On March 17, Netflix released a TV series adaptation of the popular Marvel comic book series, “Iron Fist.”
After the successes of the three previous Netflix Marvel shows, “Iron Fist” has a lot to live up to, which it does beautifully.
The show centers on the character of Danny Rand. As a young boy, Danny was stranded in the Himalayas after a brutal plane crash that took both of his parents lives and left him as the lone survivor.
After the crash, Danny wakes up in the snow to see two monks standing over him. After the horrible trauma he had just been through, the monks decide to give him refuge and take him to their home, the mystical city of K’un Lun.
As Danny soon finds out, the city actually exists in a different dimension than Earth, and it only appears on the Earthly plane every fifteen years. K’un Lun resembles ancient China, and the residents’ lives are largely based around the practice of Kung Fu.
Trapped there, Danny is looked down upon as an outsider and is given poor treatment from the natives. He is in a state of despair until he begins to throw himself into his martial arts training and learns of the great champion of K’un Lun, the Iron Fist.
The show starts off with Danny in the streets of New York City shortly after becoming the Iron Fist. It is revealed that he fled his home of 15 years only to come back to reclaim his father’s legacy, Rand Corporation, and the story unfolds from there.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Many critics from different publications are destroying this show for a number of reasons. My message to these critics is take their opinions and shove them somewhere else. [/perfectpullquote]
Many critics from different publications are destroying this show for a number of reasons. My message to these critics is take their opinions and shove them somewhere else.
“Hold up a minute,” you might be saying to yourself. “Who does this guy think he is saying that a show that has an 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is amazing?” Well, I’ll tell you who I am. Someone who loves a great plotline, intense and action-packed fight scenes, and some awesome super power beat downs to go along with it. Because that is what you’ll find if you watch “Iron Fist.”
According to Rotten Tomatoes, “‘Iron Fist’ is weighed down by an absence of momentum and originality.” This is just blatantly false. “Iron Fist” shares The Hand, an ancient Japanese supervillan organization, as a main antagonist “Daredevil”. That might be where the critics are coming from, but this doesn’t take away from the experience at all. In fact, it makes it even better.
While “Daredevil” tackles the organized-crime bad guys side of The Hand, another more mysterious side appears in “Iron Fist.” Danny is their sworn enemy, but he is forced to question whose side he should be one multiple times during the show. The aspect of The Hand as the enemy also sets up the upcoming crossover series “The Defenders” perfectly.
A fascinating and major theme of the show is Danny’s duality ever present throughout the plot. He is both the heir to a multi-billion dollar empire and the immortal weapon of an ancient civilization. His two duties constantly fight for supremacy over the other. Danny knows that he must protect K’un Lun as the Iron Fist, but he also went through a traumatic accident as a child that scarred him for life, leaving him aching for a home, a place where he could find a family. Although Danny’s corporate life is possibly given too much of a spotlight, it doesn’t take away from the overall experience of the show. Danny as the Iron Fist is what viewers really want to see, which will hopefully be a bigger part of Season 2’s plotline.
Overall, my favorite part of the entire story is the intense combat scenes. They reveal to you how Danny is a martial arts expert and he earned his title through sheer hardwork and dedication. Defeat was never an option for him. The internal struggle he goes through is visible, and just when you start thinking he cannot keep going, he comes back stronger mentally and physically than before.
I truly do not understand how critics could view this incredible piece of television to be a catastrophe, when viewers are enjoying it so much. I have seen several fans on social media who are criticizing the critics (Ha see what I did there) for the horrible reviews they are publishing.
I highly recommend “Iron Fist” as superhero TV lover and a fan of the comic book series itself. If you are looking for your next Netflix binge watch show, then look no further. I watched all 13 episodes in the span of three days, and I have no shame at all. Please join me in my crusade against these evil, evil reviewers and discover a very good new show in the process.
