Our Harlem/Hell's Kitchen heroes are back--Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil; Mike Colter as Luke Cage/Power Man; Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones; and Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist--all assembled and equipped to kick some villainous ass and of course, bring justice to NY's meek and downtrodden.
The highly anticipated “The Defenders”, based on the popular Marvel comic-book series, is Netflix’s reply to Disney’s "Avengers" and WB’s "Justice League". The tone here is of its own variation: vicious, brooding and (chances are) woeful. (Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle/Punisher would fit right in, if not for his loner disposition, but give it time…)
For the sake of this series, our heroic collective faces a baddie named Alexandra. Folks are wondering if she's a disguised element of Marvel's vast lineage, but whether she holds a historic link (let alone rubs elbows with the opposing force, the Hand) shouldn't matter to fans of "Alien", "Avatar" and "Galaxy Quest", for she's played by none other than Sigourney Weaver. Evidently, Weaver's character wields lots of big-city influence, but has any officious, self-serving opponent ever halted our defenders? Then again, who knows what devilish plan Alexandra may be hatching? (Say, wouldn't it be cool if it connects to a character otherwise thought defunct...one perhaps played by Elodie Yung? Hint, hint...ha, ha.)
Though Weaver's enigmatic "queen-pin" and her resulting actions aren't to be taken lightly, advanced footage for the show does present some wry banter for our admirable quartet, so though doom and gloom may predominate, we might at least anticipate some sporadic levity.
For superhero/comic-book fans, this is a golden age, with live-action adaptations riding an all-time high. Some, however, would take delight in seeing the trend end, but I emphatically say to hell with them. “Defenders” is another welcome chunk of good-vs-evil escapism and another reason why Netflix is fast becoming one of the most reliable entertainment sources around. Hey highbrow HBO—ya payin' attention?
Though Weaver's enigmatic "queen-pin" and her resulting actions aren't to be taken lightly, advanced footage for the show does present some wry banter for our admirable quartet, so though doom and gloom may predominate, we might at least anticipate some sporadic levity.
For superhero/comic-book fans, this is a golden age, with live-action adaptations riding an all-time high. Some, however, would take delight in seeing the trend end, but I emphatically say to hell with them. “Defenders” is another welcome chunk of good-vs-evil escapism and another reason why Netflix is fast becoming one of the most reliable entertainment sources around. Hey highbrow HBO—ya payin' attention?
All eight episodes of “Defenders” will be queued for viewing on Aug 18. Engage, enjoy...defend!!!
Found time to watch the first three episodes. Pretty good so far. The tone is right--jives with the previous shows. Weaver is great; and it's real nice to see Elektra again. Wonder what further surprises are in store...
ReplyDeleteWell, well, well...about halfway through the series and in the tradition of "Luke Cage", we get a surprise switch in villainy. Whoa! (Indeed, one can't place too much stock in Netflix's publicity schemes; things are never meant to be as they seem.)
ReplyDeleteI must say, the surprises (and that includes the various return appearances of characters) that they slip in are impressive, just like when Kingpin showed up in Daredevil's second sojourn. Now that was super neat. It's a cool approach to the storytelling. Livens things up.
Finished the series--most fulfilling. It felt tighter than the others, but then at eight episodes, is it any surprise? Personally, I wouldn't mind if future Netflix/Marvel series adapted the eight-episode format.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, Elodie Yung stole the show. I wonder if an Elektra series is being considered. I'm sure she'll return in "Daredevil: Season 3", but then again, Netflix can be pretty tricky. When one path seems clearly paved or obvious, the unexpected strikes.