Karate Kid/Cobra Kai
Released in 1984, The Karate Kid not only helped popularize the titular martial art in the United States, but also spawned a number of sequels. Also much later — a fantastic tv series. Now in its fifth season, Cobra Kai is simultaneously a love letter to the franchise and (at least in the first season) a subversion of the tropes of ’80’s teens dramas.
The series smartly focuses on the villain of the original film and re-contextualizes him as a victim of circumstance. Now, thirty-four years later, he’s down on his luck and looking for redemption. In doing so, Johnny Lawrence (Billy Zabka) will create a number of competing “Karate Kid” stories among his new students and their rivals. Cameos and references-galore, Cobra Kai is a fine installment in the larger Karate Kid universe.
Image Source: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Television/YouTube Originals