'Iron Fist' is a fine addition to the Marvel universe but suffers from its white lead
Netflix
The final defender has finally arrived in New York City, and he's a fine addition to the Marvel Universe.
But fine is all "Iron Fist" is.
Finn Jones ("Game of Thrones") plays an earnest Danny Rand returned to NYC after years of being presumed dead.
Danny is the son of millionaire parents and founders of Rand Enterprise. While on a flight with his parents, the plane crashes in the Himalayas and a 10-year-old Danny witnesses the deaths of his parents. Before he succumbs to the cold, two monks find him and take him to K'un-Lun, a monastery in heaven and basically a different dimension.
While there, Danny trains to become the Iron Fist, a powerful fighter whose mission is to defeat the Hand. Fans of the Marvel TV universe will recognize that enemy from "Daredevil." The connection between K'un-Lun and Earth only opens every 15 years, so once given the opportunity, Danny heads back home, only to discover that the people he knew are not the same.
Danny must prove himself fit to be the Iron Fist while also trying to regain control of his father's company and of his own life. Along the way he meets up with some familiar faces like Claire (Rosario Dawson) and "Jessica Jones'"Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), but it's Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) who stands out.
David Giesbrecht/Netflix
Wing is undoubtedly the best part of the entire series and Henwick ("Game of Thrones") masterfully portrays the dojo sensei and utter badass in every scene she is in.
When Colleen first meets Danny, he's a disheveled, barefooted man wandering in a New York park. She gives him money as she staples posters up about her dojo and the classes she offers. He asks if he can teach a class, and she sends him on his way. This is her thing.
She starts realizing there is something happening beyond her understanding when people contact her about Danny, but she doesn't blindly trust anyone. She's wary enough of this stranger coming into her life and the troubles that he brings, and it feels real.
And in the meantime, she shows off her skills in the fighting ring to earn money, even though she tells her students they shouldn't fight for money.
Danny realizes that he needs Colleen and enlists her help in his missions, and it's the best decision Danny makes. Colleen is a fighter and she's trustworthy and she's amazing in every way.
David Giesbrecht/Netflix
But there's one interaction between Colleen and Danny that sticks in my mind and highlights the biggest problem with the series — casting a white lead.
Danny makes his way into Colleen's dojo and starts blasting music. She takes his interference as a disrespectful annoyance — which it is — and tells him to leave. He ends up convincing her that he should stay and tries to explain to her the way she should practice martial arts, and that is problematic.
Watching a white man explain to an Asian woman how she should run her own dojo is uncomfortable. Watching a white man be the "chosen one" and be better than his Asian teachers is wrong.
Sure, the comics might have also featured a white lead, and sure, the "Iron Fist" cast is filled with diverse and talented stars, but there was a chance to take the story further, and Marvel failed to do so when choosing to stick with the white guy as the lead.
"Iron Fist" suffers the same way "Doctor Strange" does. Both stories are fine and have their bright moments — they are definitely enjoyable — but both projects were given the chance for growth and change amongst the typical Marvel heroes of yore and didn't.
David Giesbrecht/Netflix
The incredible martial arts team behind the choreography bring Danny, Colleen, and the rest of the cast to life with thrilling fight sequences. The tension is high for much of the season as Danny struggles to return his life to a semblance of normalcy.
The show does a good job of introducing Danny to the Marvel TV universe and paves the way for its "Avengers" like get together, "The Defenders," but ultimately, it's hard to be all in for Danny and his adventures.
Here's to hoping that Colleen and Misty Knight ("Luke Cage") will get their own Daughters of the Dragon show, because I would pay to see those ladies kick ass any day.
All 13 one-hour episodes of "Iron Fist" will be available to watch on Netflix March 17.
Check out a trailer below:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/f9OKL5no-S0
Width: 560px
Height: 315px
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