The Karate Kid II
Bill Conti
" Goes beyond the first "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release
2 years after the hugely successful The Karate Kid came nr 2, starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in their respected roles as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi. Now the story goes to Okinawa where Mr. Miyagi visits his father and re encounters his old rival while at the same time rediscovering his love he had for his old girlfriend. In the end it is the kind of story that isn't fresh but works easily because now we have 2 battles, only the one Mr. Miyagi is encountering is a more spiritual one.
It's easy to see that the score of Bill Conti is equally spiritual, and in the end much stronger as well. The first was a terrific balance between the soft Japanese influence and the more teen oriented period of the 80's. Bill Conti mixed it together and The Karate Kid became a beautiful interesting affair. For The Karate Kid II the way is to Japan and the score follows even more than the first that ethnic path. It is however amazing how Bill Conti infuses the ethnic material with a soul that goes beyond anything he wrote for the first.
In "Main Title" we encounter immediately a new theme or basically this movie's main theme, it is however extremely soft and you won't notice it that easily. However the returning interaction theme is briefly spotted and we receive an amazing finish when the main theme of The Karate Kid movies is heard in full flourishing effect. Needless to say it is an amazing start of this score.
It is clear that this score is saturated in the ethnic sense and how uninteresting that may sound, Bill Conti still surprises you easily with some of the most brilliant tracks he's ever written. "Six Months Later" holds the interaction theme, "Breathing Daniel Nails It" a soft version of the main heroic theme of this score and "Time Flies" is a lovely piece where the material reaches a rewarding change in tone through the flute.
However Conti is extremely good at creating layers of extra power in his material. "Enter Sato" has basic ethnic material growing dangerously while "Miyagi's Home" is a sublime emotional ride. It is in this one where you spot a theme that was never presented on the first score yet appeared on the bootleg. A dramatic good theme that Conti uses here, giving Mr. Miyagi a whole other dimension. Look out how Conti shifts from theme to theme with the main heroic theme and his drama theme.
In "The Funeral" the dramatic theme (on flute now) is surrounded by a hypnotizing flash of inner strength. The emotional power alone in this piece is staggering and within 5 minutes Conti paints you easily the soul of the entire spiritual struggle. "Rekindled Love" is more ample proof where he lets his orchestra flourish to an emotional high note.
The weird "Miyagi's Attack" still works amazingly well because the rhythmic pace is what Tan Dun did in his latter scores. And in the final tracks Conti throws out all his talents. For "Daniel and Kumiko" he has a beautiful moment ready for you. The dramatic theme is supported by a breathtaking solo of the flute and more beautiful material. And in "Daniel Leaves" he just throws everything together, a version of the heroic theme alongside the main Karate Kid theme.
Pleasing but in a breathtaking sense is "Old Friends" for you. It is fast, continuously sharpens your senses and it's supported by brass. The ethnic dance of action and suspense never stops and I don't know how Conti just keeps a melodic line flowing through 4 minutes of exiting and above all fantastically well written material. This is one of the tracks that was poorly presented on the bootleg. Because due to the fantastic sound quality, it is clear why this is such a great score. And like the first, The Karate Kid II holds his final blow for the final track. In "Daniel's Triumph" Conti finally uses his heroic main theme (written for this movie) in the version that was worthy of the wait, worthy of Karate Kid praise. Amazing how Conti does it, and too basically and continuously grow to this climatic finale is what film music is all about. Growing and growing until you strike the audience down with a brilliant finale.
The Karate Kid II is what you call a spiritual score for an action genre. Because there is such a difference between the first 3 and the 4th. The battle is more spiritual in the first 3 while more action based in the last. That this may present a less thrilling experience in the first is not true, because Bill Conti creates something far more deeper and spiritual. Especially in The Karate Kid II he goes for a truly extraordinary mix of emotion and spiritualism, making the effect quite mind-blowing. And when he throws the final action sequences to it, the build up alone is staggering. It makes it thereby 2 times better than the first. Part 2 of four is where he grows further to his spiritual battle with an explosive score.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title (5.31) Excellent track
2. No Mercy (1.16)
3. Six Months Later (1.09)
4. Breathing Daniel Nails It (1.27)
5. Okinawa (0.47)
6. Honor Very Serious (2.07)
7. Time Flies (1.49)
8. Enter Sato (1.46)
9. Miyagi's Home (4.11)
10. No Choice (1.14)
11. The Funeral (5.14) Excellent track
12. Their Song (1.45)
13. Rekindled Love (1.33)
14. Miyagi (2.02)
15. Miyagi's Attack (1.00)
16. Daniel and Kumiko (3.14)
17. Daniel Leaves (4.45)
18. Old Friends (4.47) Excellent track
19. Moon Spots (1.06)
20. Daniel's Triumph (1.39) Excellent track
Total Length: 48.19
It's easy to see that the score of Bill Conti is equally spiritual, and in the end much stronger as well. The first was a terrific balance between the soft Japanese influence and the more teen oriented period of the 80's. Bill Conti mixed it together and The Karate Kid became a beautiful interesting affair. For The Karate Kid II the way is to Japan and the score follows even more than the first that ethnic path. It is however amazing how Bill Conti infuses the ethnic material with a soul that goes beyond anything he wrote for the first.
