‘Cobra Kai’ Early Buzz: ‘Karate Kid’ Fans Will Love This
Cobra Kaiis bringing the story of theKarate Kidinto the 21st century, and the early buzz has begun to trickle online. EarlyCobra Kaireviews are, as of now, overwhelmingly positive. It looks like the YouTube Red show might end up being a must-see.The Karate Kidsaga continues withCobra Kai, a new YouTube Red series reuniting originalKarate KidstarsRalph MacchioandWilliam Zabka.Cobra Kai’s story finds Macchio’s Daniel, AKA the Karate Kid, all grown-up and successful, while his former rival, Johnny (Zabka) is down on his luck. Can Johnny find a sort of redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo and training a new generation of fighters? Maybe!
EarlyCobra Kaireviews are starting to find their way online, and so far the early word is positive.
Over atio9, Germain Lussier says “Cobra Kaiis the awesomeKarate Kidsequel you may or may not have wanted”, saying:
Cobra Kaiis a show that totally gets what madeThe Karate Kidso special. It’s as much a continuation of theKarate Kidstory as it is an homage to its legacy, and that works, in large part, becauseCobra Kaiperfectly mimics the tone of the original films. The originalKarate Kidfilms have a touching earnestness to them, but also a weird, ’80s edge, especially when viewed back through history.Cobra Kaibeautifully blends those together with its new spin onThe Karate Kidstory. It’s very aware of itself and delivers just the right amount of winks and nods to the first movie and its sequels, but without distracting from the new story it’s telling.
Lussier adds that he’s a"Karate Kidsuperfan", and that he was “extremely skeptical about the idea of this show, and ready to pounce if it wasn’t faithful to the source material.” Thankfully, he says that all his “anxiety was relieved in, literally, the first second of episode one. Immediately, it’s evidentCobra Kaiis in the right hands.”
Kristen Baldwin, reviewingCobra KaiforEntertainment Weekly, praises Zabka’s performance and says that Johnny has turned into a much more well-rounded character:
Zabka brings the same sharp comic timing and self-deprecating humor he displayed when playing himself onHow I Met Your Mother, but there’s a surprising depth to his performance as well. Adult Johnny is no longer a 2-D ’80s movie villain, he’s a guy whose shoulders slump with a lifetime of disappointment. Though he’s capable of Learning Lessons — including the limited value of aggression —Cobra Kainever tries to rehabilitate Johnny into a nice guy.
Baldwin goes on to say that the show knows how to tap into a “nostalgia sweet spot” and adds: “Cobra Kaimanages to give Karate Kid fans exactly what they want, while using the template of the original to launch new characters aimed at younger viewers.”
Finally,JoBloreviewer Chris Bumbray saysCobra Kaiis “A direct sequel to the first three films, with plenty of references at least to the first two (including lots of stock footage) worked-in, this is a legit sequel,” and continues:
“The tone is well-established, with this not exactly a drama, but not exactly the comedy the trailers seemed to set up either. It’s funny, but in a more character-based, realistic way – not unlike the movies themselves. As a legit fan of the original trilogy (I actually think PART 2 is the best), I think “Cobra Kai”’s terrific, and I hope audiences embrace it.”
