BurtonReviews The Defenders Season 1: When Avenging just isn’t Enough
(Image sourced from http://www.denofgeek.com/us/the-defenders)
Just as we
had to eat our vegetables, here in the form of 5 okay to amazing Marvel
Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies, before we got to the lip-licking desert that
was the phenomenal first Avengers movie that has left a sizeable and long
lasting impact on pop culture to this day; we have also come to this point in
the Marvel Netflix shows. The vegetables have been eaten, the fantastic and
brutal first season of DareDevil, the gripping thriller that was Jessica Jones,
the muddled but still cool as hell second season of DareDevil that saw the
introduction of both the Punisher and Elektra, the perfectly stylised Luke
Cage, and the kinda bland Iron Fist. Now, after 2 long years since Matt Murdoch
first put on the horns, these 4 diverse and in some cases very volatile heroes
must unite, not to Avenge a loss, but to Defend the city they all so fondly
call home.
(Video sourced from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBZtM8q2Z1g)
After years
of these 4 heroes separately doing their arse-kicking thing to varying degrees
of success, each one has been left in very different circumstances. Matt
Murdoch (Charlie Cox) the daytime lawyer and night time horned vigilante has
hung up the red devil suit and has devoted all of his time to his work as a
lawyer, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is still reeling after having to kill her
tormenter, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) has just been released from jail and is
looking to help his neighbourhood finally get back on its feet, and the
immortal Iron Fist Danny Rand (Finn Jones) is travelling the world hunting down
members of the mysterious and shadowy cult known as the Hand after they invaded
and slaughtered his other dimension home. When the said shadowy and deadly
organisation begins an attack on New
York
With any
huge team-up project that is on this scale the main and inescapable worry is
always: how are they going to do so many characters justice? This concerns not
only the main protagonists of the shows, but the supporting casts too that we
have all come to know and love as we’re all desperate to find out what happened
to our favourite residents of New York next. Thankfully, just from 10 minutes
of episode one, this show does a unbelievably good job at balancing all of
these very different toned shows. At the start of the show when our 4 heroes
are utterly separate, the show does a great job at giving each characters
scenes a unique and perfectly appropriate feel that instantly lets you know
that now your in Harlem, or that you are about to travel to Hells Kitchen. From
the foot-tapping hip-hop that constantly follows the swagger of Luke Cage’s
huge boots, to the green hue that Iron Fist’s perception of New York has; each
section was distinguished enough that you didn’t feel confused flitting from
character to character, and each was given enough time so we got to catch-up
and learn all the juicy gossip that has happened since we last met the cast.
And a huge
help to why the show does such a great job at distilling down the core
fundamentals of each of these character’s shows in each scene is the incredible
acting that continues to be showcased through all of these Marvel Netflix properties.
When you see Cox, you don’t see an actor, you just simply see Matt Murdoch
trying to navigate a world he cannot see, but he can sense in such a deeper way
than sight alone would simply allow, when you see Colter you just see the
honest to god good man Luke Cage is as he tries to help his hood, and you don’t
see Ritter, you just see the drunk, loud and uncontrollably rude Jessica Jones
just trying to get one more drink. Each of these actors is just their
characters now, they know how each works, feels and reacts to such a degree
that the line between performer and character has faded and you simply feel
like your truly watching a awesome ass comicbook come to life.
(Image sourced from http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/expect-marvels-defenders/story?id=49293264)
Now you
probably noticed that I didn’t include Finn Jones as Iron Fist above, well that’s
because Iron Fist is a problem. In his solo outing Jones just didn’t quite feel
right for the part, whether it was bad writing making him abit too whiny for
someone that proclaims to have to be in “complete control of his emotions”, or whether
it was his annoying whisper American accent that just sounded like he was
always trying to be cool, something was off. In The Defenders his choice of
accent is still a hurdle to get over and used to, but putting him as a
supporting character to such serious and gritty characters actually makes him a
more entertaining and interesting character. His more childish outlook on the world butting
heads with Luke Cage’s more experienced and troubled past brought up some
really interesting questions about how each hero operates, and Fist’s
interaction with the team develops the character way further than his own show
did to a point where I still don’t get how he was able to become the Iron Fist,
but I’m excited to see where the character goes now having a more understandable
and fitting motivation.
Another
problem-child of the Marvel Netflix shows also gets fine tuned and improved by
the show, and thank god because they are the main villains of the show and if
they fell flat then this would have just felt like a weird party for the street
level heroes instead of the epic fight for the city it was. And that
problem-child is the Hand. In the past they have shown up, done some cool
things, but have lacked any kind of actual explanation to what their
motivations are or what their end game is to actually be intimidating or
interesting in anyway, like an enigma that you really just do not care to
solve. But with the shadowy organisation finally being put in the spotlight we
finally get to see how the hell the Hand actually operates, the inner politics
and conflicts that come with running such a all encompassing and dominant cult,
and what in the hell they actually want. And on the most part, the answers are
actually really interesting and entertaining. Finally getting to meet the 5
fingers of the Hand, some returning from their villainous roles in past shows
like the omni-present Madam Gao (Wai Ching Ho), some new comers like the leader
of the organisation Alexandra Reid (Sigourney Weaver) shed some much needed
light on just how the Hand was able to become the super-power they are, and add
some real character to what was just a clichéd villain group.
