Karate Kid/Cobra Kai

"Trust quality of what you know, not quantity"  Myagi 

With the arrival of the Cobra Kai series on Netflix I opted to show my kids the original films as a lead up to watching the new show.  Spoilers for all follow.

                             The Karate Kid (1984)

John G. Avidsen (who directed the first three films) and composer Bill Conti, two of the people who made Rocky such a success, brought Robert Mark Kamen’s screenplay to life with a similar underdog story.  Daniel LaRusso has an accent similar to Rocky and also spends the second half of the film building to a tournament he seems to have little chance of winning.  I had doubts about seeing this again as it had been years since the last time I saw it.  I wondered if Myagi would seem like a caricature and if it would be uncomfortable watching an overmatched kid be bullied so much.  The bullying scenes are not just Johnny and the Cobra Kai’s beating Daniel up but they also work to isolate him at school.  I was pleased to see how well the film holds up.   Ralph Macchio’s Daniel is complex.  He is kind and makes a lot of Kamen’s one-liners sound completely natural but is also a moody and hotheaded teen, who has street smarts but whose New Jersey persona is a little out of place in Southern California, which is part of the reason he and Mr. Myagi found each other.

As for Pat Morita, he gives Myagi a quiet dignity.  I occasionally watched Happy Days and remember him as Arnold, particularly in a funny Christmas episode in which he was Santa Claus wearing only Santa’s beard but using his own gray moustache.  Given the overly comedic nature of that part I would not have thought of Morita for the largely dramatic role (though Myagi certainly has a sense of humor) but he is the heart of the series.  The second half of the film which focuses on Myagi training Daniel is slower paced but extremely rewarding.   It also shows this immature character, who tends to talk quickly,  that if he slows down he will be better prepared for life.  I enjoy Cobra Kai as you will see below but Morita’s absence is notable and the show is strongest when it looks back at Myagi.

The biggest star to break out of the film was Elizabeth Shue, who was in several high profile projects in the 80s and 90s.  Ali is a thoughtful and considerate and who despite her wealth is nonjudgmental.  We do not learn enough about Ali outside of her relationship with Johnny and Daniel but Ali’s warm and courageous nature plays well off Daniel’s impulsivity and Shue and Macchio have an easy chemistry.  The “Feel the Night” music over their first date displays the fun the two of them have together.  As a child of the 80s I love most of the music in the film, even the corny ones. 

Martin Kove creates a real monster in John Kreese, whose picture from Vietnam in his studio suggests that something in the war made him to be such an abusive tyrant who trains his students to be like soldiers.  Kreese is more explosive in this film and plays the part a little bigger than in the series in which he is often filmed in dark light with narrowed eyes.

The tournament scenes are a fitting climax as an injured Daniel fights off the overconfident and bigger Johnny, whose will is shaken slightly when Kreese tells him to fight dirty.  The crane kick combined with Bill Conti’s horns give the film the perfect send off with the final shot of Myagi’s proud smile, similar to the very end of Rocky .  ****

                                The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

Daniel and Myagi head to Okinawa in the second film where Myagi is reunited with his childhood love Yukie at his father’s passing and a newly single Daniel connects with a young dancer named Kumiko played by Tamlyn Tomita, who later played a very different character in The Joy Luck Club.

The portions of the film in which Myagi teaches Daniel more of the Myagi history, along with the moments in which Daniel and the audience learns of the Okinawan culture are moving.  Although it was shot it Hawaii, it feels like they are in another part of the world.  Daniel is intrigued by the island and getting to see Myagi’s land is an argument that Daniel would probably gets more education out of visiting Okinawa than by a semester at school.  At no point does he act like an Ugly American having to deal with a slower moving culture, even if it is odd that everyone in Okinawa speaks English to each other (clearly for the audience).

