"Marvel's The Defenders" Series Review - Don't Avenge, Defend

Marvel are the kings of the cinematic super hero movie arena right now, that's an undisputed fact. Since moving into Netflix in 2015 originally, however, some will argue that they are even challenging DC's traditional title as the better of the two companies at making TV shows. No doubt, they got off to an excellent start. Both of the first two series of Daredevil as well as Jessica Jones were practically universally acclaimed, and for good reason. The later two series of Luke Cage and in particular Iron Fist were met with more mixed reviews, again for good reason. That said, it was all ultimately building up to this, the team-up between all four of their Netflix heroes: The Defenders. Well, that time has finally arrived, and does it live up to the hype? Yes and no. In the story department, The Defenders certainly disappoints to a certain extent. The story revolves around the characters of Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) being brought together by their own separate circumstances to face off against an ancient evil which is not only threatening the entire city of New York which they call home, but also all of their closest friends and family. This evil: the Hand, returning from Daredevil season 2 and season 1 of Iron Fist, headed up by Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra and her various associates. This sounds like an engaging conflict on the face of it as more revelations are given about the Hand after their previous set-up, and especially since the episode count is much lower than other Marvel Netflix shows at 8 episodes rather than 13. Unfortunately, it fails to come across as such. Surprisingly, the plot is burdened with a great deal of filler which feels excessive and unnecessary, and I often found myself distracted while watching the show. Even then, when the show does choose to focus on the story, the plot itself soon reveals it's rather generic nature, and unfortunately there's very little to be found here than most of us won't have seen before. The show begins with the four characters wisely separated, forced to come together by their own circumstances. This initially seems a wise decision. However, the pacing problems of the entire series are perfectly summarised by the face that it takes until the very end of episode three for all of them to finally converge and come together in the same scene. The writers chose to keep them separated for far too long, a mistake which only seems more severe after later episodes, and unfortunately then the writing can seem rather unfocused. It almost appears near the beginning that we are watching four separate season premieres for the next season of their respective shows rather than a team-up. The only other issue I have with the story is the ending. I'm not including spoilers here so don't worry about my revealing anything major if you plan on watching the show, but I found the ending very manipulative. It leads the audience to believe that something has happened to toy with their emotions, but it ultimately comes across as predictably pointless. On further analysis, the whole instance is actually quite clichéd, and leads me to wonder why they bothered with this inclusion in the first place. However, with all that said, the show does still have high points despite the weakness of the story. Once the main heroes come together, and being to interact, that is where the main strength of the show lies, and, to a certain extent, it makes some failures a tad more excusable. Not entirely, but at least slightly.

With regards the acting, of course the only place to start is with the four leads of the show: Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil; Krysten Ritter as PI Jessica Jones; Mike Colter as the unbreakable Luke Cage; and Finn Jones as Danny Bland...sorry, Danny Rand, the Immortal Iron Fist. As you might guessed from that, Finn Jones is still the outstanding problem in the series, in large part because it seems that no writer can find a way to make his character particularly interesting. He comes across as a pouting child for most of the series, only really shining in any way when he is given he chance to bounce off of his larger than life co-stars. Admittedly, the four of them do have great chemistry with each other, and it is the often hilarious interactions between them that are the golden high points of the series, in a similar way to the first Avengers flick. I again only wish, however, that they had brought them together sooner, especially since it would have kept Danny more consistently enjoyable. The rest of the team, however, continue to excel. Mike Colter is once again a cool customer as Luke Cage, easily the least morally confused of the four, and is a fun presence in large part due to his adamant stance that the mystical nature of the villainous Hand organisation is in no way magic. Charlie Cox is the heart and soul of the show as Matt Murdock, as the writers continue to explore the key theme of heroism that has ran through both series of his own show, as well as the internal conflict the character is constantly going through, as he attempts to balance his day job as a lawyer with the urge to return to his night life as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. This is certainly the most interesting and engaging character arc in the entire series and one which the writers thankful devote a large amount of time to. However, Krysten Ritter stands in my mind as the MVP of the entire series as Jessica Jones, once again bringing the perfect non-caring attitude to the role, as she is the member of the team least interested in being subject to the events of her own series, particularly at the hands of Kilgrave. She is consistently the most fun character to watch, and brings a great deal of humour in making fun of the other characters she is acting alongside. What makes all of these characters work, however, is the shared mindset that none of them are heroes. They don't regard themselves as such because of everything else they have done. They are four troubled people trying to help people and make their way in the world, and to see them forced to come to terms with the idea that they could become something more is one of the main areas where the script succeeds.

