Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the next installment of COBRA KAI Season 3.

Johnny (William Zabka) is in a tailspin trying to find a way to make things right with the very injured Miguel (Xolo Mariduena) and instead ends up in jail. The massive fight at the high school has put everyone on high alert and Sam (Mary Mouser) cannot come to grips with what happen to Demitri (Gianni DeCenzo) at the hands of Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) let alone her own fight with Tory (Peyton List). Daniel (Ralph Macchio) is out trying to find the missing Robby (Tanner Buchanan).

Daniel thinks that it is important for Johnny to help look for Robby as they search everywhere he could be. While everyone is concerned with Robby and Miguel, Kreese (Martin Kove) puts his own plans into place and teaches his own brand of karate behind Johnny’s back.

Visiting Bobby in juvenile hall for what happened to Miguel, the young man makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with anyone. Sam tries to raise funds for a surgery that Miguel needs only to have the Cobra Kai attack them. Johnny becomes involved with Carmen (Vanessa Rubio) and enjoying himself. Daniel is having trouble with his business, so he decides to go to Tokyo to negotiate with the auto business.

While there, Daniel revisits Tomi Village to find that it is much changed. He sees Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita) and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto). He learns more about Mr. Miagi (Pat Morita) and his family’s karate as well as the things that his sensei did not teach him and why. All of it leads to Daniel meeting a little someone, Yuna (Traci Toguchi), from his past that is about to change his future.

More fights between Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai happen while Daniel is away, and Johnny decides to learn more about technology and joins Facebook discovering Ali (Elisabeth Shue) is just one click away. He is also helping Miguel find his feet once again. Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) takes on Kreese and it does not end well.

Trying to get the dojo closed, hopes are dashed as Kreese makes it clear that he is not going anywhere at any time. Learning Ali is in town, Miguel helps Johnny pump up his profile to pump up his image who finally sends Ali a message. Seeing Tory again, he lets her know that revenge against Miyagi-Do is not needed.

Miguel is doing very well and returns to school only to discover what Cobra Kai has been up to and he is horrified. Daniel realizes he needs to spend more time with Sam who is still going through a hard time. A Miyagi story is necessary so dad can share with daughter that he truly understands. Johnny decides to start a new dojo called Eagle Fang Karate where he can finally teach without Kreese around.

When Daniel, Kreese and Johnny discover that the All-Valley Tournament is cancelled, they all show up to show why that is wrong which almost does not work. It is Miguel and Amanda who explain why is should go on and their friendship resumes as Robby ends up at the Cobra Kai dojo and into the waiting grasp of Kreese.

During the holidays, Johnny and Ali meet up for lunch and talk about old times and life choices. Ali asks Johnny to join her at the country club later only to discover Daniel and Amanda as the two couples share the evening, talk about old times, and laugh at themselves and their silly antics. Change is also coming for the Miyagi-Do team and the Eagle Fang as the kids get together to discuss coming together.

But Cobra Kai is coming for them and breaking into the LaRusso house, a brawl happens and a few of them realize that this is not the way and change their allegiance. Both men go to the Cobra Kai dojo only Johnny gets their first to see his son with Kreese and a fight begins, and Daniel comes in as Kreese takes them both on.

Kreese decides there is only one other person that can help him now – Terry Silver (Nick Marini). A surprise also comes around when Daniel and Johnny realize that they need each other and that their ridiculous past needs to finally be settled. The page of karate is about to be turned as two men learn from each other with a new understanding that is different but oh so cool.

History is about to be changed because two men realize that are better together than they are arguing apart!

Macchio as Daniel is trying to forget about what happened all those years ago, but things keep coming up that set his teeth on edge. Dealing with the dealership, staying close to his family and taking in young Bobby become his goals until that all seems to be chaotic. Returning to Tomi Village helped him find balance again and Macchio makes us feel like we are back in the 1986 once again. That is what is amazing about all of this, Macchio does not try to reinvent the wheel but instead gives us the memories as well as the grown-up life of Daniel LaRusso.

Zabka as Johnny clearly has issues that are consistently being drowned in a bottle of Coors Banquet beer. I do not think there are many moments on screen where there is not a bottle (or a can from time to time) in his hand. Openly admitting he spent his twenties and thirties in such a state is the beginning, it would be nice to see him put the bottle down for good. His Archie Bunker tendencies come out from time to time, but Zabka throws himself into every bit of this character. Lost in the past, Zabka gives us a Johnny that is fighting going into the future with every breath he takes.

