‘Cobra Kai’ hits and misses, but may be worth giving it a shot

Fans of 1984’s “Karate Kid” are the target audience of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai,” which just concluded its fourth season.

But that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the show if you’re not in that target audience.

You might not get all the shout-outs to the original movie and its sequels, so just be sure to watch with someone who does fit the target audience.

“Cobra Kai” debuted in 2018 on YouTube Red and stayed there for two seasons. In 2020, after producing a third season of the series, YouTube decided to stop production of original scripted content, leaving “Cobra Kai” without a home. Netflix swooped in and acquired the series in that same year and has streamed Season 3 and produced Season 4 of the show since. Fans of the show will be happy to know Netflix has renewed the show for a fifth season.

In spite of its popularity, “Cobra Kai” is a mixed-bag for many reasons. Too many to mention, actually, so let’s stick to the most obvious.

Throughout its run, “Cobra Kai” has shamelessly tried to recreate the charm of the original motion pictures by recreating some of its iconic scenes. For example, there’s a miniature golf date scene, complete with the couple taking pictures in a photo booth, and a trip to Japan which includes coming across characters from “Karate Kid II.” What are the chances of that?

Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso) and William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence) reprise their roles from the original movie, but there’s no Mr. Miyagi in this series due to Pat Morita’s passing in 2005. His character’s presence is strong in the show, however, as Daniel tries hard to keep his mentor’s legacy alive. Throw in characters like John Kreese (Martin Kove), Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), and Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) and it’s a big family reunion.

In the original movie, Johnny Lawrence was the bad guy who got his comeuppance at the end of the movie when Daniel pulled off what Mr. Miyagi dubbed “The Crane Kick.” Fast forward to “Cobra Kai” and Johnny has somehow become more likable than Daniel. This was probably the aim of the show’s creators.

There’s plenty of nostalgia in “Cobra Kai,” with music from the 1980s and references to the original series of movies. The show also creates and introduces the next generation of characters in the Miyagi-dom.

If you’re looking for a show that’s got great acting and well-crafted dialogue, you won’t find them here.

You will find, however, a light-hearted program that’s filled with a lot of cheesiness and somehow manages to grab your attention.

Rated TV-14 for language and violence, all seasons of “Cobra Kai” are streaming on Netflix.