The Karate Kid was one of my favorite movies as a kid and, while it hasn’t necessarily aged well, it remains a must-watch whenever I stumble upon it on some oft-neglected basic cable network. However, save for a move from New Jersey to California, very few travel themes are covered in that film (unless you count Daniel learning about another culture thanks to Mr. Miyagi and his bonsai trees). However, when the much-anticipated (by me) sequel was released, we all got to stamp our cinematic passports as we traveled to Okinawa, Japan with our favorite All-Valley Karate Tournament champion. It was an adequate trip.
The film picks up right where the initial story left off. With Mr. Miyaga’s father dying, a trip to Okinawa is hastily thrown together. Daniel’s love for Mr. Miyagi (and lack of any real friends, hobbies or life) lead him to use his savings to join his mentor on the humid island. Hijinks ensue.
We learn that Miyagi once stole a girl from his rival, Sato. Sato holds grudges for longer than John Kreese (see The Karate Kid Part III) and steadfastly believes that Mr. Miyagi owes him a fight to the death. Seems that Miyagi left Japan to avoid said fight to the death. See, other cultures are different and unique!
There’s much yelling, bullying and sweating during the middle of the film. Sato’s nephew dislikes Daniel (he’s like an Asian Johnny Lawrence) and also has a thing for Daniel’s love interest who is also Miyagi’s love interest’s daughter. Get all that? Sato and Miyagi eventually reconcile in the way that all estranged friends do – after Miyagi lifts a tree off of Sato during a terrible storm. How authentic!
That’s not enough to pacify Sato’s nephew, though. He wants to fight Daniel to the death. They battle. The crane kick doesn’t work. A nose is honked and we all live happily ever after.
So, what did we learn about travel in The Karate Kid Part II? Japan is a land of cliches. Martial arts are the only way to settle our differences. Awkward, lanky nerds have long had an Asian fetish.
Oh, and Peter Cetera had a healthy head of hair.
If you haven’t seen The Karate Kid Part II, I recommend that you check it out. Do it for the glory of love. It truly is a Mediocre Moment in Travel Media.
