Call me an ignoramus but when The Karate Kid first hit the scene back in 1984, I thought to myself, “DC Comics is making a movie about the Legion of Super-Heroes?” Before you think I’ve smoked one too many comic books, let me explain. The Legion of Super-Heroes is DC Comics’ superhero team from the 30th Century. They are the Justice League of the future. One of its members is actually called Karate Kid. So you could imagine my disappointment when I realized the movie wasn’t about him. But I wasn’t going to be fooled again when The Karate Kid, Part II came out. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki “Pat” Morita reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Kesuke Miyagi in director John G. Avildsen’s 1986 film The Karate Kid, Part II. I remember waiting in anticipation to watch this in the theatre when it first came out and felt a little bit unfulfilled after leaving it. No, not because the Legion of Super-Heroes wasn’t in it, though it would have been a great twist if they did show up. Upon watching it again many times since then, I still feel the same way.
The Karate Kid, Part II picks up immediately after Daniel’s win at the All-Valley Karate Tournament and ties up loose ends with John Kreese (Martin Kove) in what I think is probably the best part of the whole movie between he and Miyagi. Seriously, I believe this was actually supposed to be the real ending of the first film. Yeah, I think there’s a sequel to this sequel in the making.
While the first movie focuses more on Daniel’s plight, the second shifts towards Miyagi. More is revealed about the quiet sensei’s past especially why he left Okinawa in the first place. His once best friend Sato (Danny Kamekona) had a fallen out many years earlier over a matter of honour. Instead of fighting his friend, Miyagi disappeared. But Miyagi receives news that his father is very ill leaving him no choice but to return to Okinawa, with Daniel in tow, and with the inevitable confrontation with Sato. Years of hatred has been building up inside of Sato that he has even twisted his nephew Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) into his way of thinking. Unfortunately for Daniel, Chozen’s skewed thought-process puts him in a position to fight Sato’s nephew to the death for the sake of his honour.
Mr. Miyagi: "Daniel-San, this not tournament. This for real."
There is always a danger that a sequel will try to copy and recapture the magic of the first movie. Sometimes it’s successful and sometimes it’s not. With this movie, it’s a bit of both. There is character advancement and further revealed details that is included, but at the same time I also think that it tried to hard to make it the same as the first movie, even though the setting has changed. The whole fish out of water scenario is not a new concept but watching Daniel flounder around in a new setting is actually amusing, if not clichéd.
Still, as much as Macchio receives more screen time, it’s Morita’s story that has the most emotional impact. This is where it’s different. We haven’t really seen just how much of a warrior Miyagi is in the ways of karate. That’s because Miyagi doesn’t advocate the use of violence and always tries to find an alternate way of dealing with problems, even if it means being perceived as a coward. Unfortunately, Miyagi may have to fight Sato to save the people that he cherishes. The stakes of the fight are so much higher than a karate tournament. This is also the lesson Daniel learns when he eventually has to face Chozen in a life and death situation.
There is a familiarity that helps propel the movie forward yet at the same time it becomes a hindrance. The problem stems from the pacing of the movie. It follows the pattern set by the original and, in a sense, doesn’t lend itself to many new surprises. How many times is Daniel going to be bullied by those who don’t understand karate? How many times is Miyagi going to save his butt? One thing I don’t get tired of is Miyagi’s quips. It never gets old with me and I would be disappointed he didn’t fire back a droll remark.
Daniel: "You think you could break a log like that?"
Miyagi: "Don't know. Never been attacked by a tree."
Overall, The Karate Kid, Part II manages to stay faithful to the tone it set with the original film. Both Macchio and Morita perfectly play off each other thanks to their natural charms. It helps keep the movie more enjoyable than I thought because of their chemistry. There are times I felt that many scenes felt too forced or extremely corny, and the lackluster final confrontation was anticlimactic for my tastes. Still, if it weren’t for the character development, this sequel would have fallen faster on its backside from a sweep of the leg.
Of course, if the Legion of Super-Heroes came from the 30th Century to recruit the Karate Kid, it would have definitely been an eye-opener. A weird one, but definitely a different one.
This is part of my Funny Pages Write-Off that I have extended until the end of July. Columbia Pictures had to get permission from DC Comics for usage of the name of the Legion of Super-Heroes comic book character Karate Kid. As indicated by the film, the 30th Century hero never made one appearance at all.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12
Martial arts master Miyagi Noriyuki "Pat" Morita and his student Daniel Ralph Macchio return in director John G. Avildsen's sequel to the popular KARA...More at Family Video
DVDS. This sequel to the 1984 surprise hit {#The Karate Kid} reunites {$Ralph Macchio} as high-schooler Danny and {$Noriyuki "Pat" Morita} as Danny's ...More at DeepDiscount.com
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