Inside 40th anniversary of Ralph Macchio's Karate Kid Part II that 'bucks the trend'
Inside 40th anniversary of Ralph Macchio's Karate Kid Part II that 'bucks the trend'
Jorge SolisSat, June 20, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC
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Actor Ralph Macchio starred in The Karate Kid Part II -Credit:Columbia Pictures (Columbia Pictures)
The Karate Kid Part II, starring Ralph Macchio, celebrates its 40th milestone anniversary.
Released on June 20, 1986, the second installment of The Karate Kid franchise explored new territory and focused on the backstory of Karate master Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita). Audiences discovered Miyagi was exiled from his home before immigrating to the United States. His karate protégé, Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), also faced a bigger and deadlier threat, who was more criminal than a bully.
The events of the sequel would be further explored in the TV legacy series, Cobra Kai. This came after Cobra Kai fans became gobsmacked after learning about the star's real age.
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The Karate Kid sequel follows the events after Daniel won the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament in the original. After losing the tournament,John Kreese takes his anger out on Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and nearly beats him to a pulp. Miyagi shows up in the nick of time and teaches Kreese a painful lesson in humility.
After learning that his father is dying, the karate master returned home to Okinawa. He reluctantly brought his protégé along. Although he is unwelcome in Japan, Miyagi is surprised to discover that his old sweetheart, Yukie, still has feelings for him.
Meanwhile, Daniel is attracted to Yukie's niece, Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita). But romance must be put on hold while Daniel and Miyagi deal with a hardened thug, Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), amid a long-harbored grudge.
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As everyone in Okinawa watches, Daniel fights in a no-holds-barred match against Chozen to save Kumiko and prove his worth as Miyagi's student.
Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in a scene from The Karate Kid Part II -Credit:Columbia Pictures
In October 2022, Macchio dedicated a chapter in his book, Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me, to his co-star Elisabeth Shue. He regretted being unable to work out his schedule, which meant the film had to write off her character in the second installment.
"I didn't even realize it until I was writing that chapter — I would've handled it totally differently now," he shared with Entertainment Weekly and added, "When that character was written off, I would've picked up the phone."
"But at the time, I was just wrapped up. I was on the movie Teachers at that time with Nick Nolte, and the world was going fast. I never looked at it from her perspective. It was always from my perspective," Macchio closed.
The Karate Kid sequel has a 52 percent score with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso finds himself in a battle to the death -Credit:Columbia Pictures
One reviewer said, "The characters have grown and developed since the first film. The storyline involves more variables, including a deeper degree of jeopardy for Daniel and Miyagi."
Another reviewer added, "The Karate Kid II is a better picture than its title indicates. It has warmth, intelligence, and a sense of human relationships."
A third wrote, "A sequel that bucks the trend — a sequel that offers, if anything, less of the same and in a completely different location."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
