42/10
Avildsen shot hours of match footage from multiple angles
Chronology
Decades after their 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament clash, a middle-aged Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence find themselves once again as martial arts rivals. During the filming of the original Karate Kid, the late director John G. The team behind Cobra Kai scoured the studio and found a wealth of never-before-seen clips that they were able to incorporate into the series through flashbacks. One of them features Zabka’s real-life mom standing in the stands from various angles, which wasn’t seen until 2018. Ralph Macchio told Uproxx that there are three brand-new angles of the famous crane kick.
Chozen was given the name Nariyoshi in Karate Kid 2 (1986)
Many people believe that Miyagi’s name on his tombstone is a continuity error, as in Karate Kid 4 (1994), his name was Keisuke, but it was actually on a plaque earlier. This means that The Next Karate Kid changed his name, while Cobra Kai kept the name he was given earlier. Another interesting fact, however, is that the name given in The Karate Kid Part II was not his original first name. Miyagi. In The Karate Kid (1984), it is briefly seen on Miyagi’s dog tags attached to the keys to Daniel’s 1948 Ford for his birthday that Miyagi’s first name is Hideo.
This is the best show out there – anywhere
He appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Anthony Mackie/Ralph Macchio/Kiry Shabazz (2018). I was a teenager in the 80s and enjoyed this movie – as did most guys my age. I was a little skeptical when I saw that they were making a new series that would take place 30 years after the end of the movie. But as soon as I saw the trailers, I felt like they might be onto something. After watching several episodes, I can say that they nailed it.
Not overplayed (or underplayed)
Not lame or stupid either. A perfect pairing of seriousness with a few goofs or references to the 80s thrown in here & there. This revival could have been a disaster, but it seems like it has the perfect combination of writers, directors, and actors. It’s funny because as a kid I wanted to punch Johnny in the throat as hard as I could. But as a 40-year-old I’m rooting for him.
Great job to the people responsible for making this happen – and of course, it couldn’t have happened with Ralph & William
Thank you!