Mariduena as Miguel is a young man with a homelife that has problems of its own, yet he learns from both Daniel and Johnny trying to find the middle ground. This young actor gives his character strength with a bit of the usual mistake making for a teenager.  Mouser as Sam is Daniel’s daughter who first had no interest in karate, then too much interest and is also trying to find a balance between the two. Mouser and Mariduena eventually try to do their share to bring peace, but it will have to wait until they are on the mat.     

DeCenzo as Demitri is a kid that tries to avoid being a part of anything karate from the beginning and even when he thinks he is ready, he balks. The thing is, Daniel does not give up on any of the kids easily and DeCenzo does not disappoint. Bertrand as Hawk starts out as a good friend to Demitri and then enters the dojo of Cobra Kai and becomes someone horrible, vicious and dangerous but everyone deserves a second chance.

List as Tory has home issues and they feed into the anger that she just cannot let go of. Trying to like this character is more difficult than I could have imagined. I can see her character in thirty years turning into a female Johnny or, at best, the sign lady Johnny hires. Henggeler as Amanda is trying to keep the family together, the business running and make sure Daniel and Johnny do not lose themselves.  

Buchanan as Robby is a young man who is dealing with an absent father and trusting Daniel to teach him. Getting a place to live and a chance at an education, it all comes crashing down when Tory starts something and lets everyone else finish it. Buchanan starts out confused, finds a nice place to land and goes back to confusion.  Kove as Kreese returns hoping Johnny will let him back in to the mix but when it does not happen the way he wants, Kreese returns to his old habits and evil returns to All-Valley.    

Rubio as Carmen is Miguel’s concerned mother who works hard for her family to keep them fed and a roof over their heads. Happy that Miguel has found something to believe in, when the injury happens, she makes sure that Johnny knows her anger. That does not mean their relationship does not take a hit, but Johnny figures it out the best way he can.

Other cast include Barrett Carnahan as young Kreese, Terry Serpico as Captain Turner, Griffin Santopietro as Anthony LaRusso, Dan Ahdoot as Anoush, Ken Davitian as Armand Zarkarian, Ron Thomas as Bobby Brown, Nathaniel Oh as Nathaniel, Annalisa Cochrane as Yasmine, Okea Eme-Akwari as Shawn Payne, Ed Asner as Sid Weinberg, Diora Baird as Shannon Keene, Bret Ernst as Louie LaRusso Jr., Aedin Mincks as Mitch, Khalil Everage as Chris, Owen Morgan as Bert and Dee Snider as the one and only Dee Snider.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

The episodes include Aftermath, Nature Vs. Nurture, Now You’re Gonna Pay, The Right Path, Miyagi-Do, King Cobra, Obstaculos, The Good The Bad and the Badass, Feel the Night and December 19.

COBRA KAI Season 3 continues the story between Daniel, Johnny and their issues from thirty years ago. Watching them get along and then not and then get along again is mainly on Johnny’s insecurities. Daniel makes a few nutty decisions as well which makes their continual ‘feud’ based mainly on miscommunication and misunderstanding.

The kids, however, are constantly in each other’s faces and fighting. I was hoping the storyline would tone that down a bit, but I tend to think as the sides continually change, the fighting will only ramp up. Macchio has not lost his ‘Daniel’ charm just as much as Zabka continues with his conflicted and insecure ‘Johnny’ who thinks with his fist instead of his head which is swimming in alcohol.

This season revisits places and people who made the original KARATE KID films so iconic. I was thrilled to see a few of them and, of course, boo’d the screen with some of the bad guys who have decided to come back to Cobra Kai. COBRA KAI has become a massive hit for the streaming service Netflix, and it makes me smile to see people wearing update tee-shirts that say ‘Cobra Kai Never Dies’.

As much as I am not a fan of resurging films and television shows, I have to say that binging on COBRA KAI has been somewhat of a bag of mixed feelings. The characters finally have a chance to tell their stories and the new characters learn these story’s but whether they use it for good will be seen.

In the end – The Karate Kid saga continues!

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