Marvel's Iron Fist (Netflix) March 17, 2017 (1 Viewer)

[gadgtfreek]

I have seen 3 and I am enjoying it so far. I like the characters and story so far and the action has been pretty solid.

I went thru the comments on Netflix this morning when I added it, and most were just like your post.

 

[Citizen87645]

Iron Fist Poll: Was Critical Clobbering Warranted?

 

[Josh Dial]

I'll be watching tonight, and then hopefully finishing up tomorrow. Like with the previous Netflix Marvel shows, I'll post my thoughts after seeing the series.

 

[Sam Favate]

I really liked episode 1. Maybe a tad slow, but it unfolded nicely. I liked the cast too so I'm anxious to see where it goes.

 

[Matt Hough]

I watched the first two episodes tonight. Normally, I space them out over many days, but I had time on my hands tonight with NCAA basketball preempting shows from the last two nights, so I indulged in the second episode as well.

1st episode quite good. 2nd episode had some dopey moments. Did Danny really think they'd let him out of a mental hospital once he started talking about another dimension and the power of the Iron Fist? Why didn't he just play their game and wait to get mad later instead of getting pumped up with extra drugs to induce docility? And speaking of that, I thought he couldn't find his Chee until the drugs were out of his system, but it looks like extreme anger can bring forth the Fist even while on drugs.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Anecdotal evidence at best, but the word of mouth from people who have already watched some of the show is very good (judging by Facebook comments in MCU Exchange, etc.). Some people are 6 hours in already. I'm planning to watch the first episode (and only the first) tonight.

I'm 4 episodes in and I'm REALLY enjoying this.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Did Danny really think they'd let him out of a mental hospital once he started talking about another dimension and the power of the Iron Fist? Why didn't he just play their game and wait to get mad later instead of getting pumped up with extra drugs to induce docility? And speaking of that, I thought he couldn't find his Chee until the drugs were out of his system, but it looks like extreme anger can bring forth the Fist even while on drugs.

Well, he hasn't really lived in "our world" to have that perspective, has he? I mean, he basically left a normal life behind at 10 and lived a different kind of life until now. The character is certainly naive to some of nuances of how the world works. That seems to be part of his charm.

To the second part, he had mentioned to the doctor earlier something to the effect of him having found that he became stronger with each hit he took and finding himself in battle as a warrior. So, the beating he was taking helped bring out the Iron Fist from under the drug induced weakness.

 

[DaveHof3]

Three episodes in and I think it's already better than 'Jessica Jones.' Not sure why so critics were dissatisfied; perhaps corporate weasels as villains don't have the charisma of a Killgrave or a Cottonmouth, or they're grumbling about the 'whitewash' nonsense already raised in this thread (can't even put into words how much I hate casting by quota and not by quality of performance). Looking forward to watching the rest of it over the weekend.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I just finished the first episode. I think I benefited from the critical drubbing really lowering my expectations; while it's the least successful first episode of the four Marvel/Netflix series so far, I was expecting it to be horrendous and was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't.

Like the other three Marvel/Netflix series, the cinematography and production design are top-notch. I really like how the glass skyscrapers and grand buildings contrast with the grittier feel of Hell's Kitchen ("Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones") and Harlem ("Luke Cage").

Most importantly, I really like Finn Jones as Danny Rand. While I don't think the performance is quite as strong as the other three leads, he brings a lightness to the role that, again, provides a nice contrast to the brooding of Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. There's a wonderful naivete to him that seems fitting for someone who's been isolated from the world for all the years when most of us become wary and cynical. There wasn't a whole lot of Colleen Wing in the first episode, but I also really liked what I saw of Jessica Henwick in that role. And unlike some British actors who cross the pond, both of their American accents are flawless.

Where it felt short for me was the writing and some of the post-production choices. It just feels more conventional and less sophisticated than the other three series. The dialog isn't as good, and the way the show segues into and out of flashbacks is flashy in a bad way. The other series handled them much better. Danny's homeless friend felt like a stock TV character and not like a real person. The pacing was off, too; I didn't mind that it was slow, but it ebbed and flowed awkwardly. We also come out of the first episode knowing relatively little about our main protagonist.

But on balance, I still really enjoyed it. And having strong leads in Jones and Henwick means that there's at least a workable foundation to build off of.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I like it after 3 episodes. Its funny, some of the critics made you think there are no fights at all in the first half of the season LOL, but there is!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The second episode was frustrating, with a lot of tired mental hospital tropes, but the third episode (and the first not written by showrunner Scott Buck) was excellent. A lot of characters making the smart plays, and a true doozy of an ending.

I have mixed feelings on the fight scenes so far. On one hand, it's the most martial arts-y of the four series, so you go in expecting fight scenes on part with the best from the great martial arts movies. On the other hand, none of the thugs they've fought so far are martial artists, so there hasn't been the need yet for really elaborate choreography. Both Danny and Colleen are good enough at what they do that it doesn't take a lot to take normal fighters down. Jones, in particular, has a wonderful fluidity to how he moves when he fights. So far, there's nothing that's felt like the slightest challenge to him, which -- story-wise -- is how it should be.

