Cobra Kai
DISCLAIMER: this is based solely on the first two episodes.
The Karate Kid is one of my childhood movies. I was like, in love with Ralph Macchio for a while there. The movie itself is still one of my favorites; it's a very, very eighties kind of movie with some parts that maybe wouldn't fly today, but I love it enough to completely ignore the fact that there was a Jaden Smith remake at one point. I did, of course, hear about the new series coming to YouTube Red. It was a vague kind of hear. It was a, huh, Cobra Kai, Karate Kid, cool. It was going to be something that I was just going to... ignore.
So I watched the first two episodes and maybe it's just because it's basically been done by Ralph Macchio, the Karate Kid himself, but this is the best shit I've ever seen in my entire life. Interspersed with clips from the movie, actually starring Ralph Macchio and the dude who played Johnny (Google tells me William Zabka?), I was freaking out about two minutes in. Between the little throwbacks to the original ("Does it matter how I wash these windows?" "Nah, I don't give a shit.") to guys I just can't get over it being Ralph Macchio and the dude who played Johnny.
Johnny is still straight out of an eighties movie, and I kind of love that. He is completely, completely the exact same character, and I know that if I ever muster up for YouTube Red and finish the series (which is probably going to happen, given just how much I actually loved this), I know he's got some good character development coming. I can see it. This is setting up for development that Johnny never got in the movie. This is a side that was completely brushed aside in the movie--Cobra Kai fucked those kids up.
Don't get me wrong. I've already professed my love for Danny LaRusso (okay, Ralph Macchio). I didn't love Johnny in the original movie. I mean--he was a stock eighties bully. There was really nothing there, character-wise. The dude who played him did a fantastic job; thinking back on it, he did do that panic, everything-is-slipping-through-my-fingers thing a lot. And it worked for him. He played a good bully. And right now he's playing a fantastic bully-grown-up.
I was inordinately excited when Ralph Macchio showed up on the endcard of the first episode. And also that I got to watch episode two. I scared a cat I'm watching. I squealed. I'm still riding on those emotions. It's just so good to see this. And also the original movie's on Amazon Prime and that is the one streaming service I do have and if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go re-watch The Karate Kid.
But in a word: Cobra Kai is oh so worth it. At least the first two episodes, which are free, and to be honest, when I, probably soon, shell out to be able to watch the other eight, I hope that I'll be able to say the same. I know that this is mostly a nostalgia high I'm riding on, but I am very emotional right now and I am fairly certain that this show really did its job.
The Karate Kid is one of my childhood movies. I was like, in love with Ralph Macchio for a while there. The movie itself is still one of my favorites; it's a very, very eighties kind of movie with some parts that maybe wouldn't fly today, but I love it enough to completely ignore the fact that there was a Jaden Smith remake at one point. I did, of course, hear about the new series coming to YouTube Red. It was a vague kind of hear. It was a, huh, Cobra Kai, Karate Kid, cool. It was going to be something that I was just going to... ignore.
So I watched the first two episodes and maybe it's just because it's basically been done by Ralph Macchio, the Karate Kid himself, but this is the best shit I've ever seen in my entire life. Interspersed with clips from the movie, actually starring Ralph Macchio and the dude who played Johnny (Google tells me William Zabka?), I was freaking out about two minutes in. Between the little throwbacks to the original ("Does it matter how I wash these windows?" "Nah, I don't give a shit.") to guys I just can't get over it being Ralph Macchio and the dude who played Johnny.
Johnny is still straight out of an eighties movie, and I kind of love that. He is completely, completely the exact same character, and I know that if I ever muster up for YouTube Red and finish the series (which is probably going to happen, given just how much I actually loved this), I know he's got some good character development coming. I can see it. This is setting up for development that Johnny never got in the movie. This is a side that was completely brushed aside in the movie--Cobra Kai fucked those kids up.
Don't get me wrong. I've already professed my love for Danny LaRusso (okay, Ralph Macchio). I didn't love Johnny in the original movie. I mean--he was a stock eighties bully. There was really nothing there, character-wise. The dude who played him did a fantastic job; thinking back on it, he did do that panic, everything-is-slipping-through-my-fingers thing a lot. And it worked for him. He played a good bully. And right now he's playing a fantastic bully-grown-up.
I was inordinately excited when Ralph Macchio showed up on the endcard of the first episode. And also that I got to watch episode two. I scared a cat I'm watching. I squealed. I'm still riding on those emotions. It's just so good to see this. And also the original movie's on Amazon Prime and that is the one streaming service I do have and if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go re-watch The Karate Kid.
But in a word: Cobra Kai is oh so worth it. At least the first two episodes, which are free, and to be honest, when I, probably soon, shell out to be able to watch the other eight, I hope that I'll be able to say the same. I know that this is mostly a nostalgia high I'm riding on, but I am very emotional right now and I am fairly certain that this show really did its job.
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