The Defenders might not be exactly what I expected but for what they offered I found myself enjoying it quite a lot.
I only had planned to watch the first few episodes and before I knew it I had watched it all. Granted the first season of The Defenders is only 8 episodes but still it's one big storyline with very little to no distractions. No padding and no sub plots. This could be seen as a weakness since the plot might not be that creative or original. Then again the sheer fact that it's the first Marvel show on television that has put the Netflix Marvel superheroes together has to count for something. The results probably aren't as mind blowing as Marvel in their films but it's pretty close. Would have been more epic if some of the characters from the films would suddenly appear as well but I guess that is too much too ask. But why not Marvel? I mean it's New York and aren't The Avengers and Spidey living in New York. What about Dr. Strange? I mean you could have them at least appear briefly.
Now I do think that overall the characterization and plot is a little lacking. Not that it is bad but it does feel a little underwhelming compared to some of the events in the individual shows. The stakes in The Defenders are higher. Much higher and yet it doesn't always feel like that since events are contained and restricted to a few locations. The events would have had more impact had they actually shown us the scale of these events and how people were affected by them. It's like they rushed trough and accidentally forgot or skipped it on purpose. Then again, it is assumed you are aware of what The Hand is and what they are about from the shows so they probably thought they did not have to revisit that.
The best parts are where our main characters are interacting with each other. Like in everything Marvel those moments provide the most fun. Should The Defenders have had more of those moments? For sure. But I was quite content with they have given us. The episodes went by real fast and not once was I bored or felt the urge to pause or stop. There was plenty of kickass action to be enjoyed especially when the main characters are fighting together but not going to deny that some of the choreography could have been done slightly better. At least Finn Jones looked more convincing than in Iron Fist. Plus he had some real good chemistry with Luke Cage. Actually Cage had good vibes with every team member. Jessica Jones still is the very reluctant hero who gets dragged into things that are far too grand for her but yet she is there when it counts. Matt apparently had stopped with his crime fighting adventures to appease his friends but how can you stop someone from being who they are? And why was he the only one in costume? Why Marvel? Couldn't you at least design some costumes that would fit the Netflix Marvel Universe and still look somewhat like their outfits in the comic books?
I enjoyed The Defenders thoroughly and can't wait for the next season and anything Marvel. BTW I like the 8 episodes format. Much better than the 13 episodes one since too often it causes events to drag and slow down. Now it goes by fast but where you still have enough time to elaborate on deeper plot elements if necessary. For now let's hope The Punisher will be on Netflix in October or sooner to still my Marvel craving.
Also read:
 |
 |
 |
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment