Cobra Kai-Karate Kid Sequel Series Starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Encuentro, Feb 16, 2018.

  1. zeppage2

    zeppage2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oakland, CA
    Yeah, its not like it's The Walking Dead, where they would have The Talking Dead to dissect the nuances...
     
  2. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Cannot tell if serious .... :shh:
     
  3. zeppage2

    zeppage2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oakland, CA
    Well, The Talking Dead was like 'Point/Counterpoint' the SNL version.
     
  4. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    It just seems to me that if bell-ringer girl had that much pull, she would have been at the meeting of top Doyona brass where they told Daniel that they were never ever getting back together again. It's a device to be sure, and not a particularly convincing one.
     
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  5. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    Of course nothing can top the iconic first movie. If nothing else the series set me to go back and watch "Karate Kid" again. And you know its actually a very touching movie in many ways.

    When Mr Miyagi is drunk, in pain and Daniel tucks him in that scene is very well acted. I was reading about it and the scene was going to be dropped but the director fought for it because of the power the scene to show Mr Miyagi and who he is. That he also has suffered pain.

    Both Pat and Ralph had such a great chemistry. Ralphs acting is much like his role in "The Outsiders" and he really did have a presence on the screen with Pat Morita. Neither of whom new a lick of martial arts. Which makes it even more amazing imo.

    This movie goes right into the category of great 80s teen movies like "Back To The Future" for me.


    As far as Cobra Kai..

    The series is a hoot. To see Johnny and Daniel on screen together wouldnt be enough if there wasnt an opposing chemistry there. And there certainly is. Ive enjoyed the angle of exploring the characters and seeing how we are all more alike than we realize. That people have tough childhoods whether rich or poor and it affects them. The show has a good underlying messege for young and old alike.

    The new kids on the chop block are key also. I think they do a fine job. Its so hard to find a complete team chemistry such as The Goonies had or even Stranger Things has. While they might not be Goonies memorable, I think they are relatable and have enough chemistry.

    My only "conplaint" is I am not sure I would want young children watching it. They get pretty loose with the language and violence. Some of the kids fight scenes are over the top to the point of a bloodbath. But, really, thats a minor gripe. For teens to watch and even pre teens, yeah its a cool series.

    And no this series isnt suppose to be some intricate plot filled twisting masterwork. Its a fun series to watch and eat popcorn. And with the angles they have chosen I think it balances the old with the new perfectly.

    All in all I have enjoyed it. Pure nostalgia for me. And with times being as they are, thinking back on fun times and seeing old buddies is a pretty comforting little trip.
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2021
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  6. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    I think its Johnny's character that keeps just enough tension to balance things out. The actor really does nail the hasbeen alpha jock part well. Johnny was the ultimate bully in the first movie. And his characters arc is the most believable and well acted part of the series. Kind of a perfect storm of nostalgia, universal messege of karma and a guy struggling to try and do the right thing but constantly f'ing things up.

    In other words we all want to know:

    Will Johnny turn out to be a good guy or will his selfishness be his undoing.

    Keeps us watching.
     
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  7. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    The whole series is, IMHO, about Johnny learning how to do the right thing, and that doing the right thing is what's ultimately going to benefit him personally. His bully days were in ignorant adolescence, and he's tried in vain to prolong those adolescent years in hope of achieving a greatness he felt he was denied. But in the act of training Miguel, he really discovered what it means to grow up and to be a bigger man. I no longer see him as an essentially selfish character - in fact Daniel might have more problems with that at present. Johnny has had the barest taste of being a true sensei - one who drives others to be their best self - and he likes it. Continued ignorance, awkwardness and anger will cause continual difficulty for him, but he's not going to be brought low again through mere selfishness. That much he has left behind.
     
  8. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    Yep and good post.

    My crystal ball..

    I can see him pulling for Daniel in some circumstance Daniel's pride gets him into in the end. Some sort of sacrifice on Johnny's part, if nothing but letting go of ego and learning what true honor and friendship is. And teaching Daniel the lesson Mr Miyagi taught him long ago but he never has quite mastered either. Maybe far fetched but its possible. Kreese of course is the Emperor that is Daniel's weakness. And will most likely be the catalyst to drive this Daniel downfall and redemption/balance.

    Yes, Ive been watching too much Star Wars :D

    Someone earlier how this is how Star Wars 7-8 should have been done as far as feel and plotting.

    Hey, maybe Mr Miyagi is up there giving us a taste of the sequels we never got.
     
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  9. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    I can also see some funny scenes with Johnny wondering around in the Miyagi Dojo in the next season and Daniel saying "Hey, dont touch that. No put that down." lol
     
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  10. polchik

    polchik Forum Resident

    just finished watching S3 ... i did it in 3 days

    thoroughly entertained !!

    bring on S4!!!
     
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  11. polchik

    polchik Forum Resident

    lol
     
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  12. polchik

    polchik Forum Resident

    johnny is the best lmao .... just cracks me up all the time .... i am totally enjoying the continuing arc of his character!

    great work by WZ ... i couldnt be more happier for him!
     
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  13. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    I think one of the reasons people like Johnny is that though he is flawed he is pretty much true to himself and isnt going to BS you by telling you great things about yourself lol
     
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  14. polchik

    polchik Forum Resident

    "QUIET!!"

    lol

    i agree!
     
