The Honest Trailer for Cobra Kai has been released. The hit streaming series, recently launching its third season, centers around the long-standing martial arts feud between high school enemies Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, and how their rivalry has found new life, reborn through the next generation. Cobra Kai first debuted back in 2018 on what at the time was known as YouTube Red where it aired for 2 seasons before moving over to Netflix in 2020. It’s a continuation reboot of 1984’s The Karate Kid and its franchise, starring Ralph Macchio (My Cousin Vinny) as Daniel, and William Zabka (Hot Tub Time Machine) as Johnny, reprising their original roles.
One of the top Netflix performers of last year, Cobra Kai also features a host of new young talent, who serve as the children, pupils and inheritors of the multi-decade beef between Daniel and Johnny. Xolo Maridueña (Parenthood) stars as Miguel Diaz, a bullied teen who Johnny befriends, takes under his wing, and is the inspiration for Johnny to reopen the Cobra Kai dojo. Tanner Buchanan (Designated Survivor) plays Robby Keene, Johnny’s estranged son who wants nothing to do with him, whom Daniel takes on as a karate student. Mary Mouser (The Fosters) is Sam LaRusso, Daniel’s eldest daughter and top pupil, who finds herself caught between the warring affections of Robby and Miguel. Cobra Kai is equal parts teen soap, coming of age drama, martial arts action adventure, and expositional '80s spoof, which despite juggling so many different identities, still finds a way to work.
Screen Junkies recently posted an “Honest Trailer” for Cobra Kai on their YouTube channel. Their video is a comedic, in-depth examination (rife with spoilers) of all the components which comprise the series’s first three seasons. It lovingly, but sarcastically, points out the 'perfect' as well as the 'preposterous' when it comes to Cobra Kai, that somehow finds a way to blend seamlessly. You can watch the full video below:
Among many other aspects of Cobra Kai, the Honest Trailer spotlights the circular logic and relationships that exist in the show. Daniel was bullied by Johnny, who, in turn, was bullied by his sensei, so Johnny becomes sensei to a kid who is bullied, who winds up dating the daughter of Johnny’s former bullying victim, and starts to become a “cool”/ former “nerdy” bully himself. It’s mind-bending and the video also showcases the ton of Easter eggs embedded in all 3 seasons that are nods to the entirety of the Karate Kid universe, from the films, the music soundtracks, the non-canon pop-culture references and mock ups, and even The Karate Kid cartoon from 1989.
There are so many conflicting and seemingly incompatible aspects within Cobra Kai, but its secret to success may be the love that exists within each of them. From the martial arts choreography that can, at times, appear less than spectacular, to the sheer ludicrousness of teenage karate wars as conflict resolutions where a simple 911 call would immediately solve the crisis, Cobra Kai can come off as over-the-top and laughable. Yet the show is laughing with the audience, and laughing at itself, in appreciation of the fun and spirit that fuels it. It then ties it all together with real character exploration, growth, and the genuine emotional connection that make this journey with the reboot just as enjoyable and memorable as from when it all started back in 1984.
Source: Screen Junkies