The Devil of Hell's Kitchen, the Smart-Ass Detective, the Righteous Ex-Con, and the Kid With The Glowing Fist

Let's talk about the supporting cast members now, and, again, the acting here is on point. Various supporting cast members from all of the separate character shows return here, including Rachael Taylor's Trish Walker from Jessica Jones; Elden Henson's Foggy from Daredevil; Simone Missick as Misty Knight from Luke Cage; and Iron Fist's trusted ally Colleen Wing, played by Jessica Henwick, from Iron Fist (obviously). All of the actors do well in their own right, and are given solid foundation to play a role in the story, each popping up not only when the plot demands it, but also to play a relevant role. Unfortunately, none of these characters receive much by the way of development and some even seem to halter the story at times. Simone Missick's Misty Knight in particular is of concern to the main story, in large part because she in investigating the criminal conspiracy the Defenders are fighting to uncover, but is forced to uncover information at a much slower rate than the main characters. Therefore, when the episodes do decide to cut back to her, it can often bring the pacing of the show to a snail's pace, and the scenes themselves are incredibly dull and repetitive. Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page and the aforementioned Elden Henson as Foggy can also be an issue for the character of Daredevil, with their continued input into the show often hampering the appearance of the character in his iconic suit. The show also has an array of villains, and some of these far much better than others. Elodie Yung returns as assassin warrior Elektra from season 2 of Daredevil, and is as enjoyable a presence here as she was there, this time receiving more development in regards to some revelations in that earlier series and standing as one of the most enjoyable parts of the entire show. Wai Ching Ho is also as brilliant as ever as Madame Gao, also returning and remaining one of the Defenders' most intimidating foes despite her seemingly fragile body. However, the most high profile addition to the series has been the brilliant Sigourney Weaver as the head of the Hand, Alexandra. Weaver brings her all to this role, crafting a character who is so much more than a moustache-twirling villain, but is actually a three-dimensional human being. Although she must appear intimidating for a person in her position, she is given many vulnerabilities and secrets which allow the audience to sympathise with her to an extent and understand her desperation to acquire what the Hand is seeking. Also, she has great chemistry with all of the heroes, making her seem even more intimidating as she talks down to them even when she is seemingly under threat from them. She's an excellent head villain. Unfortunately, other members of the Hand do not fare so well. Many of them are significantly underdeveloped, fail to come across as intimidating (despite ripping scenes straight out of better shows like Game Of Thrones) and one consistently comes across as more annoying than villainous. To be fair, this is a returning character from Iron Fist so what more could I have been expecting. A mixed bag, but at the very least, the head villains work.

Sigourney Weaver stars as the head of the Hand, the villainous Alexandra

If there was one area where The Defenders absolute needed to excel, however, it was in the action sequences which have been a staple of every Marvel Netflix show. With the Hand as the main villains, that was a particular necessity, as these are villains who specialise in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, and therefore the stunt choreography needed to be on point throughout as well, and could not rely on CGI to pull this off. Season 1 of Iron Fist was very similar in this capacity, and was only partially successful, making me slightly worried to see how this show would turn out. Thankfully, it is much better than that show for the most part. Most of the action is much more inventive and enjoyable, helped in large part by the fact that there are four heroes working together for the majority this time round. Of course, there is a hallway fight scene which, as regular viewers of these series will know, has become a staple of the Marvel Netflix universe. The hallway scene in this show is actually the first sequence with all four of the heroes together, contesting not only against various members of the Hand but also head assassin Elektra. It's an extremely engaging action beat, which deviates itself from it's predecessors by splitting into different rooms, showing the different heroes, and also having them work together and mix their power sets together in unique and constantly fun ways. The rest of the group scenes are also fun, particular when that fun back-and-forth between the characters makes its way into these scenes. There are also some brutal one-on-one scenes between characters, which are often more exciting than the group set pieces. One scene which stands out in particular is a fight between Daredevil and Elektra at the tail end of the series. Not only is the scene extremely brutal, well lit, and excellently choreographed, but it is also extremely emotional due to the relationship between the two and the difficult position Murdock in particular has found himself in by this point in the series, determined to save Elektra not only from the Hand, but also from herself. At this point, he knows he needs her, that he can't continue to go on without her while he knows she's alive, and the weight of that feeling can be felt throughout the entire sequence. It's simple brilliance. That said, while that scene and the hallway are excellently executed, there is often an issue of cinematography throughout the rest of the fight scenes in the show. Although that isn't an issue with he show normally, and scenes during the day are fine, it is abundantly clear that many of the directors of the series do not know how to competently direct action sequences. The editing here is sometimes very sloppy, cutting more than is necessary to hide what is happening in the scenes, while a great deal of shots are taken from a low down angle, as if we as an audience are looking up at the fight taking place. None of this is helped by the often dreadful lighting, leading to me and my friend often leaning forward to make up what was happening. It's a shame when this happens because, for all the fun that all of the action proves to be, it is small failures like these which keep the show from reaching the level of greatness the early Marvel Netflix shows were capable of.

