Cinema Crux (SPOILER REVIEW): 'COBRA KAI' on YouTube Red

Cinema Crux is your rapid review of today's hottest films. It quickly allows you to decide where to spend your hard-earned dollars at the box office without having to listen to some pseudo movie critic spew out their own drawn out agendas.

Seeing old friends never felt so good...

Cobra Kai is a sprawling five-hour sequel to the original The Karate Kid films, and it is LOADED with wonderful allusions to Parts I, II and III: Bonsai trees, Daniel's (Ralph Macchio) yellow 1948 Ford, the Crane Kick, Johnny's (William Zabka) black headband, Kata, Golf N Stuff and Mr. Miyagi's house among many, many others. The new 10-episode YouTube Red series envisaged many things fans will thrill to see (Daniel and Johnny both become Senseis and they each have families), and viewers will often be moved to tears, but much of the story was intentionally left open-ended.

Certainly, a sequel series is the goal for the producers. As a result, some essential story threads are left unresolved at the bitter end. Despite that, and some occasional shoddy fight choreography, #CobraKai shines. Mary Mouser excels as Daniel's 16-year-old daughter, Samantha LaRusso. However, we only see glimpses of Sam's raw potential. The subtext suggests that Sam is a natural not unlike the late Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) who has obviously trained her alongside Daniel. And there is an interesting love triangle that develops in the later episodes between Sam, Cobra Kai's star student Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) and Johnny's estranged son Robby (Tanner Buchanan).

There is an unexpected and AWESOME cameo at the end of Episode 10: "Mercy" by Martin Kove! Yes, the final scene marks the return of Kreese as Johnny is reunited with his old Sensei. In the end, Cobra Kai takes the bronze medal when stacked against The Karate Kid Parts I and II. And it is vastly superior to Part III and The Next Karate Kid.

The biggest disappointment comes as Johnny and Daniel never fight. They come very close in several instances, particularly Episode 9 titled "Different But Same" when Johnny discovers Daniel is training Robby. There is even a sense of a bromance growing in the same episode, as Johnny and Daniel talk of returning to the ring once more as Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) did at the conclusion of Rocky III (1982). But Johnny's anger at Daniel training his son quickly destroys any chance of that, at least in the first season.

Ralph Macchio and William Zabka are excellent in the series! And the new Karate Kids: Sam, Robby and Miguel promise an intriguing Season 2. You'll wish there were 20 more episodes to binge watch.

Recommendation: MUST SEE!