Sato had been Kreese's teacher in Vietnam, thus all the karate seen in the saga would have stemmed from Miyagi's father (and making Cobra Kai karate an offshoot of Miyagi-Do karate.)
Maybe next season of Cobra Kai will go in that direction. You never know...
I look forward to your review of Cobra Kai and will happily contribute to your Last Action Heroes documentary at my first opportunity.
Loved films like these as a kid for the next 30 minutes after the film I'd think I was a ninja or similar and go about the house jumping about kicking and punching stuff . Normally end up breaking something and getting in trouble ! Lol
Thank you for your time and hard work in getting this out. Love this movie. Just wondering though, how come you did 1 and 3 first, then finished off with 2?
I love 80s movies
I don't know, I thought the final fight was pretty cool, and I still like it.
It had many problems... it was entertaining until the end... and the way they showed the Japanese couture through tea ceremonies was quite beautiful in the eyes of an outsider.
Lots of Story and Character development, the fact we still wanting to see more about those characters it shows how well done the writing was.
Love the visual storytelling and how they make everyone watch Daniel on the storm sequence, Even though it was quite a long movie, the ending felt rushed and could have been done better
with the same elements and budget.
Its quite rare we see sequels being better than the first movies, and the directors here tried to pull of a Terminator 2 approach to the change of focus and it worked.
Great movie and great review/
Eh, personally, I think this is best one in my opinion.
thumbs up!! I look forward to your Retrospectives.. VERY well done as always ... I like Karate Kid Part 2 more than part 1 .. so this was a nice watch for me... please keep doing these videos ..everytime I learn things i never knew I wanted to know ..Super Awesome!.
Was looking for this! :) After Kobra Kai we watched the first two. Never saw Part III, looks absolutely horrible from what I have seen. Always liked Part II for its change of scenery and look.
Don't try, it makes no sense
As a martialartist, I liked the drum technique, but I completely understand where you are coming from. Karate Kid 2 was my favorite since the first time I watched when I was around 10 years old.
I now know 🙏 to you that all the scenes with Daniel & Myagi (sp) with Daniel getting autographs,the parking lot scene was filmed during the KK 2!
You know I always thought the karate kid two was week for some reason despite the fact that it was a good idea and a strong story. I guess it was all down to execution. I think that it just didn’t take enough chances in terms of Daniel’s character just having him meet a new girl is sort of like a retreat of the first movie. which I guess makes sense that you would want to have something more similar to the first film, when everything else is so different. but when you look at the third film and how Daniel takes on a new sensei it seems interesting to me to think of how things might’ve been different if Sato presented himself in a way like how silver did in the third film and took on Daniel as an apprentice. But I feel like you need to end the film with a climactic fight for Daniel. It makes more sense for miagi to fight sato. But at the end of the day I s karate kid 2. Not a spin-off movie. The lack of commitment to having either Daniel or miagi be the central character is the weakness.
I remember working as a movie usher when this was released. Other than Fatal Attraction & Dirty Dancing, it had the longest run. Would always watch the end scene (HONK) to see the audience reaction before opening the doors. Always heard a few laughs/let downs. Nevertheless, I’ve always enjoyed this the most. Even with its flaws. The setting / music especially. Back Story and sweetness from the villagers were heart felt. Great review Oliver! Thank you.
Wow! A longer run than Top Gun?
lescovah valich I worked for a two theater owned group. Three miles apart. Top Gun was showing at the other theater.
Thanks for replying. Yeah that explains it. I knew Top Gun was the highest grossing film of 1986, so it had me puzzled. Thanks!
Miyagi: Daniel-san, never put passion before principle. Even if win, you lose.
Karate Kid NES--a short game that's hard as balls? Sounds like something I need to try again. Great retrospective as always! I don't think I experienced this one back in the day--Part 1 seemed to be what was on TV all the time around my area.
One of your best yet. I'm looking forward to your Cobra Kai review.
Part 2 is a fan favorite. You're going to get a lot of disagreement over this review.
Have watched all of Cobra Kai, and it is excellent. 👍👍
l really liked Soto's redemption in the final act. Part 2 is not as good as the first movie but its a good, entertaining sequal.
Another awesome review would be interested if you did a review of apocalypse now
It is fucking INSANE how the Cobra Kai crew got every one to reprise their roles. Chozen, Kumiko, AND the little girl daniel saves in the storm reprise their roles in Cobra Kai. It's been 30 years bruh HOW IN THE WORLD DID THEY MANAGE THAT!?
