Elizabeth Shue is written out as she got a new man, no big deal. No big deal?? There I was thinking that she was the love of his life.
The mother also is part of the story....off screen again. WTF? Not sure what to feel like they're saving money or what!
Then the movie moves to Japan...so not a part II but a spin off?
Terrible movie.
Obviously you're entitle to your own opinion. Nothing wrong there. But a lot of fans think this was the best of the trilogy.
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shareI think KK II was very good, and an important movie in the franchise. Maybe not QUITE as great as the first film (because nothing can capture the magic of the original). You can't just pick-up from where the first one left off, with no adversity.....just having Daniel and Alli still going strong.....him still living in that apartment with his mom....life going on as usual. With a sequel, you kinda have to raise the stakes.
With KK II, we're reminded life doesn't always go as planned. Sure, we had the Hollywood fairytale ending in the first film. But now, in Part II.....we see Daniel having to grow-up...and face the harsh realities of life. He loses Alli...he loses focus....and Mr. Miyagi is there to help him find it.
This movie advances the maturation of Daniel, and deepens the bond between him and his mentor. It takes them to an exotic, far off land. We get to learn about Miyagi's roots and background. Daniel has a special romance with Kumiko.....and the conflicts in this movie rise from the level of high school bullying and tournaments....to life and death. Real world stuff.
I really liked the exotic location....the strengthening bond between Daniel and Miyagi...and found Kumiko to be a refreshing delight....a big change from the typical Hollywood blond, interchangable love interest. Daniel had to grow-up quickly, and it showed him overcoming real adversity, as he became a man. It was more of an exotic adventure than the sweet innocence of the first one, and a logical next step in the franchise.
Where they dropped the ball was with the third one. KK III was SUCH a big drop from the first two. You go from high stakes, real-world drama....right back down to local, trivial issues and tournaments again. The love interest is more of a pal....the "villains" are silly (straight out of Hollywood villain casting calls).....the stakes are...a tournament again? Really?
KK III is the movie that almost killed the franchise, not Part II.
Fortunately, Cobra Kai came along to rescue it.
Maybe I just didn't like the sloppy writing out of his girlfriend and the spontaneous "I'm coming to Japan and my mom said it's fine! ( Off screen) writing.
shareNot uncommon for movies to write someone out off-screen also it's not really sloppy writing, they were in highschool people break up all the time. Also his mother had already given permission for him to stay with Miyagi over the summer anyway, so honestly it's not that hard to believe she would give permission to go overseas to help support Miyagi through his hard times.
sharemy parents watched them recently and liked the 3rd one better
shareCouldn’t disagree more with the OP. KK II is a solid sequel that helps the characters grow. As far as losing Ali, teenagers very seldom stick together. Daniel found a new love in Okinawa, and it was a great relationship.
shareThis is like the best film in the trilogy. The one that's actually good without nostalgia goggles.
There I was thinking that she was the love of his life.
This is my favorite of the sequels. Ali being written out isn't that big of a deal as teens don't stay together and it's common for franchise movies of the time to have a different love interest for the hero every movie. As for the mom, she was never that important to the overall plot.
Placing the setting in Japan and giving Daniel a much more dangerous foe escalated the series in the right direction.
I agree. It was a nice progression for Daniel while building out the background of Mr Miyagi. They are the two main characters of the first film. Its their relationship that the first film revolves around. Ali and his mother are secondary characters, not bad ones, but not essential. The different setting was a nice change as well. This film, the original and the series make a nice viewing package altogether.
shareKK II is an excellent sequel, and it moves the story forward in a logical manner. We get deeper insights into Myagi, and Daniel grows, too. The original really captured lightning in a bottle, but this first sequel more often than not recaptures that magic.
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