Television Review: Iron Fist (Season 1, 2017)

When a streaming platform churns out series in the volume and rhythm of Netflix, it’s only to be expected that quality will vary considerably—even when dealing with shows sharing the same Marvel fictional universe. For this very reason, it was predictable that critics, who have generally been enamoured fans of the Netflix-Marvel franchise, would sooner or later single out one series for unfavourable treatment. The misfortune of suffering this fate befell the fourth Marvel-Netflix series, Iron Fist, which received criticism typically reserved for Golden Raspberry Award winners in cinema.

Iron Fist shares certain similarities with the preceding Netflix-Marvel series Luke Cage, not only in terms of production timing but also in cinematic origins. Just as the original 1970s Luke Cage comic drew inspiration from the success of blaxploitation films, the Iron Fist comic sought to capitalise on the immense popularity of kung fu cinema. Danny Rand (Finn Jones) is the son of a New York billionaire who, as a boy fifteen years ago, survived a plane crash in the Himalayas that killed his parents and was subsequently adopted by monks from K’un-Lun, a semi-mythical city that occasionally manifests in earthly dimensions. There, Danny grew up mastering martial arts and gaining the superhuman power of the Iron Fist. After fifteen years, he finds his way back to the mortal world, leaves K’un-Lun, and arrives in New York to claim his father’s corporation. This prospect, to put it mildly, does not delight Ward Meachum (Tom Pelphrey) and his sister Joy (Jessica Stroup), former childhood friends who now control the corporation and have no intention of handing it over to a street oddity with fantastical stories. Consequently, Danny is forced to seek refuge with Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick), who runs a martial arts school for troubled children and teenagers. Even after successfully convincing the Meachums of his identity and claiming his inheritance, Danny faces new challenges involving the secret organisation known as The Hand, which uses the corporation as a front for drug trafficking, alongside other trials requiring his combat skills.

The reasons Iron Fist has been disparaged largely have little to do with its actual quality—evidenced by the fact that criticism began even before its premiere. The series featured a protagonist deemed unacceptable by today’s standards of political correctness. A disabled Catholic woman and an African American were replaced as the new superheroine by a blond WASP. Soon after, the usual SJW do-gooders chimed in, accusing the show of “cultural appropriation” and insisting that only an Asian actor could portray the lead in a series about oriental martial arts—something Finn Jones, the British actor previously best known for his role as Ser Loras in Game of Thrones, most definitely is not. His casting as Iron Fist appears misguided, though this has less to do with his racial background or acting talent and more with a clunky script that rendered the potentially fascinating character irritating. When Rand appears in the series, coming from the street and demanding to be given an entire corporation whose management he knows nothing about, behaving with such arrogance and irresponsibility, it’s easy to understand why some see him as a problem. Even more irritating is his constant repetition that he is the “Iron Fist” and must settle scores with “The Hand,” offering no justification whatsoever.

As is often the case, Iron Fist is made watchable by its supporting characters. This applies above all to Ward Meachum, a rare complex figure about whom, until the very end, it remains unclear whether he is a villain, a hero, or an unfortunate soul who, despite growing up in wealth, has endured and continues to endure emotional torment. Relatively lesser-known American actor Tom Pelphrey delivered what may well be the performance of his career. To a lesser extent, Jessica Henwick, one of the few better-known British actresses of Asian descent, also made a positive impression, though producers—particularly in the early episodes—ensured viewers’ attention was drawn more to her scantily clad appearances than to any particularly impressive martial arts displays. Jessica Stroup, on the other hand, is reduced to little more than a pretty face, with her character’s significance only emerging in the cliffhanger finale. Australian actor David Wenham also impressed, portraying a villain who, probably not by chance, bears physical and other similarities to Donald Trump.

Far more noticeable than the casting, however, is a structural issue. Netflix has previously succeeded with series comprising thirteen episodes, but in Iron Fist, this length feels unjustified. This is especially true of the first few episodes, which are painfully drawn out, with plots unfolding mostly in the corridors and offices of Rand’s corporation, depicting dull and unconvincing intrigues. The greatest disappointment is the absence of the origin story essential to superhero films and series—aside from a few brief shots, there are no flashbacks depicting Rand’s life and training in K’un-Lun. It’s easy to assume this omission stems from budget or time constraints, but worse than the absence itself is the clumsy attempt to compensate through Danny’s occasional, unconvincing retellings of these events. The impression is occasionally salvaged by attempts to accelerate the plot with shocking twists, making the second half of the season notably better than the first. One of the few bright spots, where the creators of Iron Fist drew genuine inspiration, is a fight scene clearly influenced by the Hong Kong kung fu classic Drunken Master; unfortunately, it’s far too brief, and its potential, like everything else in this series, remains untapped.

It is therefore easy to conclude that Iron Fist represented a serious misfire for Netflix, and the damage could only have been rectified had significantly greater effort been invested in a second season.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available here.)

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