THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW.
Hello readers,
With the final hero of The Defenders revealed yesterday, I will be sharing my thoughts on Marvel's Iron Fist. Unlike the usual reviews I have done for television series and the previous Marvel Netflix Universe series, I will be writing out some views and contradictions for this series.
Starring Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist, this season focused on Rand who has returned to New York after many years, following by his presumed death along with his parents after a horrifying plane crash. Rand, a survivor, spent his years in training at Kao-Lun where he was trained along with other disciples to protect the monastery from The Hand (who seemingly roam around in New York and are seen as a powerful organisation that one should not messed with). Following Rand's journey in New York, he is then tested whereby he needed to prove himself to people that he was the rightful heir to Rand Enterprises and also to conquer his destiny to be the Iron Fist.
With the previous Marvel Netflix Universe series having their own distinctive environment and styles, Iron Fist sadly stumbled on its first and second episodes. The stories for these first two episodes were incoherent at some point of time, otherwise the series would be superior like the previous Marvel Netflix Universe series. However, while the first two episodes were a bit of a mess, I slowly got used to it by the time I watched either episode three or four, so this series took awhile for me to adjust and like it. The opening sequence was a little dull and has a generic theme music, however I was impressed with the inclusion of Chinese calligraphy that is seen when the figures were showing off martial arts.
While some may view Jones' portrayal of Danny Rand is inconsistent, however I viewed his portrayal differently. To me, Rand is a guy who grew up in a seclusive kind environment. Discipline, courage, bravery and every philosophical values instilled were part of his growing up. Rand spent years training in a monastery and as an outsider, he would have been viewed differently. Hence, his life isn't as smooth-going like his other disciples. Even when Rand returned to New York, again he is an outsider. He was not welcomed home as what he would have expected and was treated as lunatic, especially when his two childhood friends refuse to recognised him. Rand never chose to fight and even if he did, he had no other options. With The Hand controlling Rand Enterprises, he would do anything to protect his interests and loved ones. Rand has a little resemblance to Matt Murdock/Daredevil in that sense as I continued analysising. Nevertheless, Rand has a childish streak in him and may still be innocent when it comes to certain aspects.
Unlike most villains in the previous Marvel Netflix Universe such as Daredevil and Luke Cage, Iron Fist's main antagonists aren't really that bad. They may come off as ambitious; a common trait for a successful business person, especially when one does not want to be pulled down, however these people were reluctant to conduct activities. As mentioned above, The Hand is the ultimate challenger, the organisation coming in a black and white perspective. As far as I am concerned, this series covers a lot about this organisation/cult and I will give credit to that since this is the only time where we really have an eye-opener to The Hand's systematic approach. Any viewer should not skip this series regardless of the criticism because The Hand would be crucial to the upcoming Defenders. The guest star appearances nevertheless did not let viewers down as they would be able to see the return of several reprised roles such as Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) and Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss).
In my opinion, Iron Fist took me awhile to adjust to the storyline which started off on a wrong track. The fighting sequences were sublime, compared to the ones seen in Daredevil (Check out Episode Four!). With the violence, kicking ass martial arts and more cold and unpredictable appearances of The Hand, Iron Fist is a series that should not be given a skip regardless of the criticism especially it is relevant to the upcoming The Defenders. The series may not be well-liked, but there is a room for improvement and hopefully Iron Fist would review and learned from its mistakes. With determination and persistence, I believe that the series would appeal to most viewers in future.
Ratings: 6/10
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