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Jessica Jones

Marvel’s Defenders (Netflix) – Love Conquers All

August 23, 2017 by Arnaldo Reyes Leave a Comment

It is kind of fitting that I finished this series and am writing this review in the midst of “Eclipsemania” because there are many metaphors/similarities that the wonders of the eclipse, this series, and a Christlike life all have. But we’ll get to that later.

Spoiler Warning: I will try my best to remain as spoiler free as possible, but there will be spoilers not just from this series, but those that led to this one as well. You’ve been warned.

Netflix is all in with their original series and ever since they released the first season of Daredevil, they’ve been on a collision course that led us to this series (similar to the MCU with Iron Man). Defenders is the culmination of a story line that started in Daredevil season one and continued through season two and Iron Fist. Although it barely touched the standalone series about Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, their stories were woven connected through side characters (most visibly being the nurse Claire who has appeared in every series).

Defenders brings the plans of The Hand to full view and with that plan it unites characters who would rather work alone but are forced to work together. The end game of The Hand was not something anyone saw coming which is refreshing in a series where so many things can be predictable. Although it starts slow to build the story, by the third episode it starts to pick up and the second half of the series was well-paced and action-packed. I liked that it didn’t try to overload the story which worked out great. Although Danny Rand is still a little annoying (I get what they are doing with him, I just don’t like it), it was nice as a comic geek to see a budding relationship somewhat start to form between him and Luke Cage. The setup is there for a Heroes for Hire series if they ever choose to go that route. Meanwhile, Jessica Jones and Daredevil (although great in the group) are definitely better off as a solo act.

As far as The Hand is concerned, Madame Gao has been front and center. For many, it appeared that she was the main person behind the organization until we were introduced to another faction in Iron Fist and its leader Bakuto. Then there was the mystery main guy in Luke Cage that was hinted but never seen. Fast forward to now and enter Sigourney Weaver’s character of Alexandra, the real leader of The Hand. Here is where we get their history. They aren’t ordinary enemies of Kun’ Lun, they are defected members of the order, five to be exact, that left and formed The Hand. The founding members, all leaders and powerful consist of Alexandra, Madame Gao, Bakuto and also making their first appearances Murakami and Sowande. Individually they are a formidable group, but together they are nearly unstoppable. But the key player to them all was teased at the end of Daredevil season two, where the corpse of a dead Elektra was taken by The Hand. As the Black Sky, Alexandra resurrected Elektra (the worst part of season 2 of Daredevil became one of the best characters in this series) as the perfect weapon. All her training and skills multiplied but an empty dark vessel of emotions. Now that all founding members of The Hand are revealed, and the Black Sky is theirs to wield, their plan for NY and what lies in the bottom of the giant hole we saw in Daredevil, comes to light.

This series isn’t necessarily great, but it is still very good and engaging. The events, trials, and tribulations the heroes face develop their characters in such a way throughout the series that really spoke volumes. You have these lone wolves who are so used to trying to protect everyone around them that they find it hard to make allies and friends in a fight that they all have a stake in. In a matter of days they didn’t just team-up, but they forged a lasting friendship. They found their place and their purpose. For some, they finally found home. In their darkest hour and darkest times, in the shadows of the night, they saved a whole city and are content with not getting any recognition.

In the midst of “eclipsemania” I started thinking on how this show ended. A prevailing theme, and what really brought everyone together, was their love for their city. It was home and it was worth fighting for. But for one character, there was more at stake. When we look at the eclipse, even in the midst of totality, there was a glimmer of light that still shined. It couldn’t all be covered because the light is still stronger than the dark. Christ, in the midst of our darkness knows that there is still a glimmer of light and us and that glimmer was worth dying on a cross and bearing our sins. Others will see us as hopeless and a lost cause. The enemy sees us as not worth saving and totally belonging to him. But Love conquers and God so LOVED the world. Daredevil wouldn’t give up on Elektra. He saw that glimpse of light and held on to it. And just like the eclipse, slowly the darkness and emptiness began to fade. In the end, it was love that won…..unconditional and sacrificial love.

Filed Under: Reviews, Television Tagged With: Daredevil, Defenders, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Marvel, Marvel TV, Marvel's Defenders, Netflix

Iron Fist – Light in the Darkness

March 23, 2017 by Arnaldo Reyes Leave a Comment

The latest entry to Netflix’s Marvel universe is both unlike the other entries, yet similar as well. Starting with Daredevil and followed by Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, Netflix has been doing a great job. The bar has been set high. Though, if you look at critics or Rotten Tomatoes, you would be led to believe that Iron Fist is a complete failure.

I, however, beg to differ.

While it isn’t as good as Daredevil, Iron Fist definitely holds its own. The fighting is a little underwhelming, but the story is strong and the characters pull you in. The show is paced well (if, at times, a little slow) and it actually works with the story being told. If you are looking for non-stop action in every episode, this isn’t it. Instead, view the show as a kung-fu type drama that is peeling away layers of darkness to reveal light.