Elodie Yung returns as Elektra, this time sporting a true fan service costume

Another area where The Defenders is consistently excellent is in it's editing, and this is something you will definitely notice when watching it, even if you're not used to looking out for it in film or TV. The transitions between scenes are done extremely stylishly so that they are always interesting to see. They feel smooth and natural yet are also extremely inventive throughout the show. It might seem like a small thing to pick up on in this instance (which it is normally, but I'm picky so there you go), but it makes the entire series seem far more creative than a lot of other TV shows and gives the entire project a real flair to it. It's something a lot of other TV shows lack more often than not, so it's refreshing to see a show take this so seriously and professionally. The music is also excellent. John Paesano, who also composed the scores for the first two series of Daredevil, returns to compose for this show, and does a great job once again. Small pieces of the main themes for all four shows are ingeniously implemented throughout depending on who the main focus of the show should be, and often in instances where it is more appropriate. After all, it makes sense to use the Jessica Jones theme when the heroes are investigating, or the more soft Daredevil piano theme during emotional sequences. That said, there is one small issue of music when it comes to Luke Cage. The use of hip hop made sense in the context of his own series, but it often accompanies his entry into most scenes during the series, particularly early on. Although it isn't particularly irritating or off-putting, it's entire use does feel a bit...on the nose to put it politely, especially considering the character is from Harlem. The opening title sequence is another area which I really enjoyed every episode. It's a small area a lot of people will not particularly care about, but I personally have always enjoyed title sequences, especially when well-designed. I love a lot of HBO show openings in particular (seriously, look up the openings for Game Of Thrones, Westworld, and especially season 1 of True Detective to see what I mean). This opening was another one which I appreciated in large part because of it's use of colour, brilliantly using the colour schemes of all four of the Defenders' own series, accompanied by their silhouettes against the backdrop of a sprawling New York City. Stylish, beautiful, and a perfect indication of what the show would be, it's an excellent opening which sets the tone for each episode. However, on the note of colour, the lighting in the show can often be extremely irritating. It makes sense that the showrunners and directors would want to use the colours of each character, but the use of the colour filters in each episode is often extremely forced. A red filer for Daredevil scenes; purple for Jessica Jones; the yellow for Luke Cage in particular is often very off-putting. It's a shame, because it's one of the only other production areas behind the scenes where the show seems to have dropped the ball, coming across more as unimaginative than at all stylish.

Interactions and conflicts between the characters are the easy highlight

In short, The Defenders is a bit of a mixed bag, and may be helped in my eyes party because of my familiarity and love of the source material. It's true that there are a great deal of problems with the show, and that largely comes down to the script. The script is not kind towards the supporting cast of the show, often sidelining them and offering very little by way of development. Although most are given uses, the implementation of some characters sometimes feels forced, as their purpose only serves to slow down the story. A story which has pacing issues at the best of times. And let's not even start talking about the character of Iron Fist. It's a shame that it would be more appropriate to call Danny Rand Danny Bland. On that note, the story is also fairly dull and predictable, ultimately offering nothing to audiences that we have not seen before. Throw in some often dreadful cinematography which makes it difficult to see what is actually happening most of the time. With all that said, the show also has many high points. The main four characters are great and have fun interactions and chemistry, while the villains are also strong in their own right. The action is solid, as is the action throughout the entire show. Other behind the scenes factors are also excellent, including the editing and score, though the lighting is often a little strange. With all that said, what elevates The Defenders to the score I have given comes down to the aforementioned interactions as well as the emotion injected into the script through the themes of heroism and life. The show takes a mature stance on life and mortality, acknowledging that death is inevitable and the constant struggle of the human race to try and avoid it. The leads are also not as perfect as those of the movies. These are not super soldiers from WWII, billionaire philanthropists, or Asgardian gods. These are troubled and broken people, people who truly do not believe that they are heroes or deserve to be regarded as such, but, when the time is right, step up to help others and defend their city. This is why the Marvel Netflix shows are so enjoyable and often superior to the movies. They understand the humanity that characters require to become liable icons that an audience can aspire to. Of course we can't all be PIs with super strength, or a kid with a glowing fist, or a man with unbreakable skin, or even a blind lawyer who has super-hearing and fights crime by night, but the show is meant to inspire an audience to stand for what they believe is right, and fight for it. For all it's problems, at least The Defenders conveys this. Don't avenge your ideals and others after they have been beaten. Defend them.

Pros

• Solid acting for the most part
• The often emotional exploration of themes
• Great character interactions
• (Mostly) intimidating villains
• Fun action
• Editing
• Great score

Cons

• An often terrible script, particularly with supporting characters
• A dull plot
• Iron Fist is still a boring character
• Often questionable cinematography

Rating: 7/10

Release Date: 18th of August 2017

Starring Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Deborah Ann Woll, Simone Missick, Elden Henson, Eka Darville, Rachael Taylor, Jessica Henwick, Rosario Dawson,  Carrie Anne Moss, Scott Glenn, Elodie Yung and Sigourney Weaver