figured I'd take a bit of a small break here to talk about something coming up - it seems as if there is going to be a Youtube Red series called "Cobra Kai" about the two main characters from the Karate Kid, what...33 years later now?
Disclaimer - I met Billy Zabka at a youth group retreat in the mid 90's and loved the Equalizer, so he always gets props with me.
but even without that I have to admit, I'm excited.
I was a preteen/teenager when The Karate Kid came out - I think at some point I even took Karate lessons on or around when it came out. The class was much more low key at the local Athletic club though.
But here's the thing - I was a REALLY UNCOOL kid growing up - like virtual leper/pariah - horribly nerdy and incapable of really holding down real friendships in rural redneck Montana where a bus ride with the kids who weren't going to do any better than fixing cars was hell for me until I got off the bus. Even as I got further up in the High School chain, I barely had the respect of my peers - a few of us nerds got together and played games over lunch. I never got in any full bore fights but I had a few assholes trip me and shit - and I was also one of the scrawniest kids around.
To this day I'm probably more successful than 90% of my tormentors and I won't go see them at the reunions - fuck those guys
So for me, The Karate Kid was a hell of an inspirational picture - it made me happy to see it and I probably have seen it almost a half dozen times? At the end, when Zabka's character tells Daniel Russo he's all right, there's a sort of small redemption in there for him as well - we never get to see how it plays out in the next two sequels, but what did he take of that moment. Did it define Johnny or did he revert back - initial indications in the teaser to me is he's old Johnny again.
(and it's probably too much to ask, but could we get Elizabeth Shue for a bit - bring that triangle back - LOL - but I haven't seen her in much lately)
We've had some bad luck lately with nostalgia coming back into fashion. I am still disappointed in how the new Star Wars trilogy is playing out - the new Indiana Jones a few years ago - more of the same - Rocky and Rambo back - meh.
But this could really be interesting - how do our successes as young men define us as we get older - has Ralph Macchio's character turned into a sad used car salesman, trying to see his kids on the weekend while Billy traveled the world seizing the day after college? I'm really curious to see how these two protagonists go forward at this point and what the story will be.
A movie shows us a picture of a life, but a sequel 33 years later - if done right, can paint a much bigger picture
AND we have Youtube Red here in the house...so score already!
Looking forward to it
RB
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