Danny Rand (Finn Jones) lost his parents at a young age when their plane crashed on their way to China. Danny was the lone survivor of the crash and was found by monks who took him and raised him in a mystical city called K’un-Lun. The path to K’un-Lun is hidden and only appears every fifteen years. Danny would go on to learn and train, and eventually he would take the challenge of fighting Shao-Lao the Undying (a mystical dragon like serpent). If you defeat Shao-Lao, you are granted with the honor of being the Iron Fist, and Immortal Weapon. The job of the Iron Fist is simple: protect K’un-Lun from the outside world and, more importantly, destroy their greatest enemy, The Hand. It is a lifelong commitment of standing at the gates on guard, however, Danny chose a different path. He leaves his post and, after 15 years believed dead, he returns to New York.
Danny’s transition in New York is rocky. It’s clearly not a world he’s prepared for. The show is a true journey for him. Not only does he come back, but he finds out that The Hand are in New York. This has been an ongoing theme throughout the Marvel TV series, especially in Daredevil. You see some familiar faces, but also a few new ones. What Netflix does so well in these series is their character development by not only investing the viewer in the hero, but the supporting cast as well. In fact, I think that this is Iron Fist‘s greatest strength. I’m not just interested in Danny’s journey, but also those around him. Each character in the series is dealing with different “inner demons” or questioning morality. Every character takes this journey where they have to question everything they’ve learned, been told, or become because Danny was a catalyst of change. One would think, in the midst of their chaos, that he was the worst thing that ever happened to them, but that wasn’t so. Their lives were muttered in darkness that they didn’t know existed, until a little light unveiled the truth and deceit that encompassed their lives. It’s a great parallel on how spiritually we are dead in our sin until the light of Christ reveals what we couldn’t see in the dark.

Now, one may wonder, why does the show receive so much hate from critics yet loved by fans? I have my theory, and it’s about expectations and also a false “whitewashing”. In the latter, the series was heavily criticized during casting when Finn Jones was named the title character. Many wanted an Asian actor and, personally, I would have been fine with that. Still, this isn’t a case where an Asian character in the comics was made white for TV. Danny Rand is a white character so it isn’t whitewashing. You can be disappointed that he wasn’t cast differently, but let’s not give a false narrative.

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The other and main reason critics tore the show apart is because they had false expectations that weren’t satisfied. With Kung-Fu, you expect a lot of action and Iron Fist doesn’t deliver that. However, we tend to forget the other aspects of martial arts,  and the most important is the mental part of it. When you enroll yourself or your kids in martial arts, the point the sensei will make is that discipline and a strong mind are worth more than punches and kicks. The show does have similarities to Daredevil but, at the same time it cries out its influence from Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Danny is battling with himself in a world he barely knows. He’s juggling what he learned in K’un-Lun with who he really wants to be. In his interactions with The Hand, it is a psychological warfare, one that he was never prepared for. This is why the show can fall flat–because that expectation of action doesn’t get met.

The show is more mental than physical and, if you have that in mind, you will find out how good it really is.

Filed Under: Reviews, Television Tagged With: Danny Rand, Daredevil, Finn Jones, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Marvel, Marvel TV, MCU, Netflix, The Defenders, The Hand

Netflix’s Luke Cage – A Hero Just in Time

October 3, 2016 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

lukecage

Luke Cage is misunderstood, especially by the powers that be. But in Netflix’s latest original superhero series, Cage (Mike Colter) is actually the hero you’d want living in your neighborhood. He’s the man with the unbreakable skin, the man with the steely gaze. He’s all that stands between the good people of Harlem and those who do evil. With panache, Luke Cage delivers with a stylized mood brought on by its music and visuals, combining crime noir with superhero ideals to provide a singular form of entertainment.

Told in thirteen episodes, the first season of Luke Cage is about family, community, power, and purpose. When we meet Cage  – post-Jessica Jones – he’s sweeping hair for Pop’s (Frankie Faison) barbershop and washing dishes in the club of violent gunrunner Cornell “Cottonmouth”  Stokes (the excellently restrained Mahershala Ali) in order to make ends meet. When violence bleeds over from the battle between Cottonmouth and other seedy elements, Cage is swept up in a river of violence and opportunity, left to choose whether he will use his powers for good or fly below the radar.

clairetempleUnlike the other Netflix/Marvel matchups so far, Luke Cage begins with the immediate confrontation between Cottonmouth and Cage, but quickly spiderwebs out into various villains and situations. Yes, there’s another snake-themed character in William “Diamondback” Stryker (Erik LaRay Harvey) who quotes Scripture while intent on killing, but there’s also Cottonmouth’s councilwoman cousin, Mariah Dillard, who wants to politically unite the various criminal elements; Hernan “Shades” Alvarez (Theo Rossi), a criminal middleman with connections to Cage’s past who is even more snakelike than those with reptilian names; Turk Barrett (Rob Morgan), a petty criminal who connects the Marvel universe back to Daredevil; Seagate Prison’s chief officer Albert Packham (Chance Kelly), and various other villains from the past and present of the Cage universe.

