ArtsEarth

  • Post Events
    • Post Events for FREE
  • Find Events
    • Articles
    • Partnerships
    • Latest Events
    • Search All
    • Who Posts on ArtsEarth?
  • Donate Now
  • About Us
    • Directors | Leadership
    • Staff | Contributors
    • Volunteer at ArtsEarth
    • Contact
  • Subscribe Today

Archive for category: Comic

  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Join our Facebook Group
  • RSS

Iron Fist – Packs No Punches

this entry has 0 Comments/ in REVIEW, ARTSEARTH WRITER, Comic, Film, ARTICLES / by artsearth
March 17, 2017

article by Connor Behrens for ArtsEarth

Marvel’s latest Netflix show, “Iron Fist,” is a supernatural martial arts series that features Finn Jones as a man with superhuman abilities.

“Iron Fist” tells the story of Danny Rand as he resurfaces to New York City after being absent from society and the spotlight for 15 years, aiming to regain his family business. But when a dark danger arises, Rand must pick between his family’s heritage and his moral obligations as the Iron Fist, a hero with unbelievable kung fu skills and ability to call on supernatural powers to his disposal.

Audiences have seen the premise of “Iron Fist” multiple times. Whether it’s CW’s “Arrow” or Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins,” the plot of a wealthy man going into hiding and training to become a hero is a tired trope at this point. Because this story is one viewers have seen over and over, it ends up becoming clichéd. “Iron Fist” unfortunately does not try to execute anything differently with this story of the wealthy man training with an ancient organization. The pilot episode plays like a limp handshake.

“Iron Fist” is the last show before Marvel’s “The Defenders” – the Netflix version of “The Avengers” films. Boy, did Marvel save the team’s worst character for last. Danny Rand is clearly set up to be sympathetic to the audience. He lost his parents at a young age and is attempting to get his life back. However, the character ends up uninteresting by the end of the first episode – giving no reason for potential viewers to care about the character’s future arc.

But what’s worse than the uninspired story is the execution. From the opening minutes that showcase how far the famed Rand has fallen, the implementation is formulaic and out-of-date. The scenes of Danny going into the company building of his parents and breaking into his old house are intended to showcase how skilled the man is in his athletic abilities. Sadly, they just play like a fatigued montage.

But the show is not all dark and rotten. The pilot episode features glimpses of excitement. A particular scene features Jones driving erratically around a parking garage as he tries to get answers from a former associate. Another sequence features the character evading company assassins in a busy crowd in New York. These sequences are tensely edited and, for a brief moment, offer audiences somewhat stimulating scenes.

But what is truly fueling all the attention towards “Iron Fist” is less about execution and more about race. Users online have complained about Jones’ casting due to him being Caucasian and the fact that the comic character’s foreign background is in martial arts and kung fu. Danny Rand has been Caucasian in the comics, so one can understand why Marvel decided to cast someone like Jones in the role.

However, while it’s not certain if an Asian-American actor would have elevated the show’s content, isn’t it about time that other minority groups are given a chance to identity with superheroes? This could have been an opportunity to update the character of Iron Fist for modern audiences.

Overall, “Iron Fist” lacks any bite and compelling characters. While the series may improve in further episodes should users wish to continue, the pilot simply is not persuasive enough to garner any need to continue the story of Danny Rand and his battle to reclaim his company and heritage. Hopefully “The Defenders” will be a superior show for fans later this year.

Rating: 3.8/10

Calendar

<< Dec 2019 >>
SMTWTFS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 1 2 3 4
Followon TwitterSubscribeto RSS Feed

Recent Posts

  • Sense of Self in Review by Miranda Seaver
  • Beta Space: Pae White in Review by Miranda Seaver
  • 2019 Gray Area Festival – Pierce Warnecke Live – ISM Hexadome in Review by Jon Bauer
  • 2019 Gray Area Festival – ISM Hexadome in Review by Jon Bauer
  • IllUM Art.Tech.Music (GAIKA vs. Madam X, The Flashbulb + More) in Review by Jon Bauer
  • David Byrne: Good News and Sleeping Beauties in Review by Greg Cutler
  • My Experience at GLAS Animation 2019 in Review by Greg Cutler
  • GLAS Animation Festival 2019 – Competition 3 in Review by Meaghan Alfonso
  • Red Dot Miami 2018 in Review by Lydia Bell and Talia Colarusso
  • Visit the Old Town and Workshops of Culture in Review by Małgorzata Stanek
  • Celebrations in Honor of Departed Souls in Review by Małgorzata Stanek

Recent Comments

  • Murali77 on Mo Willems: Wordplay – Opening Reception
  • Ralph and Virginia Dudgeon on Christina Braun and Tom Nunn – Deep States
  • Greg Cutler on 2019 Gray Area Festival – Pierce Warnecke Live – ISM Hexadome in Review by Jon Bauer
  • artsearth on Dr. Sketchy’s SF Presents Cyclops and Phoenix
  • Ben Ahn on Dr. Sketchy’s SF Presents Cyclops and Phoenix

Archives

  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • November 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • May 2011
  • February 2011
  • December 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • July 2009
  • January 2008

TODAY’S EVENTS

  • Present Tense 2019: Task of Remembrance - Exhibition
    • 04/27/2019 - 12/21/2019
    • San Francisco
  • Beta Space: Pae White - Exhibition
    • 07/18/2019 - 01/19/2020
    • San Jose
  • Almost Human: Digital Art from the Permanent Collection
    • 09/22/2019 - 08/09/2020
    • San Jose
  • Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists
    • 09/27/2019 - 01/12/2020
    • Nashville
  • Night of Culture 2020 - Video Mapping Contest - Call for Artists
    • 10/14/2019 - 05/06/2020
    • Lublin
  • all events

TODAY’S LOCATIONS

  • Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
    • 750 Kearny Street
    • San Francisco
  • San José Museum of Art
    • 110 S Market Street
    • San Jose
  • Frist Art Museum
    • 919 Broadway
    • Nashville
  • Warsztaty Kultury
    • Grodzka 5a-7
    • Lublin
  • San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art
    • 560 S 1st Street
    • San Jose
My Tweets
© Copyright - ArtsEarth - Wordpress Theme by Kriesi.at
  • Send us Mail
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Join our Facebook Group
  • Subscribe to our RSS Feed