The show
does a great job at highlighting what is the best of all these elements from
all these different shows, from the cast to each ones unique style, but when
the show delivers on its promise of a team up and splats them all together in
one magnificent kicking, shouting, and on-point banter, The Defenders really
shines and brings a gleeful smile to any fan of these shows faces.
(Image sourced from http://www.vulture.com/2017/08/marvels-the-defenders-recap-season-1-episode-3.html)
Getting to
see these larger than life characters interact is an honest treat, the dialogue
is snappy, and while has a lot of laughs with seeing other characters react to
the absurdity of having to work with a guy that thinks putting on a horned mask
is cool, the dialogue between the characters also has a lot of heart. Being their
first meet up, here we get to explore how these characters mesh together, what
their friendships look like, and what elements each brings out in one another. Seeing
Luke become almost a big brother to the still naïve and small minded Iron Fist
laid great ground work for their legendary comicbook friendship, and Matt
Murdoch finally have some other powered friends to share the soul crushing
responsibility he has been burdened with for so long now was a genuine relief. Much
like the Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy, I just wan to spend more time
around these bombastic characters and see their relationships grow further.
And what
helped these new and exciting relationships feel realistic to who the characters
were and how they would be with one another, is how the story and circumstances
of the show all pretty much make sense. In a world where bats and flying men
fight each other because the title of the movie demands it, it was refreshing
to see characters not butt heads just because of fan service, but because there
is a genuine miss-understanding or disagreement that would of course result in
a battle between such powered people.
On top of
that the threat also felt appropriately huge and undefeatable to garner these 4
powered heroes coming together to finally put a stop to their scheme. And so
the tension is not lost here when you see these 4 power-houses go up against
and army of blood-thirsty ninjas, the fear for their safety is still there, and
rightfully so because even with two martial arts experts and two people that
could lift a car over their heads, these sword wielding badasses are still a
overwhelming force to be reckoned with.
And when
these New York
And just as
the individual scenes for the characters had their own unique feel, so does
each character’s fighting styles. Battles don’t just become a confused mess of
limbs flying about, but you can easily point out and see where Luke has thrown
a man through a wall and where DareDevil has taken 4 guys out with one
roundhouse kick, making the battles much more dynamic and varied so each fight
stands out, whether its because it’s an epic one on one fight between the
fingers of the hand and the defenders, or because it’s a cave brawl where Luke’s
bull in a China shop style, Jessica’s bar fighting techniques, Iron Fist’s more
wavy and expressive moves, and DareDevil’s precise and devastating blows all
are awesomely highlighted.
(Image sourced from http://www.revistagq.com/noticias/cultura/galerias/series-television-verano-2017/10689)
But the show
isn’t just epic fights team-up wish fulfilment, there is a surprising amount of
emotion behind this shows events too. Because we have already spent so much
time to get to know these characters and their supporting casts so well, you
are obviously going to feel for them when they go through such overwhelming
hardship and it looks like all hope is lost for this in-well-over-their-heads team.
But more surprisingly was just how happy I was simply seeing my favourite
characters return and continue on in this universe. Getting to see Karen (Deborah
Ann Wolf) and Murdoch sensitively speak again after their relationship had been
tested so hard in the second season of DareDevil, or seeing Trish (Rachael
Taylor) help her friend Jessica out of the darkness she has been trapped in for
so long just made me smile and want to spend even more time with these well constructed,
living and breathing characters.
And all of
this, the intense and eye-popping action, the heart warming to heart breaking emotional
scenes, and the nerdy-wish fulfilment moments of characters meeting for the
first time and teaming up, all come rushing at you like bullets from an Uzi. With
a shorter episode list than the usual Netflix Marvel shows, with 8 this time
instead of 13, the fat has truly been trimmed. Not a single episode or moment
in this shows 8 episode run feels boring, too out-drawn or slow. The pace briskingly
fast delivering moment after moment of some top-notch TV, giving each moment
enough room to wow or really leave an impact, but never over staying its
welcome before it shoots you off into the next exciting and eye-widening moment.
Overall The
Defenders just may be my favourite Marvel Netflix show to date. Its characters
are compelling and loveable and seeing all the Marvel Netflix worlds collide
and combine is a nerdy treat that not only satisfies, but also develops the
characters in meaningful and important ways. The story and events actually make
sense and the action is sublime with each set piece being a unique and memorable
bloody brawl.
The
Defenders Season 1 = 9.5/10
Why
not check out my YouTube channel, BurtonReviews, 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
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