The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)

Kid II is an enlightening experience. It teaches you a little about courage, mercy, and the zen of movie-cycle maintenance.

The plotline is classic Western morality-play stuff, with the goodies and baddies clearly delineated, but the set pieces are well constructed, and the whole thing is beautifully staged and shot.

There are scattered pleasures throughout the film due to its two lead performances, which are the equal of the work done in the original. It's just that with a few exceptions, the characters Miyagi and Daniel are forced into conflict with aren't worthy of their time.

Even as sequels go in this era of movie mega-series, The Karate Kid Part II peters out faster than most.

Macchio, for his part, is an obviously intelligent actor with terrific instincts. Still, this movie leaves a bit to be desired: much of the movie seems recycled, and there is precious little subtlety in the villains' characterizations. The film is also about 15 minutes too long, with far too many convenient plot devices.