‘Cobra Kai’ Season 3 DVD Review

Cobra Kai Season 3

Are you a fan of The Karate Kid series? First of all, check out our review of the recent release of the film franchise here. Then, once you have finished that series you might want to start checking out the series Cobra Kai.

Cobra Kai takes place 30+ years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament from the first film. All of these years later there is still a rivalry between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).

Sadly, Pat Morita is no longer with us so in this series Mr. Miyagi has already passed, but we do see in flashbacks (clips from the original movie series).

Without giving away too much, the end of Season 2 came to a head with a huge violent high school brawl, which has left Cobra Kai student Miguel in a coma. Daniel searches for answers in his past and Johnny seeks redemption, but John Kreese (Johnny’s sensei from the original movie) manipulates his vulnerable students with his own “no mercy” style after taking over the dojo.

Johnny and Daniel have to team up to look for a student that disappeared after the fight. But that rivalry is still there brewing under the surface. We get to see these karate heroes/villains be allies only to feel a need to go toe to toe after they have finished relying on each other.

What I Liked About Cobra Kai Season 3

It’s always a risk to try to revive a beloved property like The Karate Kid, but this show does it incredibly well. The characters are well-written and, more importantly, the actors in the roles are real powerhouses.

The three “adults” of the series (Daniel, Johnny, and Kreese) bring serious acting chops to their roles and it works beautifully. They stay true to the original series while making a show with modern sensibilities. The fight choreography is also well done.

Considering three of the leads are in their 50’s and 60’s they manage to make the fights look realistic and you get invested in them. I also enjoy when the adults fight teenage children and you see them pulling back and just being defensive, never wanting to strike or injure a kid.

What I Didn’t Like

There are a couple of things that I really didn’t care for in this season. The main one is that the season was just too busy.

Over the 10-episode Season 3, there are so many storylines going on that it’s hard to keep up. Too many spinning plates. I kind of wish they had pulled back a bit more.

Additionally, while season 1 really focused on the rivalry between Daniel and Johnny, there has been a shift toward the children. The adults, specifically Johnny, are sadly underused. Let’s face it, for those of us that grew up with Karate Kid, those are the stars we came to see.

Let’s hope they have larger roles in Cobra Kai Season 4.

What’s Included in Cobra Kai Season 3?

DVD Bonus Features

  • Deleted Scenes
  •  Blooper Reel

Cobra Kai Season 3 DVD Review

It’s a good show and the thing that really saves it is the world-building and character work from the original film. It gets a bit overwhelming at times but is a fun ride.

Grade: A

Cobra Kai is available January 11, 2022 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

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