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  15. finslaw

    finslaw muzak to my ears

    Location:
    Indiana
    Contrivance at every corner, characters doing things they never would or not doing things they should, eye rolling entrances at the perfect moment and all other people (teachers, police) are living in some Twilight Zone universe where their brains are controlled by the screenwriter. Stupid stupid show. But if you can get over that, it is stupid fun.

    Gotta say though, Robby makes no sense now. Whatever they tried to set up for him to fall in with Kreese and hang out with the girl who started the fight and feel possessive enough with Sam to go after Miguel after nearly killing him.....:rolleyes:

    Also, the worst character is the wife. They should give her a brain tumor or have her sleep with the car competition. Something to thwart the righteousness.
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2021
  16. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    On EP5 S3. No real complaints. Are there problems? Of course, but still good, dumb fun.

    What happened to the young black girl with glasses who was in Cobra Kai? They said she ‘moved away’. The actress have another gig or something?
     
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  17. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    Yes Censor...I mean Alpha Centari...damnitt!...I mean ....YES Sensei!


    :D
     
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  18. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    The official word was that the writers didn't have anything for Ayisha to do so they wrote her out of the third season, or to be more precise they didn't write her in. I heard some gossipy scuttlebutt that alleged that the actress had a lousy boyfriend who was leeching off her fame and causing embarrassment for the franchise but I don't know how accurate that was. I hope they bring her back in a future season, I think she could be a very potent character if re-introduced.

    Actually, the excuse given in the series - that her mom had pulled her out of the school and send her to a different private school - was pretty realistic. Her mom was present in Season 1 and seemed intelligent and engaged in her daughter's life, and it seems reasonable that following the karate riot that she would have pulled her daughter out of that environment.
     
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  19. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Ah, thanks, David.

    An aside:

    You know, for a show with the premise of karate being a big part of the most of the character’s lives, nobody (and I mean nobody) is very good at it.
     
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  20. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Yeah, I think it's arguable that most of what takes place in Cobra Kai isn't really karate anyway. I'm no expert but I think actual karate and other martial arts has a sort of discipline and self-control thing about it which means that characters like Hawk wouldn't be created by an actual karate teacher. Daniel kinda tries to teach the self-discipline thing but we see how well that works out with Robby and Sam. And I have no idea about the legitimacy of the fighting technique presented - I figure it's just choreographed to look cool.
     
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  21. fspringer

    fspringer Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    There are countless videos on youtube where you can watch people in actual matches, how they move, what happens when they get hit, etc. Real life looks much harder, faster, messier, nastier. A lot of moving around for position followed by fast, violent hits.

    With teenagers and countless gyms/dojos in every neighborhood, I would guess the chance for a bad/cheesy instructor with the "go for the kill" mentality wouldn't be hard to find, or hard to instill in a kid who's desperate to kick *ss as a form of retribution against the world. I have much more experience with boxing classes, and every now and then, a knucklehead would appear, always a guy (plenty of women in these classes) with that attitude. He would never last long, once he realized the scenario of him squaring off with someone while a circle formed around then wasn't going to occur. And this is with adults. I would also guess that with kids getting into emotional confrontations outside of competition, they would lose their discipline and start brawling almost immediately. As Mike Tyson so aptly put it: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.

    From the videos of championship matches I've watched, the choreography you see in movies and TV shows just doesn't exist in competition. As with sex scenes in movies, that sort of choreography (with matching soundtrack and lighting) generally doesn't happen in real life. Much like boxing, the concept appears to be scoring points through hits, and that's something that's much more fast and direct than two people dancing around each other gracefully. But I don't think this series should be held accountable in that regard as karate movies and TV shows have always indulged in that highly stylized choreography that fans love to watch.
     
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  22. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Good information. Seriously. I'm not sure why you quoted me as @dkmonroe is whom you responded to. Yet, I appreciate you weighing in. My point was: a show that is based on karate (as was the movies), Macchio and the other actors in the movies and this series are not good at the discipline (sport? what do you call it?). Daniel LaRusso is supposed to be this bad ass karate guy (even saving a girl in the 2nd movie with his skills), but the truth is he kind of sucks. They all do quite frankly.
     
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  23. johnny q

    johnny q Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bergen County, NJ
    I have already opined about the series, I love it!

    But I also feel the need to mention that Cobra Kai inspired me to get a 6-pack of Coors Banquet, in those stubby bottles :)
     
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  24. fspringer

    fspringer Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    Yeah, somehow screwed up the quote, sorry about that. I would encourage folks to get on youtube and watch brief clips of championship matches. The comments sections for the videos are filled with quotes like "this aint Cobra Kai karate" and "this is so boring." I know with boxing that even knowing how to watch a match (what to look out for, knowing when a serious blow has been landed as opposed to something that looks harsh but isn't, understanding the point system, etc.) takes time and experience. The speed at which hits take place in karate is so fast that it's sometimes hard to grasp actually what just happened in any given match. Real physical contact between people is always more messy and far less stylized than what we're led to believe in movies and TV shows.
     
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  25. fspringer

    fspringer Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    Just putzing around youtube today, I noticed that "team kata" competitions much more strongly resemble the types of displays you see in movies and TV shows. (Fast forward to about 2:50 mark to see these women engage each other rather than performing synchronized moves.) Notice they're all on the same team performing synchronized movements. This is radically different from kumite karate, where two opponents square off against each other. Much less graceful, far more brutal. I would guess if the Karate Kid franchise were to do this properly, these kids would be facing off like street gangs in Michael Jackson's "Beat It" video and technically having a dance-off.

     
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