Like many others, when I heard that there was a new series based on the 'Karate Kid' franchise, I didn't exactly have my hopes up. I didn't think that there was a good chance that the series would be any good or that it would be worth watching.
After all, even though the first 'Karate Kid' was a somewhat well made movie and had nostalgia value, what was the point with this new series? Why would we want to watch these actors in their roles thirty years later after the movies were done?
Fortunately, having now seen the first two seasons of 'Cobra Kai', I have to say that my expectations for the series turned out to be wrong. It turned out that this show works and that it manages to keep you entertained.
So when I think about the show, the biggest reason that 'Cobra Kai' has been such a surprise hit is that it's actually well made. Unlike on so many others shows, on this one you actually care about the characters and what happens to them.
When it comes to the premise of the series, it was a really good idea from the producers and writers to make 'Johnny Lawrence' the main protagonist. Unlike in the original movie, in this series he's the star - as a classic anti-hero.
So not surprisingly, on the show we get to see Lawrence's (played by William Zabka) progression as a character. He slowly progresses from an out of work / out of luck alcoholic failure into a decent human being who runs his Cobra Kai dojo.
This transformation, of course, turns out to be much harder than it might seem at first. There are a lot of obstacles and setbacks for Lawrence's character and it takes a lot of effort to get his personal and professional life on a better trajectory.
In contrast, the star of the original movies, Danielle LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is not actually the hero on the show. Even though he plays a big part on the show, as surprisingly as it is, he plays a rather neutral / even unlikable character.
After all, on the show as a successful businessman (he owns a car dealership) he more or less keeps punching down on Lawrence. He can't accept the idea that Lawrence might be on a pathway to a redemption so he tries to sabotage his life.
So when it comes to evaluating the quality of the show, I have to say that I - like so many others - enjoyed the first season of 'Cobra Kai' quite a bit. I thought that first season as a whole managed to be really well made and entertaining.
Among other things, the episodes are well written and the drama in these episodes feels organic. The characters are believable and you can't help but to feel for Johnny Lawrence's character and how he tries to get his act together,
Another thing that I also liked about the first season had to do with its fighting scenes. The fighting scenes involving Karate are well choreographed and you just have to appreciate all the great references to the 80s (the show has an awesome 80s soundtrack)
The only real problem with the first season had to do with the storyline involving LaRusso's cousin. Especially the plotline where he goes to burn Lawrence's car with his mc-buddies just came out of nowhere and wasn't good at all.
So based on the overall solid quality of the first season, I - like many others - had great expectations for the second season too. I expected that the show would perhaps get even better and that we would see great drama on season two too.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the second season of 'Cobra Kai', I have to say that the show - as unfortunate as it is - isn't as good as the first season. The series gets a bit too out of control and tries to be too big with everything.
After all, even though there are a lot of awesome fighting scenes and the soundtrack is still awesome, the storylines in season two just aren't that good. Many of the characters just aren't as believable and relatable as they should be.
Especially when it comes to the behaviour of the characters (Lawrence, Larusso, Kreese, the kids etc.) I just found the stuff to be too extreme. The writers made the characters change too much based on what the storylines told them to do.
Still, when I think of 'Cobra Kai' as a whole, just because there were problems with the show's second season, that doesn't mean that I haven't enjoyed watching the series. I'm not saying that the show is not worth watching or that you shouldn't give it a shot.
After all, there are clearly a lot of great things going on here that cannot be denied. Especially when it comes to William Zabka's acting as Johnny Lawrence, he's a true revelation and is absolutely convincing in his quest to turn his life around.
In that sense, if you're one of those who haven't had a chance to see this drama / action / comedy series yet, you should definitely give it a chance. You should give it a chance and not automatically think that this won't be a show for you.
After all, even though 'Cobra Kai' could be an even better a series than it is, it still manages to deliver. It manages to deliver and is easily - despite some of its minor flaws - one of the best television shows that are currently out there.
No comments:
Post a Comment