I think we all get it at this point that reboots and remakes are the thing to do nowadays. Why spend any time on being original? Oh, right, because everything that is coming back has been proven. It’s been done before and garnered great success so why not go back to the well again? If you’re picking up on the sarcasm that’s good because I’m laying it on nice and thick.
There’s a decent chance that this show, not a film, a show, will do well considering that it brings back one of the greatest rivalries from film. There’s also a chance however that it could bury a well-loved franchise that has been fondly remembered for a long time. Plus, if the creators are really going to go down a road that sees Johnny and Daniel as rivals then they might be making a mistake.
But why you ask? Well, here are a couple of answers at least.
If Johnny goes back to his old ways then it’s going to be too much like the original without enough development.
Sure they’re older. Sure there’s a good chance that Johnny could run Cobra Kai in a more efficient and respectable manner than John Kreese. But considering that almost every other article about this show is claiming that and Daniel are meant to be rivals, it doesn’t seem likely. They were rivals in the first film and that didn’t end well most times. Without Mr. Miyagi there to help Daniel though, Johnny has always been the stronger fighter. Even with Miyagi’s wisdom to help him out Daniel has a serious deficit of experience in comparison to Johnny. If Johnny starts being the arrogant punk he used to be then Daniel will need to step up his game and recall every last lesson that Miyagi taught him, or the series will become just another long list of beatdowns as Johnny imposes his will.
The 10-episode series is meant to be a comedy. Seriously?
It almost seems like an insult to the original Karate Kid that the movie would be relegated to a comedy depicting the rivalry between Daniel and Johnny. What in the world is going to be funny about it? Last time I checked the only funny you really see in a show that’s all about martial arts is when it’s a spoof or something so decidedly comical happens that you can’t help but laugh. Maybe it’s bound to be a dark comedy since it speaks of Johnny and Daniel talking about the demons of their past and the problems they’ve faced in life. But really, it doesn’t compute all that well. The original film wasn’t a comedy at all, no matter that it had its moments of levity.
A series of the Karate Kid doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to some people but it seems to make perfect sense to those making it and a few overzealous fans that are really looking forward to the series. Each half hour episode however seems poised to be just another way to hang on to a legendary story that should have been allowed to remain as a fond memory.
Follow Us