The relationship between both couples are affectionate and Kumiko brings out the very best in Daniel.  He seems relaxed and his attraction to her is probably in part an extension of his joy of the land.  However, a little too much of the film deals with Myagi’s old rival’s attempts to settle an old score and his nephew Chozen’s subsequent bullying of Daniel.  There are three consecutive scenes in which Daniel has to face him (the bar, the club scene, and the garden) and it gets to be a little too much although each is effective individually.  Yuji Fukumoto is by far the scariest of the three of Daniel’s antagonists and the only one who it feels like could kill Daniel.  The typhoon scene, while a deux ex machina to resolve the conflict with Sato, also works to show a threat faced by people in the islands.  I also did not really want to see Myagi in an extended fight with Sato, even though I expected he would win without much trouble because he fights so efficiently.  But it would have been painful for him emotionally so typhoon (in which Myagi rescues Sato who is then humbled) is a better move.

Chozen’s attack on Kumiko during her dance to battle Daniel gives the film it’s big climax.  There is no musical montage or even score during most of the fight making it feel more real.  The drum technique is shot above Daniel’s waist so we do not see the blows land (probably to preserve the PG rating) but see effect on weakening Chozen and the effort it takes on Daniel to deliver such hard blows.  The build up to it is powerful and the end of the film is satisfying. 

There are also two other notable scenes.  The opening in which Myagi dispatches Kreese (by minimally using the bigger man’s strength against him) further enhances the notion that the Cobra Kai students are more victims of Kreese’s training.  Although we fear a little for Myagi when he goes to confront Kreese who seems like a raging bear, Myagi’s total confidence is comforting.  The scene with the ice is an effective demonstration of Daniel and Myagi’s use of mental strength.  Ultimately Kamen’s script deepens both characters and Conti comes up with some additional themes.  The Karate Kid Part II is not quite as good as the first but I still enjoy it.  ***                                                                                           

                             The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

It is often said this film is just a rehash of the first one and while too many beats are repeated there are also some additional elements that are worth considering.  The moments in the first half of the film in which Daniel and Myagi return from Okinawa, practice kata by the beautiful mountainside (which is clearly much further north in California than the Los Angeles based characters are), and open the bonsai shop are like a new visit with old friends. 

Macchio looks a little out of shape and although I wonder why he did not train to look his best before shooting it occurs to me that works for this film.  A fitter version of Daniel would not be too cowed by Mike Barnes given the enemies he has already dispatched in the series.  But if you read it as Daniel has gone a little soft after his big triumphs and is overwhelmed by Mike’s intensity.  Daniel and Myagi are shown training every day so it looks more like Macchio skipped some gym sessions.  Robyn Lively plays Jessica, a nice girl from Ohio who is only a platonic interest, though from the way the scenes are written and staged it feels like Jessica was intended to be Daniel’s next girlfriend, but any romantic gestures were crossed out of the script. 

The main problem with the film is unfortunately, its driving factor.  The revenge plot against Myagi and Daniel by Kreese and new villain Terry Silver is a poorly conceived idea that should have been thrown out.  Kreese is ruined from the events of the first film and his conveniently wealthy old war buddy, Terry Silver, reopens Cobra Kai, recruits one strong student named Mike Barnes, and plans to train Daniel using dirty Cobra Kai methods while setting him up to lose to the in the All Valley tournament final (which now gives the previous champion a free pass to the finals).  This whole concept is absurd.  A tournament might give a previous champion a bye into the second round but never to the final.  Also the plot depends on Myagi refusing to train Daniel which Kreese and Silver could not have foreseen.  When Silver breaks into Myagi’s home the film also crosses a clear line into criminality which is wrong for this series.  If Kreese and Silver opened Cobra Kai without targeting Daniel and Daniel just entered the tournament again to stop them the story might have worked better. 

Martin Kove as always fully commits to making Kreese despicable and Thomas Ian Griffith’s Terry Silver's fast talking style is both seductive and rotten to the core.  Griffith comes across as a more energetic Steven Seagal.  This pair do not make Vietnam veterans look sympathetic but it is clear they view Myagi and Daniel as the enemy.  Myagi easily defeats both much younger men in unarmed combat and in the moments where they share scenes it is clear that their superficial flash is no match for Myagi’s deep founded beliefs. 

