The simple truth is Cobra Kai is better than it should be. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this series was. I wanted to hate it because I thought it was unnecessary. Let The Karate Kid movise stand on their own. Let the Legacy remain intact. But after going through 10 episodes… twice, I still can’t believe how good this series was and even though it played heavy on the nostalgia for the first Karate Kid movie, the series was very enjoyable and it just seemed to work. As I write this review I still can’t believe I’m saying that.
So let’s get to the Crux of the Cobra Kai series. It’s very good for what it is. It’s not perfect. Not all the performances are outstanding, but everything is good enough to make this a great series. And it was a lot of fun, especially the juxtaposition when it comes to Daniel and Johnny. I’m glad that the writers decided to do this from Johnny’s viewpoint. Although at times I felt like William Zabaka was just phoning it in and didn’t have the same charisma that he did in the first Karate Kid movie playing Johnny.
Every episode is only 30 minutes so it doesn’t drag on and there’s not really any complaints with its pacing. I think the thirty minute format works just fine for Cobra Kai. Every episode is pretty good, but I think there are a few standout episodes. Episode 5 was one of my favorites because it really tapped into the Nostalgia of Daniel and Ally’s first date by having Daniel Larusso’s daughter, Samantha goes on a date at the same theme park and even have the same music from the 80s play. It’s the later episodes that really make Cobra Kai hit its stride. I would say that episodes 8 through 10 or probably the best because you get more into the training and the juxtaposition between Daniel’s style and Johnny’s Style. And here’s a little bit of a spoiler for you, to have Daniel be training Johnny’s son, that’s the best juxtaposition and you can have and really lends to the overall story. The yin and the Yang if you will. Unlike most series It’s the final episode that gives you the big payoff and Cobra Kai is no different.
in the final episode, we definitely see all karate students square off at the All Valley karate tournament 30 years later. And while I will not give away the ending I think this ending is just as climatic as the original Karate Kid movie. As I mentioned before, this series should not be as good as it is. To say I’m surprised would be an understatement. Of course the Nostalgia factor is high, I mean they even got Randee Heller to come back and play Daniel’s mother. But I do have one major complaint. You could have Elizabeth Shue come back for at least one episode. Maybe she’ll pop up in season 2. Overall, the first season of Cobra Kai is great. Not perfect, but certainly not a trainwreck as I thought it would be.
If you’re a fan of The Karate Kid movies… even number four because, hey, it’s one of Hilary Swank’s first movies, then you should watch Cobra Kai. It’ll make you fall in love with the Karate Kid movies all over again. And for us kids who grew up in the 80s, it’ll put you right back in your childhood just as much as Stranger Things does when it comes out with a new season. I applaud Ralph Macchio and William Zabaka for coming back and reprising their roles. They may not have been perfect, but they were pretty damn good. Plus, it’s nice to see a new generation of Cobra Kai and Miyagi Do karate students. So my review is an apology of sorts because I was absolutely wrong to believe this was going to be a bad show. And it’s one of those rare moments where I’m glad to be wrong. It’s definitely worth watching and if I have to give it a score and it’s definitely an 8 for me.
