I'm 3 episodes in and am hugely surprised.
This is a really warm and very entertaining continuation of THE KARATE KID decades after the fact -- it's not all that witty (and wouldn't be with the Harold & Kumar guys writing it), but it's also not a joke, and while there's humor, it takes its characters seriously. The way they take the original concept of the 1984 film and rework it -- and both Ralph Macchio and William Zabka's characters at times in newly opposite places -- is quite irresistible for fans, while the teen stuff is accessible and well done, if overly familiar (younger viewers won't mind). The kids are good (Zabka's would-be prodigy is really a variation on Daniel, and it's fun to watch; the girl playing Macchio's daughter, meanwhile, is certainly cute), and while there's no Elisabeth Shue, her photo DOES appear a number of times!
The episodes (only about 20-25 minutes each) don't feel self-contained at all...this plays out like one long form feature, designed to be consumed in a fast setting (like most binge-consumed internet series), and works much better if viewed that way. I wonder if they'll end up cutting it together for home video release, because it might play even better without the episode breaks.
Either way, it's very solid and has a lot of heart -- it's not a cynical recycling or spoof, which is what I assumed it was going to be. Will see how it finishes up (and has already been "renewed" for a second season).
Also has broken records for Youtube's subscription service too -- making it the highest-viewed internet series of the last two weeks, outdrawing anything on Netflix and Hulu:
http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/co ... 202810780/