Silver owns a toxic waste disposal named Dynatox, just to show how bad he is.  The rudimentary training is designed to injure Daniel but the true effect is that Daniel is corrupted into becoming a Cobra Kai, which is much more disturbing.  Silver overplays his hand in bribing someone to pick a fight with Daniel at a club and reveals himself making it clear he had something to do with it.  It makes for an interesting scene since we see what Daniel is becoming (and that he stops himself there) but it makes no sense for the movie.  Wouldn’t un-inhibiting Daniel make him more likely to be able to beat Barnes in their eyes?  If, alternatively, the goal was to make Daniel a Cobra Kai in spirit (if you can’t beat him, make him join you) this approach is better.

The final fight sequence (the announcer is played by Rick Hurst who was Cletus in The Dukes of Hazzard) is the weakest of the three films until the final moment.  Daniel literally on the floor overcome by fear is a situation that any athlete could probably relate to.  Myagi’s final message to Daniel that it is ok to lose to an opponent but not to fear is both commanding and inspiring.  Daniel is then able to shake off Barnes’ taunting (which should have had him kicked out) and bring his own energy instead of just reacting to Barnes which leads to a decent finish.  Despite this moment The Karate Kid Part III is not a good use of anyone’s time. **

                               The Next Karate Kid (1994)

In this spin off film Myagi trains a troubled girl from Boston who has recently been orphaned, played by a young Hillary Swank.  I surprisingly liked it more than expected mainly because after watching so much Cobra Kai which does not feature Myagi, it was nice to see him again.  Avildsen and Kamen skipped it but Pat Morita's always delicate performance mixed with Bill Conti's themes give the film some heart.  Swank is as always fully committed and the bond she eventually develops with Myagi, who despite being as wise as ever, needs to learn how to relate to girls, feels genuine and leads to some comic moments.

I enjoyed the opening scene which is a nice commemoration and recognition of the dedication of Japanese American soldiers who fought in World War II for the U.S. despite having their families locked up in internment camps.  The grief of Julie and her grandmother who are trying to process all their losses is poignant as is Myagi trying to give them a break from each other and gently try to get through to Julie.  Myagi teaching Julie to use karate to find emotional balance in the monastery setting works for me.  

Unfortunately, the film has many weaknesses which probably kept the series from developing further.  Firstly, the plotting is sloppy.  Myagi goes to Arlington and then home with Julie's grandmother (the widow of his commanding officer) to Boston for dinner which is over 400 miles away.  Why not just go for dinner in Arlington or D.C.?  How is Myagi able to be away from his shop (assuming he still has it) for so long or is Julie's grandmother running it in his absence?  What are the "Alpha Elite" and why do they see Julie as such a threat?  

The villains are very weak here.  The Alpha Elite name is just false pretension for a bunch of tough wannabes led by Michael Ironside as a Kreese like character named Dugan with none of the latter's charisma.  Ned is one note and will probably not join the roster of legacy villains visiting Cobra Kai.  The dynamic of a female lead being threatened by these bullies is awkward since although they chase Julie repeatedly other than one moment where Ned grabs her, they never seriously threaten her.  Instead the Alpha Elites beat up Eric, Julie's new boyfriend (and a former member), who then gets up and does not act hurt at all.  In Julie's big fight with Ned (which is shot with a handheld camera in a nighttime setting with one of the characters wearing a dark shirt so it is hard to follow) he never lands a kick or punch clearly to avoid showing a male hitting a female but it strips away any tension even though Julie now knows some impressive moves.  The simple solution here I think would be to have a female antagonist so Julie could have a fight and opponent worthy of her new skills.  

