The Karate Kid Part II appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. The Dolby Vision presentation looked surprisingly terrific.
Unlike most films of this one’s era, sharpness seemed consistently tight. Perhaps a sliver of softness materialized at times, but if so, those instances remained too minor to create concerns.
I saw no issues with jagged edges or moiré effects, and edge haloes remained absent. Grain felt natural, while I detected no print flaws.
Source flaws stayed minor. I noticed a couple of small specks but nothing more, as the majority of the flick looked clean. Grain was also within normal limits.
Colors looked natural and vivid. The disc’s HDR added range and impact to the tones, so they appeared bright and rich.
Blacks seemed deep and dense, while low-light shots came across with appropriate clarity. HDR brought power to whites and contrast.
I debated my grade, as “A-“ felt a little high. Nonetheless, this turned into a much better than expected image, and given the way most 1986 movies look, I thought it deserved high honors.
Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the film’s Dolby Atmos audio offered surprisingly positive fidelity, especially in terms of music, as both the score and songs boasted nice range and dimensionality. Effects were fine, as they were accurate and full.
Speech was usually positive as well. Some lines seemed a bit reedy and stiff, but most of the dialogue seemed natural.
As for the soundfield, music featured nice stereo spread, and we got some decent environmental material. The scene with the massive storm became easily the most dynamic of the bunch.
While the movie didn’t deliver an action-packed soundscape, it used the various channels to create a pretty engaging impression. Though not demo material, the audio added to the film’s impact.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the Blu-ray version? The Atmos soundtrack felt more involving than the 5.1 mix.
As for the Dolby Vision image, it offered a nice upgrade. The 4K UHD appeared better defined, cleaner and more vivid than the unexceptional Blu-ray. This became an appealing step up in quality.
On the 4K disc, we find a brand-new audio commentary from actors Ralph Macchio and Tamlyn Tomita. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at aspects of their characters and performances, sets and locations, reflections on other cast and crew, and general memories of the production.
Recorded during the COVID pandemic via remote options, I like the reunion between two of the movie's leads. However, I can't claim they give us a lot of insights here.
Oh, the track remains breezy and likable enough across the film's running time, so it doesn't flop. The commentary simply doesn't deliver a lot of concrete info about the production.
In addition to the movie’s trailer, we get one deleted scene. It runs a mere 34 seconds and shows Daniel as he helps rebuild the garden. Though it also links to his relationship with Kumiko, it seems entirely superfluous.
More features appear on the included Blu-ray copy. Continuing a feature found on the Blu-ray for the first film, Kid II provides an interactive component called Blu-Pop.
However, the scope of the sequel’s Blu-Pop didn’t extend as far as the presentation for the original film. The prior flick’s Blu-Pop mixed text commentary with picture-in-picture comments from actors, but this one just provides the pop-up factoids.
These give us notes about cast and crew as well as factual connections to the movie’s story and setting. We learn some minor tidbits here, but don’t expect a wealth of information.
A vintage featurette called The Sequel runs six minutes, 18 seconds. Created to promote the film in 1986, the show includes comments from producer Jerry Weintraub, director John Avildsen, and actors Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio.
They tell us a little about the story and that’s about it. The piece features lots of film snippets and no real information, as it exists to promote the film. Skip this waste of time.
The set ends with some Previews. This area includes ads for Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, Extraordinary Measures, Facing the Giants, and The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. No trailer for Kid II appears here.
While the first movie provided a pretty enjoyable underdog story, The Karate Kid Part II is a drag. Parts of it just rehash elements of its predecessor, and the plot tends to be so stale and hackneyed that it plods along toward its inevitable – and unsatisfying – conclusion. The 4K UHD gives us very good picture and audio along with some supplements. The film seems lackluster, but the 4K UHD brings it home in top form.
Note that this version of Karate Kid Part II appears only as part of a three-film 4K “Karate Kid Collection”. In addition to Karate Kid Part II, it includes Karate Kid and Karate Kid Part III.
To rate this film, visit the prior review of KARATE KID PART II
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