Sorry, Danny, the correct answer to becoming more likable was not where your clothing less. (Image Courtesy of: denofgeek.com)
Quick Take: The Defenders Season 1 brings together a collection of quality characters in an action-packed ride that feels a bit too short for its story but manages to be a great experience throughout. Inconsistent and hampered by nebulous villains, it is nonetheless another worthy entry in the Marvel-Netflix series.
Marvel-Netflix Seasons: Daredevil S1 | Jessica Jones S1 | Luke Cage S1| Iron Fist S1
***This is a review of the miniseries The Defenders which is an offshoot of multiple TV series including Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Therefore, the reader is expected to come in with knowledge of the series and the story. This will be a spoiler-focused review, and the reader should not go on unless they have seen the season already.***
The Avengers in 2012 proved that it was possible to put multiple stars all in one massive story and make it work. The superhero team-up which has been a staple of comic book stories for a long time only finally was proven to work with that film, and now the idea is fully in season.
As the DCEU attempts to make its first stab at the idea with Justice League in the coming months, Marvel has already unleashed its second major superhero team with The Defenders, beginning build-up back in 2015 with Daredevil and going through five full TV seasons to get to this point.
Each season excluding the disappointing Iron Fist from this Marvel and Netflix collaboration has been great on its own with strong charismatic leads. The Defenders though was still a risk. It was a story focused on some of the weakest villains in this universe, The Hand, who brought down the quality of Daredevil Season 2 and Iron Fist.
It was also tough to say how these actors would play off one another. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is a loner who has alienated many of his friends. Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) has intentionally isolated herself at every turn including her potential love interest Luke Cage (Mike Colter). Plus Danny Rand (Finn Jones) is just insufferable.
However, from the moment these four enter the same room, it's magic. The Defenders is far from perfect, and The Hand, despite having Sigourney Weaver at their head as Alexandra, are still frustratingly aloof. However, it is all worth it to see Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist fight alongside one another and throw more than a few verbal jabs.
Cox carries the dramatic weight here while Ritter carries the humor, and they work especially well off one another. Colter is also great, balancing the lines between them. Jones still has little charisma, but he has solid chemistry with the others especially Colter and had better material to work with even as he's still the worst written character.
The packed supporting cast do not get much to do with the exception later in the season of Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing whose own struggles with her strength and position in the world make for a great side struggle even if it meant the return of Ramon Rodriguez as Bakuto who was once more was frustratingly annoying.
Weaver is so great that she elevates her material to match some of these shows' best villains, selling that idea that she has lived a very long time through pure gravitas. Elodie Yung returns as Elektra and is solid particularly as the ruthless killing machine though she is also strong late, playing off Cox.
***This is a review of the miniseries The Defenders which is an offshoot of multiple TV series including Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Therefore, the reader is expected to come in with knowledge of the series and the story. This will be a spoiler-focused review, and the reader should not go on unless they have seen the season already.***
The Avengers in 2012 proved that it was possible to put multiple stars all in one massive story and make it work. The superhero team-up which has been a staple of comic book stories for a long time only finally was proven to work with that film, and now the idea is fully in season.
As the DCEU attempts to make its first stab at the idea with Justice League in the coming months, Marvel has already unleashed its second major superhero team with The Defenders, beginning build-up back in 2015 with Daredevil and going through five full TV seasons to get to this point.
Each season excluding the disappointing Iron Fist from this Marvel and Netflix collaboration has been great on its own with strong charismatic leads. The Defenders though was still a risk. It was a story focused on some of the weakest villains in this universe, The Hand, who brought down the quality of Daredevil Season 2 and Iron Fist.
It was also tough to say how these actors would play off one another. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is a loner who has alienated many of his friends. Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) has intentionally isolated herself at every turn including her potential love interest Luke Cage (Mike Colter). Plus Danny Rand (Finn Jones) is just insufferable.
However, from the moment these four enter the same room, it's magic. The Defenders is far from perfect, and The Hand, despite having Sigourney Weaver at their head as Alexandra, are still frustratingly aloof. However, it is all worth it to see Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist fight alongside one another and throw more than a few verbal jabs.
Cox carries the dramatic weight here while Ritter carries the humor, and they work especially well off one another. Colter is also great, balancing the lines between them. Jones still has little charisma, but he has solid chemistry with the others especially Colter and had better material to work with even as he's still the worst written character.
The packed supporting cast do not get much to do with the exception later in the season of Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing whose own struggles with her strength and position in the world make for a great side struggle even if it meant the return of Ramon Rodriguez as Bakuto who was once more was frustratingly annoying.
Weaver is so great that she elevates her material to match some of these shows' best villains, selling that idea that she has lived a very long time through pure gravitas. Elodie Yung returns as Elektra and is solid particularly as the ruthless killing machine though she is also strong late, playing off Cox.
Aren't they just the cutest little family? (Image Courtesy of: io9.gizmodo.com)
This season's primary focus is the destruction of New York by the Hand, brought about by the Black Sky, the reborn Elektra. It is a solid hook given all the build-up in Daredevil particularly with Stick's (Scott Glenn) warnings of this moment. That threat is awkwardly delivered though in the home stretch.
That is not to say the finale is not a fantastic finish to the season. It is a pure spectacle and an emotional ride that bucks the common trend of these series of disappointing finales. It just feels like the actual threat of the Hand is poorly conceived. The actual fight with the Hand is vicious and allows everyone to shine.