The flow of the last fifteen minutes or so is sloppy.  The Alpha Elite bungee jump into the prom is poorly filmed and unconvincing if they are trying to keep "order in the school".  Why do Eric and Julie leave?  Ned smashing Eric's car windows is overly contrived.  Why does Eric follow Ned to the docks at the end knowing he has to be walking into a trap?  Does Julie change out of her prom dress in case she has to fight?  The one moment I kind of enjoyed is Myagi's face off with Dugan wherein as usual, Myagi's younger antagonist completely underestimates him and never lands a punch while Myagi efficiently takes him out with simple moves.   

It is a little sad that such Pat Norita passed away several years before Cobra Kai came out which likely would have given him a much better final visit with audiences than this film.  Out of respect for the character and Hillary Swank I give this **. 

                                Cobra Kai Season 1 (2018)

The idea of this series, a more comedic take on the rivalry from the first film over thirty years later, in a half hour series, seemed contrived when I first heard of it.  Surely Daniel and Johnny would have better things to do now than stir up trouble with each other.  I did not catch it until recently and was impressed.  The films were inspired in part by Robert Mark Kamen’s experiences in karate with an Okinawan instructor and thus have an Asian influence. The show is the brainchild of Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg who all have a background in American comedies, so it has a different tone.  The idea that Daniel is sometimes the bad guy does not quite work since he is still decent, if a little smug.  Daniel and his wife Amanda own a series of high-end car dealerships and Johnny is a barely functioning alcoholic who has made a mess of his life so it is a switch of the two characters.  Daniel’s side makes sense.  He has always had to work hard for his success so it is believable that he would have built this dealership.  Johnny seemed redeemed when he handed the trophy to Daniel after the tournament (though I had also seen that as now the Cobra Kai’s respected Daniel and would leave him alone) so him hitting such depths after losing it seems a bit of a stretch.  Both men, now in their mid to late 50s, look good and are in terrific shape, but Johnny’s strong physique is clearly at odds with his lifestyle.  Macchio plays Daniel now without the street accent, which makes sense given how long he has been in California. 

The show gets a lot of comedic mileage out of Johnny’s unfamiliarity with modern life as he has been living in some kind of funk and starts to find some direction when he opens the Cobra Kai dojo after helping a bullied kid named Miguel (played by Xolo Mariduena) who seems a lot like a young Daniel.  Miguel and Johnny’s relationship is the heart of this show and Miguel helps Johnny grow up.  Johnny was an absentee father to his own son Robby (Tanner Buchanan) who is lost and eventually finds a welcoming home with the LaRussos.  Courtney Henggeler brings spunk as Amanda, Daniel’s wife and partner in the car dealership and Mary Mouser is Samantha, Daniel and Amanda’s daughter who also has trained with her dad.  The show has a lot of fights which are choreographed to be a lot bigger those in the films.

A lot of the first season deals with Johnny’s attempts to build up Cobra Kai and Daniel’s sometimes underhanded attempts to stop him since Cobra Kai has only represented a nightmare in his life.  Samantha and Miguel strike up a relationship (after a date at Golf N’ Stuff like Daniel and Ali). The best moments from that season is when Daniel visits Myagi’s gravestone and remembers an old message, which leads him to a powerful scene in which he puts on his gi and starts training with Myagi do techniques.  I also like when Daniel and Johnny are in the bar and the tournament episode. ****

                                  Cobra Kai Season 2 (2019)

Season 2 is entertaining but contains big moments that are not quite earned and some thin characterizations.  Martin Kove returns as Kreese and Johnny’s reaction to seeing the man who was like a father to him but almost killed him is notably complex.  The Cobra Kai dynamic with Kreese as the secondary sensei subtly influencing the students to take darker turns whereas Johnny wants Cobra Kai students to be tough but not bullies.  Daniel opens Myagi Do to the public but for much of the season his only students are Sam and Robby.

One of the sadder dynamics of the show is Hawk and Demetri, two nerdy kids who joined Cobra Kai in Season 1 but go in different paths.  Hawk finds an outlet for anger stored up after years of bullying.  Demetri is nervous and Hawk ends up being awful to Demetri because Hawk sees Demetri as a reminder of the bullied kid he once was.  To the show’s credit Demetri never becomes cool but does learn to defend himself a little better.  One positive is both dojos welcome people of all colors and body types.  There is also a funny adult student played by Paul Walter Hauser who hilariously competes along with the kids.

