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‘The Karate Kid Part II’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt
August 3, 2026 · The Karate Kid Part II (1986) · Action · Family · Sport · 1:36:53 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
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Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill Simmons▶ 24:31Sato is actually in the right — Miyagi broke tradition by pursuing Sato's arranged fiancée Suki, so Sato's decades-long anger is justified.
Bill Simmons▶ 52:24Engaged with Kyle's Miyagi third-person question — called it a really good top four, suggested a rapper belongs on the Rushmore, and noted Miyagi does it so seamlessly you don't even realize he's doing it — but offered no unanswerable question of his own in this window.
Kyle Brandt▶ 24:53Agrees Sato is in the right; also criticizes Miyagi as a coward for refusing to fight Sato for 45 years despite Sato showing up ready to fight to the death.
Kyle Brandt▶ 51:47Is Miyagi the third-person GOAT? Why does Miyagi choose to speak in the third person when Sato and Chozen and the rest of the village don't? Offers his third-person Mount Rushmore: Miyagi, Elmo, Bob Dole (especially Norm Macdonald's version), and Rickey Henderson.
Picking Nits
Bill Simmons▶ 25:50Miyagi is hypocritical about honor/tradition — he stole his best friend's arranged bride and fled to the US when confronted, which contradicts his preaching about Okinawan honor
Kyle Brandt▶ 25:40Wanted an actual fight scene between Miyagi and Sato, even if it got broken up; felt cheated they never exchanged blows
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill Simmons▶ 35:34The ice-breaking scene at the bar in Okinawa, leading to Daniel-san and Sato both breaking the ice - loves the short scene and the betting odds around it
Kyle Brandt▶ 35:46The ice-breaking scene (same as Bill's pick) - calls it his favorite scene as a kid, tied with Sato breaking the wood log
Great Shot Gordo Award
Bill Simmons▶ 59:04The climactic dance/battle location at the castle (also mentioned Daniel consoling Miyagi and the Benihana scene as other good shots, but named the castle location as the winner).
Kyle Brandt▶ 58:26The scene where Daniel-san and Kumiko are running on the rocks during their date as 'Sitara' plays, and right as he says 'take you to my castle,' the castle is revealed on the word 'castle' — perfect editing/music sync.
Is There a Better Title?
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:00:09Karate Kid 2: Okinawa Drift or Karate Kid 2: Okinawa Honor - agrees it needs a subtitle
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:41The scene where Chozen punches Kumiko (a full roundhouse punch, not a slap) - calls it stunning, horrible, and excessive ('this is like Draymond punching out Jordan Poole... Kermit Washington').
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:03:09Wants more karate earlier in the film - complains that they're an hour into the movie (58 minute mark) before anyone gets kicked; too much slow relationship/Okinawa material before the action starts.
Casting What-Ifs
Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:53Notes Elizabeth Shue was upset about being written out of Karate Kid 2 (she went to study at Harvard and wasn't pleased with the USI football excuse); also notes Bill Conti chose to score Karate Kid III instead of Rocky IV, and Peter Cetera's 'Glory of Love' (written for Rocky IV) was rejected by Stallone in favor of 'Hearts on Fire.' Also praises Clarence Gilyard's small role as 'Sato.'
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:11:12Says Elizabeth Shue turned out fine since she landed in the Back to the Future franchise instead; argues Rocky IV worked out better without 'Glory of Love' since it's a love song and Rocky IV is a 'revenge workout movie,' ranking 'Training Montage,' 'Hearts on Fire,' and 'No Easy Way Out' above it. Also highlights Clarence Gilyard (Sundown in Top Gun, Theo in Die Hard) and wishes he'd been given a cameo in Top Gun: Maverick.
Apex Mountain
Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:54For Ralph Macchio: yes, Karate Kid is his apex (bigger than My Cousin Vinny), says his 'punchable face hero guy' or 'gregarious italian guy' were his only real modes as an actor. Also names Karate Kid I's Best Supporting Actor nomination (Pat Morita) as apex mountain, Hawaii pretending to be Okinawa as apex mountain for that gimmick, and says Karate Kid is the apex/most famous credit for basically everyone else in the cast.
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:15:13Agrees Karate Kid is Macchio's apex; argues he couldn't have pivoted to a John Cusack-style leading man career after part one because he's 'a cute kid' good in the park, not viewed as an incredibly gifted actor, but perfect for Daniel-san.
Hanks or Cruise
Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:16Tom Cruise — Agrees Cruise fits as Sato's American chief of staff or as Chozen, since casting a white actor as Sato himself wouldn't work
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:18:53Tom Cruise — Would cast Cruise as Chozen (the American pupil/chief of staff role), ripped and physical like Taps/The Outsiders era Cruise
Is This Movie Better With
Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:26Alexi Lalas (or Tony Romo) as a TV analyst/color commentator criticizing Daniel-san's fighting style after he wins the final fight
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:23:36Wilford Brimley - imagines him hired by Sato as a private investigator delivering photographs of Daniel-san's girlfriend to sabotage him
Just One Oscar
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:14Peter Cetera, for 'Glory of Love' (ASR renders him 'Peter's Tara') — chosen over Morita, Nobu McCarthy and Sato
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:12Mr. Miyagi's line 'A person with no forgiveness in their heart lives in a worse hell than death' - Bill calls it a decent life lesson about learning to move on, though the 45-year grudge timeline is absurd
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:32:24Jokes that Miyagi's real life lesson should be 'don't shoplift the pootie from your best friend'
Who Won the Movie
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:34:05Peter Cetera (the 'Glory of Love' song/theme) - argues the song is what's remembered more than the movie itself
Movies Referenced (35)
Actors Referenced (16)
William Zabka
2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Karate Kid, Hot Tub Time Machine▶ 32:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jason Statham
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Crank, Furious 7, The Meg▶ 0:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jerry Weintraub
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Firm, Behind the Candelabra▶ 50:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Kenny Loggins
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Footloose, Caddyshack, Top Gun▶ 55:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Nobu McCarthy
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Karate Kid Part II▶ 50:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Pat Benatar
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Deadpool 2, The Italian Job, Nobody▶ 51:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Paul Newman
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hustler, Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 1:32:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Phil Collins
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Tarzan, Hook▶ 55:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Richard Dreyfuss
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Holland's Opus▶ 1:16:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Robert De Niro
1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 38:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