But this isn’t solely – even primarily – a superhero show. Instead, it’s a hardboiled criminal exposition about those issues that plague our culture today, from the casual violence of those in power to the racial relations that breakdown within communities of the same race. And we see that most clearly in the role of Detective Misty Knight (Simone Missick), who casually enters into a romantic relationship with Cage and later ends up as his biggest advocate, knowing the character of the man himself.

cottonmouth

Through Knight we see the way that expectations are placed on strong black men without respect for who they are and what they could be, and on strong black women who dare to wade into the police force without receiving equality even while their lives are on the line. The social dynamics – the inequality of life – are played out in a way here that seems realistic because of Cage’s more ‘normal’ persona. Thanks to the well-crafted script and balanced action, we can see the way that the two fight through- just don’t think this is solo individuals doing it on their own, because community is huge.

Thanks to advice from Matt Murdoch’s pal Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), Cage goes from avoiding the spotlight to issuing statements like, “This is my cross to bear, because no one else can do it.” We see the change in the way that Knight refuses to let go of her stance as the arm of righteousness when she tells an Internal Affairs investigator, “I don’t just seek justice; I stalk it.” These are people who are facing real-world evil, and still refuse to let go of what could be good because they see the value of those around them, and recognize their own gifts.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 23: Mike Colter, Erik LaRay Harvey as "Diamondback" filming big fight scene in Marvel Studios "Luke Cage" on May 23, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Steve Sands/GC Images)

The ‘what could be’, the ‘what is’, and the ‘what was’ all collide in the narrative arc of the first season of Luke Cage. We see the past life of Cage’s play artfully out through memories, while hearing from those who knew him about what his life pre-Seagate looked like.  We see in various viewpoints what it looks like for Cage to positively impact his community for good, even in the midst of great personal loss, and understand that mixed into the political and social DNA of this show is a message that #BlackLivesMatter – that the lives of each person matters to the good of the community.  We see it in the heroism of our protagonists, and in the dirty politics of its villains – who go so far as to sell weapons citing ‘black fear’ and taking less-than-veiled shots at gun lobbyists and the image of black violence against white cops. While Hell’s Kitchen might have a masked savior, Luke Cage proves that Harlem needs a leader and a willing servant who plans to stand for every man because he is an every man.

Carefully doling out superhero specialized effects when needed, Luke Cage is the kind of show that will draw in non-superhero fans if they’ll give it a chance. It’s asking major questions about what life looks like – if money and power really trump righteousness, if vigilanteism is part of our DNA (not just in those who wear masks or badges), and if people can really change. It’s asking us to consider how we determine who’s right, who has the power and who should have it, and what it means when we find ourselves seeking a savior, a hero, and refused to acknowledge that maybe we need to change ourselves, too.

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, SmallFish, Television Tagged With: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Marvel, Mike Colter, Netflix, Rosario Dawson

Netflix Continues To Punish The Competition

June 10, 2015 by Arnaldo Reyes Leave a Comment

netflixlogoWith the increasing amount of “cord cutters” (I am myself joining that fray real soon), the battle for scooping up that market is becoming a one-horse race recently. With its foray and concentration to original programming and a low affordable streaming rate, Netflix has blazed a trail that others are trying to keep up with. More notably, the returning Orange Is the New Black has received countless awards and allows viewers to binge watch a whole season without having to wait for drawn out episodes spanning over several months. House of Cards has also made its mark on the consumer and, just recently, Marvel TV teamed up with Netflix and released the already popular and acclaimed Daredevil series as part of Marvel’s growing cinematic universe.

pitt

It’s quite a lineup that Netflix has going for it but there is more to come. Original movie are set to follow their original series. They’ve recently reached a deal with Weinstein Co. for the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and now have announced an exclusive movie deal with Brad Pitt to make War Machine. They also have a pact with Adam Sandler for four original movies. Needless to say, their stock is at an all-time high. These plans are making Netflix the front runner in streaming media and one can clearly see more down the road.

Back on the “TV series” side, Netflix had already acquired the rights for Fuller House reuniting the cast of Full House and have now picked up the just recently cancelled Degrassi: Next Class, keeping the long-running Canadian teen drama alive. Also, there are reports that the creators of Top Gear are leaving BBC and reuniting for an exclusive new car show series for Netflix (I don’t care for rumors but this seems to be picking up steam).

jon bernthal the punisher

On top of that, Marvel fans can rejoice with the official announcement that Joe Bernthal (Walking Dead, Fury) has been cast as fan favorite Frank Castle aka The Punisher for season 2 of Daredevil. That leaves some credibility to rumors that Marvel and Netflix have plans for Blade and possibly Ghost Rider as well. Also, the next series in the Marvel/Netflix slate has gotten a name change dropping the “AKA” and strictly calling it Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Let’s not forget, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and a Defenders series are also already confirmed and in the mix.

Marvel's Jessica Jones

That is tons of news, and I’m sure I’ve probably missed some, so leave us some feedback and let us know what you are more excited about from Netflix. And leave us suggestions as well!

Filed Under: Current Events, Film, News, Television Tagged With: Brad Pitt, Degrassi: Next Class, Jessica Jones, Jon Bernthal, Netflix, The Punisher, War Machine

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