If you’re an 80s kid who saw Karate Kid, Cobra Kai is a must-watch. And Season 3 has been moved up a week - to New Year’s Day (Friday).
The series became a hit by word-of-mouth when it was airing on YouTube.
Now airing on Netflix, the series flashes ahead to present-day with the same two core characters: Ralph Macchio, who played Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka, who played Johnny Lawrence.
It even includes, Martin Cove, the wicked Sensei John Kreese who preached, “No Mercy!”
Johnny’s character is hilarious. He blurts out his feelings in politically incorrect ways and he has no idea how to use today’s technology. It’s not like he disappeared for 35 years! But, then again, since that was when the movie debuted, he kinda DID disappear - for us.
One of the dudes has became enormously successful in life and the other...notsomuch. But each has their redeeming qualities and faults. The show does a great job showing that the good guy isn’t always good and the bad guy isn’t all bad.
Oh, and both Macchio and Zabka do their own fight scenes.
In the FULL STORY, Zabka talks about how learning martial arts (for the original Karate Kid) helped heal his back, weakened from high school wrestling. And how, after falling off the martial arts wagon in recent years, the Cobra Kai reboot has made him healthy - again.