Discuss Marvel's Iron Fist
Discuss → TV Shows → Marvel's Iron Fist → General
The most bizarre critical response I've ever seen
posted by A to ZSTAFFMOD on March 19, 2017 at 5:39 PM
So far it has 44 reviews on rotten tomatoes. 7 are "fresh" but if you read the reviews, not a single one is positive. It has 19 reviews on Metacritic. Not *a single one positive.
It is pretty unprecedented for a TV series or movie to get not a single positive review. Even Fantastic 4 managed it.
Iron Fist is currently at 8.2 on IMDB after 10,000 votes. Amongst the top 1000 voters, who tend rate similarly to critics, it has 7.6.
Luke Cage had an 8.0 after about 30,000 votes. It looks like it will end up with a similar rating. Luke cage as a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Now I understand that there are a lot of critics giving it bad ratings because they are racist. But the fact that *not a single one has given it a positive review strikes me as bizarre. Surely not all critics are SJWs?
Reply by danflorian1984
on March 22, 2017 at 4:43 AM
As a social commentary sure. As a superhero TV show it was so boring to me that I only managed to watch 6 episodes in 3 attempts, while I binged the other 3 Netflix shows. Having an all powerful superhero going against a bar owner was even more unsuspenful than a faster than bullets superhero going against a boomerang throwing villain.
Reply by in_the_crease
on March 22, 2017 at 11:25 AM
See, I'm the opposite. I don't see how anyone can take issue with Jessica Jones. Not only was Killgrave the most nuanced villain, as you mentioned, but Jessica is the most nuanced hero. Her conflicts and inner turmoil were fascinating in Alias, and continued to be on her Netflix series. Her imperfections are what makes her perfect to watch or read.
At any rate, I felt the Luke Cage series missed the point. Luke's early adventures were Marvel's attempt to cash in on the Blaxploitation trend of the 1970s. I was hoping the Luke Cage series was going to be an homage to that genre in much the same way that the film Jackie Brown (and, to a much lesser extent, Black Dynamite) was. Even Iron Fist used a couple split screen shots that paid tribute to the very same kung fu flicks that influenced the Danny Rand character in the first place. Stylistically, Luke Cage was bland. I also felt the plot moved at a snail's pace, and while I will admit that it was a better written series than Iron Fist, as far as entertainment value goes, I thought Luke Cage was a total disappointment. They took one of my all time favorite characters, and made a series that failed to hold my attention.
Anyway, Daredevil and Jessica Jones are untouchable though.
Reply by Aylmer
on March 22, 2017 at 12:23 PM
Jessica Jones was unwatchable. The cheap feel of the production value made the episodes I skimmed through feel like I was watching the pilot of some failed show. Was hard to take it seriously. What I saw of Luke Cage wasn't much better.
I'd have to put Iron Fist right up there with Daredevil. I had a lot of fun watching it, loved the cast, thought the plot moved just fine! Not really into the Defenders thing, but I do hope there's another season of Iron Fist and Daredevil, and hopefully we'll get more Punisher, too.
Reply by ShinyNZ
on March 23, 2017 at 3:19 AM
OK, I totally love it that you feel that way about JJ - I think JJ was freaking AWESOME. I can just understand why some people don't like it, because... well, 'some people' ;) AND you just can't please everyone...
Can't believe you though LC was bland though! I loved it. When we first heard they were making a LC I've gotta be honest, I was a little scared _precisely _because of the early source material - I mean, I love the idea of a superhero/Blaxploitation mix-up - but in this political time and age I was a little worried it would come across too 'Undercover Brother' and not enough 'Shaft' (shut yo mouth). I LOVE that Anthony Mackie has said on record he'd like a Blaxploitation Falcon solo effort - I feel like a movie could be done really well, and seeing the style of Thor Ragnorok... well, I feel like there's room for it. I feel like LC as the first series (and the first mainstream series in a really long time that's had a black actor in a very black superhero role) - going to Blaxploitation route - coulda been a touch too 'on the nose' (although it would probably be really, really fun).
