In the highly-anticipated return of two iconic characters, the arch-rivals from the legendary Karate Kid film series reunite over 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. Now living in the affluent hills of Encino, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) leads an enviable life with his beautiful family, while running a successful string of car dealerships throughout the valley. Meanwhile, his high school adversary, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), whose life has taken a rocky turn, seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. Their lives inevitably become intertwined and the rivalry is reignited, setting forth the next generation of “karate kids” in COBRA KAI, a YouTube Red Original Series. COBRA KAI is produced by Overbrook Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures Television.
Re: COBRA KAI - Netflix's KARATE KID Revival - Trailer
Posted: Wed May 16, 2018 10:59 pm
by AndyDursin
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:
