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Epic adversaries return to the dojo in Cobra Kai, an all-new series that reunites the adversaries from the iconic film franchise The Karate Kid. Thirty years after the All-Valley Karate Tournament of 1984, a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. This reignites his rivalry with a now-successful Daniel LaRusso, who has struggled to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of his mentor, Mr. Miyagi. The two men address their past demons and present frustrations the only way they know how: through karate. (Tribeca Film Festival)
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It's not lame-ass karate. It's Cobra Kai! I cannot understand how it can even be good, let alone SO good. After all, this is an unwanted visually inexpensive follow-up (made for YouTube and based on the popular fan conspiracy theory of the original film) of a guilty-pleasure cult movie specific to one generation. Moreover, with the main roles played by people who did not have any acting qualities (let alone charisma) and who, let's be honest, no one would remember today. Surprisingly, not only is it good, it's brilliant. And it starts with the two becoming real actors. Especially Zabka, who is able to express even the most complex emotions purely with his eyes and charisma virtually flows from him. Just as Stranger Things is not good “only because of nostalgia for the eighties", but above all based on its own merits, where nostalgia is just the icing on the cake, which would not save it on its own, Cobra Kai is not good thanks to fans' uncritical love, nostalgic haze or the guilty-pleasure level and, considering it is based on The Karate Kid, it's really not bad. Yes, all those aspects (redemption, nostalgia, the straightforward plot of fight movies, the affectionate sorrows of adolescence à la Beverly Hills 90210, the depressing crisis of middle age, the lack of paternal role models) support the overall qualities, but it is not good in spite of them, but thanks to them. However, the characters and the work with them are by far the best. Each character has his or her own motivation; it is clear what the reasons for each character's actions are (however they cannot be agreed with) and the aspect of “the road to hell is paved with good intentions", which subversively erases the edges of the traditional good guy/ bad guy/(not) nice guy, is definitely used to the best effect here. Everyone can make mistakes and lose their temper, but at the same time they are trying to “be better". Which is best seen in the yin-yang duality and tension of the central quartet. As a result, the viewer really cares about the characters and, thanks to that, it works in crucial moments, in the emotionally tense, but also frequent comedic moments. Which means on levels that the original series (or most series) never dreamt of. The second season kind of keeps repeating what has already been said, but otherwise it's still excellent, mainly thanks to the characters. Even though it is a bit in the style of a B-movie, it is deliberate and intentional, especially the final mass fight. | S1: 5/5 | S2 : 4/5 |
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A great answer to The Karate Kid with which I was obsessed as a kid. 30 years more nostalgic but with all the characters you remember from the original movie. Moreover it shows that William Zabka and Ralph Macchio are able to act and serve as the leads of this series. What I like as well is that William has Czech ancestors, and therefore I have a feeling that I should support him as much as I can. Already his fondness for beer is more that likable. Cobra Kai is in its premise totally nostalgic. It has a few really brilliant scenes which are mostly at the beggining of the episodes but it is able to entertain you with its screenplay as well. The screenplay contains some twists and creates interesting problems between two dojos in a way that makes me enjoy it and want to watch more and more episodes. Moreover it is evident that the creators knew what they were filming because the only sensible character is Daniel’s wife and she is the only one who knows what he wants. It is a pity that Johnny and Daniel have to behave differently in every situation and act on their feeling more than their reason. Their sensei would surely explain it to them but then we wouldn’t have much to watch. As for me, it was great. Enjoyable, full of ideas, nostalgic, with relationships presented exactly in a way that makes you want to watch more, in short a great series that is worth watching. And it is just a matter of time before it becomes a legend.
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The eighties never died, and Ralph and Zabka are still as likeable as ever. There’s is currently no other TV series that works as tastefully and intelligently with NOSTALGIA as Cobra Kai (particularly the first season). But even without this aspect, this would still be an extremely well-told, firmly grounded story, which is partly an unabashed celebration of 1980s B-movies and partly a depressing (yet somehow funny) self-reflection of two middle-aged guys. To me, this is the most pleasant surprise among the TV series of recent years and I am glad I persevered in watching it.
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