Iron Fist (Danny Rand) has been catching a lot of heat from comic fans and critics alike.
The Good
- The characterization of Colleen Wing is spot-on. She is a true badass and kind of steals the show at times. I’d love to see more of her in upcoming Defenders episodes. For those who don’t know, I’m thinking a Daughters of the Dragon-like partnership perhaps?
- The depiction and backstory of Davos, Danny Rand’s best friend from K’un L’un helps the show close on a positive note. The character reminds me of Baron Mordo from Doctor Strange, in that he is not good, nor bad, but somewhere in between. He’s the classic anti-hero and someone who is sure to beef with Iron Fist down the road.
- The inclusion of Madam Gao, the shadowy background villain from previous Daredevil installments provides continuity and creepiness. She’s one of those villains that clearly has shady ulterior motives, but sometimes the heroes are forced to work with her. I’m sure we’ll see more of her later, and I am looking forward to it.
- Although many fans and pundits complained that the show is slow-moving, I found the pace and tempo of the show to at least be consistent, if nothing else.
The Bad
- In short, Danny Rand, portrayed by Fin Jones, isn’t that compelling of a superhero. I mean, he’s not terrible but he doesn’t compel you to root for him. You just want to see how his story plays out. That’s not exactly heroic.
- Is it just me, or does Iron Fist not really have a clear villain? It’s hard to tell but the list of candidates is considerable.
- The hallway fight scene in the first season of Daredevil is classic. The prison fight scene starring the Punisher in season two of Daredevil is insane. You’d think the martial arts-themed Iron Fist fight choreography would be a doozy. But nope, it isn’t. Fail!
- Although Rosario Dawson’s portrayal of Claire Temple has always been a welcome sign of continuity throughout Marvel’s (Netflix) Cinematic Universe, her inclusion here just feels forced to me.
- Probably the biggest buzzkill for me is the fact that they did not highlight the mystical elements of the source material nor explain much about Danny Rand’s experiences and training in Asia. It would have been nice to really know how he became, ya know, Iron Fist. This was a huge opportunity missed.
The Verdict
Iron Fist is a solid, yet unspectacular entry into the Marvel Netflix mythos. However, it is underwhelming for long stretches, especially in the first 5-6 episodes of the show. The “bad” outweighs the “good,” so it is difficult to consider Iron Fist a grand achievement in show-running.
It is not as bad as its measly Rotten Tomatoes score (17%), but is clearly inferior to Netflix’s previous entries (Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage). But for anyone who is interested in the upcoming Defenders series, it is definitely required viewing.
