Because I am not a feline and thus believe to be immune to the pitfalls of curiosity, I finally succumbed and found myself lured into the YouTube sequel to the Karate Kid franchise, Cobra Kai, a Will Smith-produced, nostalgia-fueled, present day script flip of the hero and antagonist roles played by the actors who embodied the roles back in the ‘80s.
Thirty plus years later Daniel is a successful multi-car dealership owner, with a beautiful wife, a couple of kids and a house with a pool. Meanwhile, Johnny is a somewhat racist, down and out contractor who drinks himself to sleep every night, is estranged from his son and lives in a ratty apartment. And, yes, he’s the hero this time.
Pushed along by a series of expository scenarios that come across a tad forced, the story follows Johnny as he decides to set up a dojo and teach the ways of Cobra Kai karate to a new generation of San Fernando Valley kids.
If all this sounds very ‘80s—and not in a good way—it’s because it truly is a distillation of the decade and its clichés, not to mention those of the franchise itself. There may be FaceTime, texting and the like, but this ain’t no 21st century fable.
Now, as someone who wasn’t a fan of the original movies my mild disdain might be deemed sacrilegious to those who frequently quote The Karate Kid to this day. So maybe it’s me. But two episodes into it, I can take it or leave it. YMMV, of course.