The relationship between Sam and Robby does not work.  Sam and Robby are ok as friends but Sam’s heart was clearly still focused on Miguel.  Also, I did not like the character of Tori who just kind of bursts into the season about halfway through and has no redeeming characteristics.  Tori’s relationship with Miguel is even less believable and seems to only exist to provide a spark for the big fight in the last episode.

There are two notable episodes.  One in which Johnny goes camping with several of the old Cobra Kais to honor Tommy who is dying and we see that they have grown up and are decent people now that they are away from Kreese.  Of course during this time Kreese takes full advantage of having the students to himself and particularly drives Hawk to make some dangerous moves.  The last episode is a free for all in the high school in which the students from both dojos face off.  It is as implausible as anything but thrillingly staged and shot (in some parts with one tracking shot).  Tory’s battle with Sam is particularly intense and it sadly ends with Miguel falling over a banister and going into a coma. 

Daniel and Johnny also have a brief skirmish, probably to satisfy the whims of people who want to see a rematch.  The fight ends quickly without a victor. ***

                                  Cobra Kai Season 3 (2021)

Season 3 picks up in the aftermath of the high school brawl as the parties involved get their bearings.  Johnny is in the lowest place for the first episode as he feels guilty for Miguel’s fate and has let Kreese take Cobra Kai from him.  Daniel and Amanda’s business is suffering because of the association with the fight.  Robby is on the run from police and Sam is suffering from PTSD.  Gradually everyone gets their bearings but after Daniel and Johnny team up to find Robby, who ends up in juvenile detention which draws out his anger enough to make him ripe to be plucked by Kreese who is untethered. 

Overall, I found this season an improvement over Season 2 as Johnny is at his best using his questionable ways to help Miguel learn to walk again, which leads to his own redemption.  Tory gets fleshed out a little more as we see her difficult life though she seems to later disregard it completely to risk getting in trouble to pursue her vendetta with Samantha.  We see flashbacks of Kreese in Vietnam and how his C.O. helped purge his humanity in a survival situation.  Daniel has a scene with Miguel in which he is able to tell his side of the conflict with Johnny while respecting Miguel's relationship with him.  My favorite part of the season is Daniel’s visit to Okinawa, in which he has a warm reunion with Kumiko who reads him a letter from Myagi at a moment when Daniel really needs it.  The show has fun with Chozen messing with Daniel during a sparring match (which I could not quite believe Daniel agreed to) but Chozen shows Daniel a crucial move to prevent someone from waging war.  During the same episode Amanda finally gets involved and has a delightful face off with Kreese.

 Two episodes at the end of the season feature Ali, one of the nicest characters in the franchise.  In the spirit of the show always showing alternate points of view we see Ali with Johnny (before we had only seen the aftermath of a nasty breakup) and get a sense of what they may have been like as a couple.   Ali, having the unique experience of having dated both Daniel and Johnny, is the one able to apparently end their rivalry.  Daniel is clearly drawn to women who can call out his worst instincts and he is smart enough to listen most of the time.  Daniel’s goodbye with Ali is touching as their love theme plays, Ali quickly turns back when he calls her and as Daniel is walking away Ali looks at him with a pain that she does not show with Johnny.  

Minor quibbles:

·       Why is Miguel helping Johnny impress Ali since Johnny has dated his mother? 

·       How is Johnny paying his bills throughout most of the season?  He has lost his dojo and when he tries to get money to cover Miguel’s operation he cannot get a job.

·       The car chase in episode two was out of place for this series.

·       The show is becoming increasingly violent.  Kreese actually tries to kill both Daniel and Johnny in the final fight scene and Hawk breaks Demetri’s arm (though the aftermath is what starts to turn him back).  ***