| The Karate Kid Part II (1986) Cast:Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita,Nobu McCarthy,Martin Kove,Danny Kamakona This time Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) goes to Okinawa, Japan with Mr. Myiagi(Morita) to visit Myiagi's dying father, however unknown to Daniel, another master, named Sato(Kamakona) has vendetta against Myiagi and it's here a fight will develop due to Myiagi insulting his honor many years before in this braindead and mostly boring sequel to a decent yet somewhat overrated time waster. The problem with The Karate Kid Part II, not just it's leaden pacing, but that it's story is so tired and bored with itself. There are two different approaches to be taken with material this lame, one you can buck the odds and actually rise above the odds or you can make it like American Ninja, add in ridiculousness, lots of fightscenes and ninjas to make the movie go down easier. The Karate Kid Part II play this material striaght, and it's just ridiculous. Japan is a country that is for the most part the technology capitol of the world, yet they never show this side, secondly the whole honor subplot only works in movies like American Ninja because we go in expecting a lame script. The Karate Kid Part II is a movie that barely keeps it's head above shoulders due to it's performances from Macchio and Morita who's relationship provides the only life in this ordinary film. Worst of all the movie hardly has any plot and the action sequences lack the suspense of the first or even the ones posessed in said American Ninja. Still it's a little weird comparing American Ninja with The Karate Kid Part II, especially they are completely different style of films. However this deadly serious approach to such ludicrious material basically leaves one pining for Michael Dudikoff, Steve James and tons of ninjas to kick some life into this wooden film. D.John Avildsen** |