The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
‘Cobra Kai’ will strike hard, strike fast to heart of ‘Karate Kid’ fans
YouTube Red’s sequel series has that retro magic
Full-disclosure time: I’ve been accused of being a bit nostalgic when it comes to my impressionable years of the late 1970s, then into the ’80s. But hey, I’m adaptable. Johnny Lawrence (played by William Zabka)? Not exactly. He’s clearly still stuck in the ’80s, and in a way so is Ralph Macchio’s iconic character, Daniel LaRusso.
That’s the beauty of YouTube Red’s (sort-of) sequel series to the 1984 classic film “The Karate Kid.” It’s a clever update that revisits the characters — one (LaRusso) who on the surface has moved on from the past and is a success and the other (Lawrence) who continues to be haunted by his past failure and is stuck in a rut.
We haven’t seen much of Macchio or Zabka since “The Karate Kid.” Zabka made his bones in Hollywood during the ’80s as the high school bully in other films such as “Just One of the Guys,” and “Back to School.” Macchio made two mostly forgettable sequels to “The Karate Kid” (the third sequel is so bad it is actually worth a watch), but he hit it big opposite Joe Pesci in 1992’s “My Cousin Vinny.”
So the actors coming together for this project might have been a bit of a risk. No worries. It pays off. YouTube Red has done well rekindling one of the most iconic rivalries of the ’80s, real or fictional.
The first season of “Cobra Kai” (10 episodes, with each lasting about 30 minutes) dropped on the streaming service May 2 with the promise of another showdown between the old rivals. I’ve yet to watch all 10 episodes — got through three — but so far it delivers.
The angst between the two characters takes you back to 1984, which is when “Cobra Kai” begins. There’s a quick recap of the final scene from “The Karate Kid” — the final bout between Lawrence and LaRusso at the All-Valley Under 18 Karate Championship. That well-known match-clinching kick by LaRusso to Lawrence’s face transitions to modern day.
Lawrence is in bed, hung over and lamenting another day in a dead-end job as a handyman. What’s next is so ’80s. He drives a beat-up red Firebird and blasts the band Poison on his car radio. At a stop light, he looks in disgust at a billboard for LaRusso Auto Group, whose claim is “We kick the competition.”
“You gotta be kidding me,” said Lawrence. “Not another one.”
LaRusso is apparently still well-known for his karate exploits from more than 30 years ago. (Who knew the sport was that popular in the California Valley?) This, of course, infuriates Lawrence, whose life is going nowhere, while his longtime nemesis is a huge success.
From there, Lawrence shows he’s still pretty good at kicking butt karate-style. He reluctantly takes on a student and, eventually, opens up his own Cobra Kai dojo — mostly to stick it to LaRusso, who has his own issues trying to forget about the bullying and beatings he took from Lawrence in high school.
Fans of “The Karate Kid” will love “Cobra Kai.” There’s a ton of nods to the 1984 film, including cut scenes, plus mentions of LaRusso’s high school flame, Ali, played by Elisabeth Shue, and, of course, the one and only Mr. Miyagi, played by the late Pat Morita.
Last but not least, there’s the Cobra Kai dojo, which is resurrected by Lawrence. Also back are the mottos “strike hard, strike fast, no mercy.”
Those lines were made famous by evil sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) in the original. Without the wonderful delivery of Kreese, those words don’t exactly have the same punch in the new series.
It doesn’t matter. What fans are getting with “Cobra Kai” is the new fad in pop culture.
Retro is back, and so are Lawrence and LaRusso.