BurtonReviews Luke Cage: Sweet Christmas
So far the
Netflix Marvel shows have been mostly knocking it out of the park. Starting
with the phenomenally dark and brutal first season of DareDevil, through to the
emotionally charged Jessica Jones and then the less focused, but still
amazingly shot and action packed second season of DareDevil. Now Luke Cage, the
tank of a human with unbreakable skin, is the latest of these gritty street
level heroes to join the front lines and defend New York’s citizens from the
city’s violent criminal underground.
The story of
Luke Cage sees our titular character, played by Mike Colter, just wanting to
live a normal, peaceful life. But as the greats always say: with great power,
such as having bullet proof skin and the strength to smash through a brick wall
without breaking a sweat, comes great responsibility. And when the crime wave
infecting Harlem becomes too much to bear, it’s time for Luke Cage to deal some
sweet justice on these criminal’s unsuspecting asses.
At the heart
of what has been making most Marvel products, especially the Netflix series’,
such successes, is the incredibly accurate and relatable characterisation of
these beloved idols. And this corner stone to Marvel’s success is no different
in Luke Cage. Each character on screen is not only given great material, but
also brought to life spectacularly by some genuinely great talent. Luke himself
is expertly portrayed by Mike Colter. Here you believe he could walk through a
barrage of bullets unscathed by his relaxed manner and impressive physique. And
beyond that, Colter brings out perfectly the genuine nice and heroic guy Luke
is at his core, making for a more than likeable hero that you really invest in
and hope for his victory.
Outside of
Luke’s character, what makes his hero’s journey even more investing is the
people he is fighting for. This show does a great job at making Harlem a
character of its own and showcasing the living breathing streets of this
strongly knit community. You care when a shop is getting hit by a gang wanting
protection money. Just like Luke, you are pulled to help and protect this city,
making Luke’s quest not only understandable, but in the end your cheering for
him to go and teach that gang who really owns the streets, the people of Harlem.
(Image sourced from http://m3.idg.se/2.1022/1.662384/har-ar-trailern-for-luke-cage)
Outside of
Colter’s great performance, other impressive talent helping to maintain the
level of quality these Netflix shows have set a precedent for, is Simone
Missick as Mist Knight and Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple. Missick brought
great depth and emotional charge to the character. Here I didn’t see someone
acting but a person striving to do the best she could in a world that no one
could be expected to understand and her struggles through the show were some of
the most compelling to watch. Meanwhile Dawson’s return to the Netflix Marvel
world for the fourth time is not only welcomed but celebrated. While in the
other shows at times she feels like less than a secondary character, it was
great to see the shows finally use Dawson to her full potential and really
become an important and loveable part of the story as Claire finally finds her purpose
in this mad, mad world.
However
there were characters that were less than impressive and in any other product
may have been applicable, but in a universe with such fantastic villains as the
complex and brutal Kingpin, or the charismatic but utterly venomous Killgrave,
the main villain for this show is simply another straight forward mob boss. This
was very disappointing to see as Luke, this down to earth and genuine hero
amongst men, wasn’t given an interesting threat that could have challenged his
ways or brought him to the brink of who he is and what he can do, instead Luke
is just given the predictable and expected thug grasping for control to give
the smack down to.
Speaking of
Luke taking down thug after thug, the action sequences of the show left much to
be desired. With a power set such as Luke’s it can be hard to make dynamic or
interesting battle moments, being an invulnerable battering ram. And while some
moments showcase his indomitable strength in really cool ways, these moments are
short but sweet; leaving the longer sequences of action to look slow, clunky
and utterly fake. Instead of feeling every bone breaking punch shatter through
a bad guys body, all I felt were my eyes rolling as I see a hit not land and
then the stunt man jump back at a very cheesy and over exaggerated rate,
leaving me always disappointed with the ‘payoff’ I’m getting from some greatly
constructed building of tension.
(Image sourced from http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/luke-cage/news/a807928/netflix-marvels-luke-cage-clip-trailer-cottonmouth-release-date/)
And this
show does really build up the tension between characters and events well. Through
its 13 episode run this show is well paced and its story well thought out, with
no episode feeling like padding or a waste of an hour and each event that
happens is allowed to slowly pile up on top of one another until all the twists
and turns leave you exhausted and fraught at Luke’s ability to actually come
out of this victorious. Which is why the fights of this show leave so much to
be desired as you are left sighing at the clunky and weirdly performed fight
that is supposed to be the explosive and exciting release of all the tension
this show has built up, but instead all this built up tension is under-utilised
and left to dissipate and fade away.
While the
action oriented end to this show was disappointing, what followed it in the
final episode was surprising and intriguing. Not to give away too much, how
this show ended was not only very unconventional for a show like this, but also
played out in a much more thoughtful way in which the story is not only driven
to new and exciting places but leaves the characters you just spent 13 hours loving
and despising in really interesting and open ended places that I can’t wait to
see revisited.
However, one
thing this show gets 100% right is the palpable style and feel of this show. Each
Netflix Marvel show has a very unique and different twist on the Marvel formula
and Luke Cage is no different. From the very beginning the style of this show
slaps you in the face, grabs you by the hand and doesn’t let go until the
ending credits. From how the visuals are filtered to the instantly brand
defining music, by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhmmad, that gives the show a
hip hop vibe that fits with this show perfectly.
(Image sourced from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Cage_(TV_series)
However one
element of the shows construction that could have been done better is the weirdly
janky editing that takes place in a lot of the shows scene transitions. Whether
it be the weird placing of scenes that flip erratically from flash back to
present day with no warning or the basic and un-inspired fades between that
should have left me impressed but instead filled me with thoughts on how it
could have cohesively flowed with just a little change here or there. I was
taken out of the show many times left thinking, why did they transition like
that instead of a much more impacting and creative way.
Overall Luke
Cage is a great show and a more than worthy addition to the Netflix Marvel show
line-up. While the action is clunky and the villain less interesting than I’d
have hoped, the style this show oozes from start to finish, the phenomenal
acting on show from most of the cast and the refreshingly pure hero story being
presented by this show left me not only grinning at every one of Luke’s
victories, but also left me wanting to spend more time in this lively world
with these loveable characters.
Luke Cage =
8/10
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where I upload awesome gaming montages put to badass songs or scores every
Sunday. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUfnyezvQsVsDgN3TGRh1Q
Thanks for
reading and I hope you enjoyed.
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