In "Main Title" we encounter immediately a new theme or basically this movie's main theme, it is however extremely soft and you won't notice it that easily. However the returning interaction theme is briefly spotted and we receive an amazing finish when the main theme of The Karate Kid movies is heard in full flourishing effect. Needless to say it is an amazing start of this score.
It is clear that this score is saturated in the ethnic sense and how uninteresting that may sound, Bill Conti still surprises you easily with some of the most brilliant tracks he's ever written. "Six Months Later" holds the interaction theme, "Breathing Daniel Nails It" a soft version of the main heroic theme of this score and "Time Flies" is a lovely piece where the material reaches a rewarding change in tone through the flute.
However Conti is extremely good at creating layers of extra power in his material. "Enter Sato" has basic ethnic material growing dangerously while "Miyagi's Home" is a sublime emotional ride. It is in this one where you spot a theme that was never presented on the first score yet appeared on the bootleg. A dramatic good theme that Conti uses here, giving Mr. Miyagi a whole other dimension. Look out how Conti shifts from theme to theme with the main heroic theme and his drama theme.
In "The Funeral" the dramatic theme (on flute now) is surrounded by a hypnotizing flash of inner strength. The emotional power alone in this piece is staggering and within 5 minutes Conti paints you easily the soul of the entire spiritual struggle. "Rekindled Love" is more ample proof where he lets his orchestra flourish to an emotional high note.
The weird "Miyagi's Attack" still works amazingly well because the rhythmic pace is what Tan Dun did in his latter scores. And in the final tracks Conti throws out all his talents. For "Daniel and Kumiko" he has a beautiful moment ready for you. The dramatic theme is supported by a breathtaking solo of the flute and more beautiful material. And in "Daniel Leaves" he just throws everything together, a version of the heroic theme alongside the main Karate Kid theme.
Pleasing but in a breathtaking sense is "Old Friends" for you. It is fast, continuously sharpens your senses and it's supported by brass. The ethnic dance of action and suspense never stops and I don't know how Conti just keeps a melodic line flowing through 4 minutes of exiting and above all fantastically well written material. This is one of the tracks that was poorly presented on the bootleg. Because due to the fantastic sound quality, it is clear why this is such a great score. And like the first, The Karate Kid II holds his final blow for the final track. In "Daniel's Triumph" Conti finally uses his heroic main theme (written for this movie) in the version that was worthy of the wait, worthy of Karate Kid praise. Amazing how Conti does it, and too basically and continuously grow to this climatic finale is what film music is all about. Growing and growing until you strike the audience down with a brilliant finale.
The Karate Kid II is what you call a spiritual score for an action genre. Because there is such a difference between the first 3 and the 4th. The battle is more spiritual in the first 3 while more action based in the last. That this may present a less thrilling experience in the first is not true, because Bill Conti creates something far more deeper and spiritual. Especially in The Karate Kid II he goes for a truly extraordinary mix of emotion and spiritualism, making the effect quite mind-blowing. And when he throws the final action sequences to it, the build up alone is staggering. It makes it thereby 2 times better than the first. Part 2 of four is where he grows further to his spiritual battle with an explosive score.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title (5.31) Excellent track
2. No Mercy (1.16)
3. Six Months Later (1.09)
4. Breathing Daniel Nails It (1.27)
5. Okinawa (0.47)
6. Honor Very Serious (2.07)
7. Time Flies (1.49)
8. Enter Sato (1.46)
9. Miyagi's Home (4.11)
10. No Choice (1.14)
11. The Funeral (5.14) Excellent track
12. Their Song (1.45)
13. Rekindled Love (1.33)
14. Miyagi (2.02)
15. Miyagi's Attack (1.00)
16. Daniel and Kumiko (3.14)
17. Daniel Leaves (4.45)
18. Old Friends (4.47) Excellent track
19. Moon Spots (1.06)
20. Daniel's Triumph (1.39) Excellent track
Total Length: 48.19