Netflix released the latest installment for the MNU (Marvel Netflix Universe) earlier this month: Iron Fist. For all of the praise thrown their way after the successes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, this series fell rather flat by season’s end.
A lot of folks are calling this one a dud, but I purposefully stayed away from the reviews before I finished the show. I didn’t want someone else’s opinion dictating my perception of what I was watching. Give every show its fair chance and all that.
I still haven’t read a review of Iron Fist yet, so I don’t know exactly what critics are complaining about. But, I do know precisely what I’m complaining about.
You can’t go into this series expecting the charismatic, humorous Iron Fist that we all know and love from the comics. That billionaire playboy is nowhere to be found on Netflix. But, after the initial episode, when the idea that “they made the Iron Fist a homeless guy” wore off, I decided to give it a chance with an open mind.
And, for the first eight or nine episodes, it was pretty good. I was wondering what on Earth people were unhappy with. It was every bit as good as Daredevil and Luke Cage. In fact, it felt like par for the course. “Oh, here’s another dark Marvel Netflix series.”
But, something changed around Episode 10, and every episode that followed became progressively more convoluted.
The story got a little too complicated
I can understand weaving an intricate web with a story, but the story of Iron Fist returning to New York devolved into chaos in a hurry.
At first, it seems like a long, slow build for the inevitable showdown between Iron Fist and The Hand. It’s not too bad. Then, suddenly, you have characters turning on each other, coming back from the dead, new characters emerging from the shadows, plot twists, and it’s all without any real resolution. It just feels meaningless by Episode 13.
They crammed two seasons worth of story into 13 episodes, and the pace of those 13 is way off. Episodes 1-9, the bulk of the series, were fine. Episodes 10-13 were just a cluster.
Plus, the story is too much like all of the other Marvel Netflix series. At some point we have to stop and see, “hey – there’s a formula here. I bet the hero here is going to be a tormented soul who overcomes his past.” That seems to be Marvel Netflix.
Create an interesting dynamic – I mean, that’s what I thought Iron Fist was going to be. They save the best for last, right? We’ve had all these hardened, serious characters. It’s time for a hero with a little charisma! Nope – not what we got at all. It’s just like all the other series.
Overacting and unrealistic
Yes, I realize this is a story about a kung-fu warrior who trained in one of the cities of Heaven and defeated a literal dragon to gain his powers. It isn’t the physics of Iron Fist that I’m criticizing. It’s the relationships and complicated nature of the characters.
Particularly, Colleen Wing and Claire Temple. I’m sorry – I don’t buy the complexity of Wing’s character. As this story wraps up, her development becomes far too coincidental and unbelievable for me to buy in. As for Temple, sure, after being involved with all of these warriors, she’s probably picked up a thing or two. But, there’s no way in hell anyone can realistically expect her to engage a member of The Hand in hand-to-hand combat and survive longer than two seconds. Give me a break.
And, yeah – you know what? There’s a bit of overacting and just about everyone on the cast is guilty of it.
They made Danny Rand look like a dumbass
How did they set Rand apart from the rest of the dark, brooding super heroes in the MNU? They made him look like a child. He was constantly being manipulated by everyone he encountered. For what?
He’s the damn Iron Fist. Why is he always so confused? Why is he so naive? Are they really drawing sympathy for their hero by having him constantly screw things up?
By the end of the series, I became annoyed by him. I just kept waiting for that moment when he would stand up and drop the hammer on his enemies. But, he just keeps getting angrier and angrier, and then it gets to a point when he’s just plain whiny.
The Netflix mythos could use a little comedic relief and at least one character that isn’t a brooding mess. Iron Fist could’ve been that, and maybe he’ll still become that once The Defenders hits Netflix. He seems to have realized his destiny by season’s end, so maybe the next time we see him, he’ll align a little more closely with the source material.
Now, I’m going to go read some of those reviews.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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