Perhaps it's possible that Netflix would be interested in doing a Blaxploitation series of LC after Defenders has done it's thing? I think now that the bloom's off the rose it could totally go that way and be awesome!?
ALSO - depending on how long the superhero 'trend' continues - and Netflix's interest in it - **HOW COOL WOULD A REBOOT OF BLADE BE AS A LONG-RUNNING-SERIES WITH A BLAXPLOITATION/HORROR THEME??? **I mean - that's my dream (wish list!) :)
Reply by lantzn
on March 23, 2017 at 3:27 AM
I loved DD, liked JJ and Luke Cage. JJ had the best villain, Tennant was chilling. I'm into IF 9 episodes and just don't care for the actor playing Danny. Ward is the most interesting to watch, you never know what he's going to do.
Reply by ShinyNZ
on March 23, 2017 at 4:24 AM
^ Yeah, I feel like the Danny-actor has about as much natural charisma as a shoelace
Reply by A to Z
on March 25, 2017 at 7:14 PM
I kind of feel the same way. Even though it was corny at times, and sometime clunky, I enjoyed it the most of all of the Netflix series. The other series felt like homework a lot of the time. With Iron Fist I always wanted to watch another episode when I finished the last one.
Reply by MrsBuckyBarnes
on July 19, 2017 at 4:40 PM
not just @Jessica-Drew 's opinion. i thought this trailed a very far 4th as well.
Reply by ShinyNZ
on September 1, 2017 at 12:30 AM
Jessica Jones a distant 4th place???
Even if you don't like Jessica, Kilgrave has HANDS DOWN been the most well-drawn villain in all these Netflix shows! That at least bumps it to 2nd. Wow.
Reply by MrsBuckyBarnes
on September 1, 2017 at 4:14 AM
not for me. the most well written villain for me was kingpin. quite a complex character, no superpowers, and superbly depicted by vincent d'onofrio. i would say that david tennant was the saving grace of jessica jones but the show still remains in 3rd for me (iron fist would be 4th) and is not one i would watch again. my main issue with jj is that i found the main character utter obnoxious and the feminist subtext was horribly rendered. then there are the usual issues of these marvel tv series of being overly long and lagging at the half way stage.
Reply by MrRadical
on September 1, 2017 at 1:08 PM
Newsflash, people have different opinions, I suspect you'd rate JJ higher just because the protagonist is a woman.
Reply by ShinyNZ
on September 7, 2017 at 6:55 AM
well MRradical, maybe you're projecting your own preferences here no?
Reply by MrRadical
on September 7, 2017 at 2:01 PM
Nope, just a hunch.
Reply by ShinyNZ
on September 19, 2017 at 7:08 AM
Seems pretty clear that someone called MRanything who drops some kind of gender stereotype into _any _conversation just 'cause he can't imagine someone liking a different TV series, could use a little honest self-reflection. To paraphrase the great FBI agent Gordon Cole, "fix your heart". ;) But I'm here to discuss awesome pop culture, not try to fix someone else's issues for them, so, blocked.
Reply by Terrie
on November 12, 2017 at 8:36 PM
Even though this came out back in March I just now watched it. I thought it was alright as we were given insight into The Hand and why The Hand was the subject of The Defenders. I had already watched The Defenders. If you paid attention, Luke Cage, Daredevil and Jessica Jones were all mentioned although never by name.
I had not read any Iron Fist comic books so I didn't know what to expect.
It did seem like Danny was just acting like a rebellious teenager a lot. But him being gone for 15 years kept getting brought up as an excuse for that.
It was set up pretty clearly that Joy and Davos will be the "big baddies" for a season 2 IF there is one. I'm just wondering if Ward will be on hand and you have to wonder if Harold will be as well.
A lot talked about the other series, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones. Hands down the best villian out of all the series was David Tennant's Kilgrave in Jessica Jones with Vincent D'onofrio's Kingpin a close second.. I hate that season two of Jessica Jones has been so long (since 2015) coming and it's said it's not coming out until 2018.