Many characters die along the way in this season with some felt more than others. Alexandra is the best of the Hand, and her death at Elektra's hand deflates the group into a mindless mob beyond the independent Elektra. Stick's death felt the most appropriate, finally punished for his tight-rope riding of morality.
Still, the biggest death was the one that ultimately couldn't fully be played out. Nothing in this season is more impactful than the final fight of Matt and Elektra. While Elektra is the better fighter, their inability to kill one another makes it an unyielding war that only ends as they are buried in the building falling on top of them.
Everyone feels Matt's death. The season starts with everyone refusing to be seen as heroes, and they still stand by that outwardly. The loss of Daredevil though clearly makes the remaining Defenders accept that they have a duty to the city. Of course he couldn't die as he has more stories to tell, but it is still a powerful final story beat.
The central theme of this season is responsibility. Everyone struggles to find their purpose and hides from their duty. This fight brings them together and creates a lasting memory that will now allow them to go into their individual ventures with a greater sense of reason behind their actions.
Iron Fist has taken up Daredevil's role of city protector with Colleen by his side. Jessica has reopened her detective agency. Luke knows now what threats could face Harlem. Misty Knight (Simone Missick) was left out of the action but still left the most scarred, losing a hand, and must now choose a new path. Matt, meanwhile, looks ready to be born again.
That is not to say the finale is not a fantastic finish to the season. It is a pure spectacle and an emotional ride that bucks the common trend of these series of disappointing finales. It just feels like the actual threat of the Hand is poorly conceived. The actual fight with the Hand is vicious and allows everyone to shine.
Many characters die along the way in this season with some felt more than others. Alexandra is the best of the Hand, and her death at Elektra's hand deflates the group into a mindless mob beyond the independent Elektra. Stick's death felt the most appropriate, finally punished for his tight-rope riding of morality.
Still, the biggest death was the one that ultimately couldn't fully be played out. Nothing in this season is more impactful than the final fight of Matt and Elektra. While Elektra is the better fighter, their inability to kill one another makes it an unyielding war that only ends as they are buried in the building falling on top of them.
Everyone feels Matt's death. The season starts with everyone refusing to be seen as heroes, and they still stand by that outwardly. The loss of Daredevil though clearly makes the remaining Defenders accept that they have a duty to the city. Of course he couldn't die as he has more stories to tell, but it is still a powerful final story beat.
The central theme of this season is responsibility. Everyone struggles to find their purpose and hides from their duty. This fight brings them together and creates a lasting memory that will now allow them to go into their individual ventures with a greater sense of reason behind their actions.
Iron Fist has taken up Daredevil's role of city protector with Colleen by his side. Jessica has reopened her detective agency. Luke knows now what threats could face Harlem. Misty Knight (Simone Missick) was left out of the action but still left the most scarred, losing a hand, and must now choose a new path. Matt, meanwhile, looks ready to be born again.
The familial vibe in this movie is just truly heartwarming. (Image Courtesy of: orbacles.com)
My biggest disappointment with The Defenders as a series was simply that it was only eight episodes long. With such a large story to tell and strong character dynamics to build, there is too much of a sense that the show is rushing through its events. By the time everyone is on the same page, the season is half-over.
This was a tale that could have used an episode or two of breathing space. While the steady action high this show provides it welcome, the pacing is hard to follow. It feels like there are pieces missing even though it can all be sat and binged in one sitting with a timeline that only lasts a few days.
The show has a great sense of who these characters are to the point that transitions from one character to the next change in style so completely that you can tell which hero is the focus before they appear. The same sense of understanding can be felt in the action scenes.
A few action scenes could have used better lighting to make it possible to follow them, but the big battles are some of the best you will ever see from Netflix. The panning camera that follows the brawls in episodes three and eight are perfectly positioned and show off each character's unique approach to combat.
I could complain about certain characters and stories, but overall this was a satisfying season that was absolutely up to pay for these series. This series in four parts is fantastic because there are so many characters to explore, and they are well developed and presented here.
I did hope The Defenders could convince me that Danny Rand was not a sore thumb in the series, and it didn't do that. However, it succeeded in giving me more of the characters I cared about and getting me excited for where they all go next. I am already waiting with bated breath for the next season to arrive.
This was a tale that could have used an episode or two of breathing space. While the steady action high this show provides it welcome, the pacing is hard to follow. It feels like there are pieces missing even though it can all be sat and binged in one sitting with a timeline that only lasts a few days.
The show has a great sense of who these characters are to the point that transitions from one character to the next change in style so completely that you can tell which hero is the focus before they appear. The same sense of understanding can be felt in the action scenes.
A few action scenes could have used better lighting to make it possible to follow them, but the big battles are some of the best you will ever see from Netflix. The panning camera that follows the brawls in episodes three and eight are perfectly positioned and show off each character's unique approach to combat.
I could complain about certain characters and stories, but overall this was a satisfying season that was absolutely up to pay for these series. This series in four parts is fantastic because there are so many characters to explore, and they are well developed and presented here.
I did hope The Defenders could convince me that Danny Rand was not a sore thumb in the series, and it didn't do that. However, it succeeded in giving me more of the characters I cared about and getting me excited for where they all go next. I am already waiting with bated breath for the next season to arrive.
