During the martial-arts movie craze of the '70s, Iron Fist stayed steadfast and in the forefront among the comic-book counterparts. However, the chance for a movie version grew only prominent during the past decade, with Ray "Darth Maul" Park positioned for the lead. That obviously didn't pan out, but now, with Netflix embracing the Marvel universe as part of its profitable sector, the famed character manifests in a brooding series.
Finn "Game of Thrones" Jones stars as the billionaire, Buddhist monk/kung-fu expert, Danny Rand. During his stay in a monastery, Rand mastered the means to tap the mystical power of the Iron Fist (and now can become such personified). However, when he returns home to reclaim his family's prestigious company, circumstances push him more toward crusader than entrepreneur.
In addition to Jones, the 13-part saga features Jessica "Game of Thrones" Henwick; Tom Pelphrey; Jessica Stroup; David "Lord of the Rings" Wenham; and Rosario Dawson, reprising her "Daredevil"/"Luke Cage" role of Claire Temple. Also, Carrie-Anne Moss, "Jessica Jones'" Jeri Hogarth, is set to guest star.
All episodes of "Iron Fist" will be available for viewing on Friday, March 17. The series will ultimately interlock with most of Netflix's other heroes, to be showcased in "The Defenders", a group in which Rand holds a leadership role.
It appears "Iron Fist" will grant Netflix another winner, though for the character's fan base, its success will depend on how much it captures its Marvel mythology. So far, so good with Netflix's other comic-book interpretations, so let's hope "Iron Fist" emulates their precision, implementing a modern-day panache, but never losing sight of the character's hip, '70s roots. (Yeah, the chest tattoo may be on the mark, but a good shave and an iconic, yellow mask would be a promising step in the right direction.)
Four episodes in and I'm enjoying the journey. I've heard that some viewers don't find the story engaging, but I always find an underdog set-up (even when the lead really isn't an underdog at heart) to be of extreme interest. Whether Rand is wearing his iconic costume or not, I'm cheering him on to kick butt.
ReplyDeleteWatched more. Still interesting, but the story must commit to the character (i.e., his mythology). When the doesn't happen, I begin to wonder, are the producers ashamed of their hero? If so, why even bother to adapt him to the screen? Daredevil's iconic costume may not have come into full swing until the second season, but we damn well knew it was in development. I'm not so sure Iron Fist will be the iconic Iron Fist. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the idea. That's a problem.
ReplyDeleteFinished—good acting and yes, engaging. The show is a modern “Kung Fu” with magic thrown in. However, that doesn’t make it the saga I knew as a kid. It could have been trimmed some, too. It didn’t feel as padded as “Jessica Jones”, but at least “Jessica Jones” felt edgy and was a vast improvement over its lackluster comic-book counterpart.
ReplyDeleteI hope that if “Iron Fist” continues, whether in the context of “Defenders”(where a Cage/Power Man element can creep in) or a basic, extrapolated Season 2, the mythology and the proper look to things will be installed. To endure, the series needs to embrace its roots. To respect its character’s foundation, Rand must become Iron Fist in all respects.
In other words, an ongoing prelude just won't do, and that goes for any such character.