 

[Matt Hough]

I watched the third episode tonight. Big improvement for me over episode two. Great ending, and I LOVED the face-off with the lawyers where the bowl was brought out. Colleen seemed to have less trouble with her enormous adversary in the underground fight than Danny did in the hospital vault with just an average thug.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I've watched the first 5 episodes and like others here, don't get the critical hate. The show is a lot of fun and keeps getting better, episode to episode. It really finds its groove by episode 4, though I found the first 3 eps plenty enjoyable (though I got tired of the mental institution subplot in ep 2). The story is keeping my interest, and it's only been lack of free time which has kept me from devouring the rest of the season.

I think the fights are pretty good, actually, perhaps not as good as the best in DAREDEVIL so far, but they do improve as the show goes on, and Finn Jones makes for a likeable lead. He's a bit of a dork, as befits a young man who's grown up in a monastery in some mystical kingdom, out of step with the modern world, at times painfully naive and child-like. He makes for a refreshingly enthusiastic and upbeat lead, and can bring the serious, scowly fighting face gravitas when necessary. Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing is also appealing, a decent fighter and actress, and cute as can be. I like the guy playing Ward, he was good in the series BANSHEE and he's good here, an interesting face and intense manner. The actress playing his sister, Joy, is doing good work too, and is also foxy as all get out.

So far, the main failing of the series IMO is the lack of a villain of the caliber of a Fisk or Kilgrave. Also, the main theme tune is pretty generic and underwhelming, compared to the other Marvel Netflix shows, though the incidental music works well enough in context of the show itself.

Overall, a strong recommendation for those who like this kind of martial arts, mystical mumbo jumbo, comic book stuff.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm about halfway through now, and enjoying it more than "Luke Cage" despite that being the better-written and better-executed show. That being said, the two-thirds point is usually where these Marvel-Netflix shows get bogged down in unnecessary wheel-spinning; we'll see if that's the case here.

The dialog continues to frustrate at times, but I like all of the actors in their roles. Jones and Henwick have real chemistry together, in a way no other pairing in these shows really has except for Daredevil and Elektra.

 

[Nigel P]

I'm about halfway through now, and enjoying it more than "Luke Cage" despite that being the better-written and better-executed show.

I concur. I can see that the show is not as well written or executed as the other Marvel netflix shows, but it is not by the sort of margin that the reviews seemed to indicate. It was more enjoyable to me overall than Luke Cage, probably slightly behind Jessica Jones with Daredevil still being my favourite. All the shows probably could have been tightened up in terms of running time/number of episodes, but I have enjoyed the characters enough that I don't mind spending some extra time with them. It will be interesting to see with the Defenders having already been introduced and only being 10 episodes brings more pace to proceedings.

 

[Sean Bryan]

It will be interesting to see with the Defenders having already been introduced and only being 10 episodes brings more pace to proceedings.

Defenders is actually only 8 episodes.

 

[Nigel P]

I meant eight.

It should have even more pace then.

 

[dana martin]

OK so i took longer to binge this than the other Netflix series that is leading up to the Defenders Event. the story at points was a much slower pace than the others, bust as other have stated it doesn't have a main central villain like Daredevil or Jessica Jones, although the use of Madame Gao works well. not a perfect series, and when it doesn't hit its mark, it shows. All the negativity towards this is , i hope many don mind the language "Horseshit". The "whitewashing" that it has been accused of is ludicrous, maybe all these jackasses that are ,making the claims, might want to crack open a comic book or graphic novel every once in a while. it is true in many aspects to the source material, maybe they need to learn to deal with it. i know that the the way a lot of programming is trying to go is more inclusion, but only if it fits the story.

the way this ends, makes me wonder how The Defenders is going to work.

P,S. for those looking for the classic suit, it makes a cameo, and so does Stan "the man"

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Just finished it tonight. I was really into it at the midpoint, but my enjoyment waned over the back half. Things just never came into focus the way they should. There was a lack of specificity, and Danny was a bit too easily manipulated for someone who has trained for more than half his life as a monk warrior. The climactic fight in the finale was ridiculous; Danny should have easily been able to outmatch that particular opponent in personal combat. And the final scene had a character acting very out of character purely out of an effort to shock the audience.

But the pieces that are supposed to roll into "The Defenders" are all strong, so I'm optimistic about that. And hopefully they'll get a better showrunner if they bring this back for a second season.

 

[Sam Favate]

Only on episode 4, but I am enjoying it. If I had one compliant, it's that so far, Danny (and by extension, the show) is too cryptic. But considering that critics only had the first 6 episodes to review, I am confident in saying they were all wrong. Strong supporting cast too - especially Colleen Wing. I won't get back to it for a week, since I am traveling, but it will be the first thing I do when I get back.