All 3 reprise their roles and are not replaced by actors like WHAAAAT?! HUH?! I could not believe it until me and a friend looked it up.
That Japanese girl was also in movie The Joy Luck Club.
Also she was a recurring cast member in the American tv series JAG where she played a Navy lawyer. Really liked her in that role and was sad when she left the show.
I love this film. The scenes between Daniel and Miyagi at the death of his father were so touching and I love the old fashioned romances. I think they should have ended it there - Daniel had matured , Miyagi could have returned to Okinawa and stayed with Yukie, while Daniel and Kumiko went to America. If they had to make another sequel it could have happened later when Daniel and Kumiko had finished college. The third film was dreadful - a cartoonish villain and silly story, then we had to accept that Daniel was scared of Cobra Kai after the experiences he had. The fourth film was just bland - it was the relationship between Miyagi and Daniel that was special and the two actors' chemistry. They were ju st great together.
*****Sorry for this too long comment😅*****
I was rewatching this movie last night, having seen 'Cobra Kai - Season III', and I must confess that, in my humble opinion, it is my favorite of the first two parts of the trilogy. I haven't seen 'Karate Kid Part III' yet, but knowing his reputation, I guess I won't like it that much.
This film has a lot of heart, it seems like a pause in the progression of Daniel's story, but the truth is, I think it develops a lot in his relationship with Mr. Miyagi. In the first movie they were apprentice and sensei, but in this one they really become a surrogate son and father to each other. And then there is the relationship with Kumiko. Oh my God! He is so innocent and romantic! I know Alli is iconic, and rightly so, but there is a lot of angel in Tamlyn Tomita's performance.
As I see it, this movie adheres to the unwritten rule of all unplanned trilogies. Once the first film is successful, the second tries to tell a completely different plot than the previous one, creating a more "mature" and darker film. In this it is no longer about a young man who is bullied in high school, which in itself is a hard subject. Now we speak of lives at stake, of a town that will be destroyed by the rancor of a "disgraced" man. So enter the villains of this movie, seemingly irredeemable, with Chozen being such a bad bad guy that he makes Johnny look like a nun next to him.
I agree with Oliver that the biggest problem with this trilogy is not committing to the relationships it establishes. Now that we have 'Cobra Kai', some of the problems that this raised are being fixed, like why the hell didn't Yukie come with Miyagi from Okinawa. However, the change of love interest and villain is like this as long as there is no single antagonist and main female character, as in 'Star Wars' or 'Back to the Future'. The example of 'Indiana Jones Trilogy' (that's right: trilogy!) can come as a case similar to that of the 'Karate Kid' movies.
As you can see, I really like this movie, haha. I also adore the first film, and deeply appreciate its status as a classic. If you also ask me, I'll stick with the soundtrack of 'The Karate Kid'. I can't listen to the track 'Daniel's Moment of Truth' without shedding tears of joy. But I see many components that make 'The Karate Kid Part II' a film with heart and very beautiful.
It may not be the best movie, but my favorite for sure🤩.
Whats the song in the background of his kickstarter promo at the beginning. It sounds so familiar I know I've heard it before but I can't find it. Its driving me up the wall about it.
Surprising you haven't done this movie before, thanks greatly appreciated. Any chance to do more TV series?
You forgot to mention that Tamilyn Tomita has a regular role, as a hospital Administrator, in "The Good Doctor tv series.
The music is my childhood, why do we have to get old? :-(
Way back when I was a teenager
The Karate Kid movies
little too wholesome for me
not enough action
and
not enough violence
way back when it first came out
but
now within the last 4 years I could see the symbolic and Japanese cultural narration and Dynamics
and
I appreciated all of these factors now that I'm older
If Daniel mistimed that swinging harpoon just a half second more...
Liked before watching - thanks for posting 👍
Oliver, ya gotta give some love to 'The Right Stuff', in regards Bill Conti scores. It's exceptional.
I was 10 years old when the Karate Kid II came out and I LOVED the movie... The story was great, although it wasn't very action packed, I thought the movie had the same richness of the first movie but in "Okinawa Japan" (actually Hawaii).. lol Absolutely great movie!!
As a kid I was drawn to all of Daniel-san's girlfriends but my biggest crush was Tamlyn Tomita. She was the ideal asian chick for me at the time and has held up very well over the years.