We pick up the story of "Karate Kid" Danny La Russo right where we left it in "The Karate Kid", with young Danny having just won the amateur tournament. From here director John G. Avildsen takes us in a slightly different direction. In fact we head to the far east, back to Okinawa, the birthplace of Mr. Myagi. Here Myagi must settle affairs with his dying father, and also face an old friend who holds a forty year grudge.
Part two tells the tale of traditional Japanese honour without much flair or freshness, with the plot heading down a very obvious path early on. It's satisfying to see the original director and cast returning for this sequel, yet they sadly fail to recapture the mood of the first film, and "Pat" Morita is not as impressive this time either.
Bill Conti brings his initial score back too, and the film is well shot, yet it fails to really uplift and entertain its audience. The opening flashbacks to the first "Karate Kid" are the best this movie has to offer.
Tuesday, February 22, 1994 - Video