Cobra Kai

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By Thomas Hober

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Cobra Kai is an action comedy-drama series created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald. Beginning in 2018, it is a direct sequel to the 1984 blockbuster film The Karate Kid. The show was originally produced and aired on YouTubeRed (now called YouTube Premium) for two seasons where it gained acclaim from both critics and die-hard fans of the film franchise. The series recently moved over to Netflix after it was picked up by the streaming service for a third season.

If you were anything like me growing up, you probably had five or so movies that you could watch a million times and they never get old. I’ll be honest, for me it was more like twenty movies, but The Karate Kid was always one of my favorites. The film tells the story of Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio), a teen who is immediately bullied after starting a new school. In order to defend himself, he begins learning karate from a wise, Okinawan man named Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). Daniel’s journey culminates in his defeating the bullies and their dojo at a karate tournament. It’s no cinematic masterpiece, but there’s a lot to love about the movie. What stuck out to me most as a kid wasn’t the actual karate though; it was the story. The Karate Kid was a coming-of-age tale that everybody could relate to. Daniel’s success over his bullies inspired children to think they could accomplish anything, that they could fight for themselves and rise to any occasion. Through Daniel’s character growth while training with Miyagi, the film also put forth the message that, for better or for worse, an individual’s perception is usually a product of their teacher rather than themselves. It’s a much deeper film than it appears on the surface.

Now that we’re all caught up, Cobra Kai reintroduces viewers to the same characters from the original movie, 34 years later in the present day. Unlike the film, which exclusively followed Daniel’s story and perspective, the series centers its focus on Johnny Lawrence (played by William Zabka), the leader of Daniel’s high school bullies and his final opponent at the karate tournament. In the pilot of the series, we learn that Johnny’s life has essentially fallen apart since high school; he’s drunk, recently unemployed, and left sulking in the shadow of his rival, Daniel, who has grown to seemingly have it all. Johnny’s life begins to turn around when a teen named Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) moves in next door. Mirroring Daniel when he was in high school, Miguel finds himself attacked by a set of bullies and in need of a mentor. In an ironic contrast to the film, Johnny ends up agreeing to teach Miguel, thus making the once villain the unlikely Miyagi figure of this new story. With Miguel’s help, Johnny ultimately decides to reopen his old karate dojo, Cobra Kai, where he helps Miguel and his friends learn to fight. Although doing so helps him regain purpose for his life, Johnny’s reliance on Cobra Kai’s original, questionable teaching methods begins to attract a lot of attention, including that of Daniel LaRusso.

In the age of sequels, prequels, reboots, and spinoffs, it’d be easy to simply write off Cobra Kai as another cheap, studio-driven cash-grab banking on our love for nostalgia. But that would be a disservice to what I would honestly consider one of the better spinoff properties I’ve seen in the past five years. Similar to how Ryan Coogler was able to retell the story of Rocky with Creed, the Cobra Kai showrunners have found a way to take the fundamentals of The Karate Kid story and mold it into something fresh and interesting. This is a testament to the show’s stellar writing. It’s dry, clever, and witty; it had me in stitches on several occasions. But when the series leans into drama, it’s incredibly pensive when it wants to be, echoing back to the philosophical style of the original film. Yes, some of the writing can come off as a bit cheesy or overdramatic, however a lot of this seems intentionally done by the showrunners, as characters often poke fun throughout episodes at the ridiculous nature of their own situations. Simply put, the story delivers. If you’re more interested in the action than the story however, let me assure you that Cobra Kai delivers on that front as well. The stunt choreography is leaps and bounds above that of the film franchise; I was actually pleasantly surprised with the quality of the show’s fight scenes. While they are somewhat far and few in between throughout the first season, season two doubles down on the action, culminating in a high stakes finale fight that I wouldn’t dare spoil in this review.

In terms of performances, most are engaging, however three stand out as exceptional. At the center of it all, William Zabka shines as Johnny Lawrence, which actually really shocked me. Although Zabka played a lead in the original film, he did not really get to show much range due to his role as a one-dimensional villain. I only really remember him having a few lines in that script. In the show, Zabka is given free reign to express his character, and his portrayal of a man who's been beaten down by life repeatedly is compelling to watch. A big part of Johnny’s character is his manner of speech, as he is essentially stuck in the mindset of the 80s. He’s abrasive, condescending, and doesn’t give a damn about political correctness. Had the wrong person taken the role, this character could have come off as an unredeemable douche rather than the heart and soul of the show, but Zabka more than rises to the challenge. His charisma not only helps the audience to sympathize with Johnny, but laugh at his at-times absurd inability to fully understand the changed world around him. Ralph Macchio also easily steps back into the role of Daniel LaRusso. Macchio portrayed the character in two film sequels to the original Karate Kid movie, however I would argue his role in Cobra Kai shows much greater depth as a father struggling to balance everything important in his life. Due to their knowledge of the original film, the audience can sympathize with Daniel’s character throughout his quest to prevent Cobra Kai’s return. However, Macchio’s layered performance reminds us that the morality of his character, as well as every other character, should always be in question. The chemistry between Zabka and Macchio is immediate and terrific, harkening back to their 80s feuding while still allowing for greater character development as the show progresses. While many of the younger characters make great new additions to mythos, Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz stands far above the rest. Essentially the new “karate kid” of the story, Miguel’s rise from his high school’s punching bag to a karate prodigy is relatable and captivating, as well as Maridueña’s portrayal of the realistic outcomes of such a drastic change in character.

At the end of the day, Cobra Kai is a sequel series that no one was really clamoring for. Unlike Star Wars or Indiana Jones, it was one of those 80s properties I think most people considered fine remaining in the past. For that reason, I didn’t really have any expectations for the show, so imagine my shock when it turned out to be my favorite thing I’ve watched during quarantine (after Community of course). It’s funny and lighthearted enough to enjoy yourself while watching, but it also makes you think. Cobra Kai takes the foundational good vs. evil plotline of The Karate Kid and flips it on its head, leaving viewers questioning not only what to think now, but what they’ve been thinking up until now. Unlike its predecessor, there are no true heroes or villains in this story; much like in real life, almost all the characters and conflicts within Cobra Kai are much more grey than black and white. In today’s social climate, a climate that is constantly causing people to argue about what is right, what is wrong, and how can we agree to disagree, I think this is a show more people should be watching. It reminds us all how instrumental our teachers and lessons are in shaping our perspectives and the people we become, and how we sometimes must put our own thoughts and feelings aside in order to fully understand those around us. Just like the original Karate Kid, Cobra Kai has a lot more to it under its surface than you’d expect. I binged both seasons on Netflix in a weekend, and I urge you to do the same.