Daredevil, Marvel TV Done Right

The casting for this show was perfect, especially Charlie Cox in the titular role.

This post is going to devolve into spoilers really quick, because I want to talk about elements of the show I liked, the few I did not, and my thoughts on the future.

For the spoiler free stuff:

The Good: I loved the show. Not a single episode left me feeling unhappy, though there were certainly some notable highlights.

The Bad: I didn't feel that Wilson Fisk was ever, truly, the Kingpin of Crime, as his comic counterpart is hailed. This is partially because the series felt like an origin story for Fisk, almost more so than for Daredevil. Even so, I struggled with the Fisk character for some moments, though the actor is a damn imposing man and there were some definitely stellar moments for the character.

The Ugly: I don't care for Netflix's publishing schedule -- everything available at once. For one, it caused me to really, really want to binge, simply because it was so good. I know this doesn't sound like a bad thing, but I wanted time to do other things, but couldn't with the rest of the amazing first season right there, waiting for me. Also, the all-at-once schedule means that the conversations about the show won't last -- there won't be a week-to-week discussion, as everyone anticipates what's coming next. They can just watch the next episode. And, post binge, we now have a MUCH longer wait for what comes next!

Well, I labeled that ugly because it's hard to deny how awesome the show is, so being able to watch it at my own pace wasn't awful. But there's something to be said for anticipation and the enjoyment of something over a longer period of time. As an American, I can't do that when you put everything on the plate in front of me.

With the announcment of Daredevil getting a season 2 in 2016 (YES!), I'm very excited for the future of Marvel's Netflix enterprises. The format allows them to quickly judge what works well and what doesn't, and promises to give us more of what we love. Out of the listed shows, I was previously only interested in Iron Fist. Now that Daredevil surprisingly wowed me, I'm hopeful for AKA Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.

Alright, that's you're spoiler free bit. Go away, those who could control their urges/don't have Netflix/don't realize Daredevil is one of the absolute best things on Netflix right now. You've been warned.

------------SPOILERS, YO---------------

Easter Eggs - Daredevil was full of hints and nods to the greater Marvel universe. Much of this was specific to Daredevil comics, but I LOVED the early nod to Iron Fist, in arguably the most visible "egg," the drug packets feature a nod to Iron Fist (though this will be more of a plot point than an actual egg, but I'm allowing it because not many people seem to have realized and Iron Fist isn't out yet).

Darker Tone - Marvel has been dying for a darker tone. This has been apparent since The Winter Soldier, the darkest-in-tone film to date. Daredevil picks it up a notch and really gives me hope for the future of the Marvel Netflix shows -- they really are willing to do things that they can't do on the big screen (because, in the US of A, and R rating would be a death sentence for them).

Possibly an Iron Fist enemy? And the imposing Kingpin of Crime.

The Kingpin of Crime - Wilson Fisk does not feel like the Kingpin in this season. He was a badass villain, and some of his scenes remain my favorite in the series (that Daredevil beat down in 9! Damn!), but he wasn't the smooth, controlled criminal the comics paint him out to be. It feels almost like part of an origin story, because his relationship with Vanessa (who I thought was perfectly cast) is clearly changing him. And SHE is the more level-headed one. I'm glad Kingpin feels unique in this series, I was honestly expecting a carbon copy from most Kingpin portrayals.

Stick's Agenda - What is Stick trying to get Daredevil ready for? The only Daredevil arc I've ever read was the "Shadowland" event a few years back. Daredevil took control of The Hand (Japanese ninjas -- Nobu was almost definitely a member of The Hand), erected a massive, Japanese-style fortress in Hell's Kitchen, and took the law into his own hands (and, of course, had to be stopped by all the other street-level heroes.). Is the show jumping to as recent a storyline as that? If so, I doubt they'd go the full dark side route, but I'd still like to see something like Shadowland come to fruition.

Nobu, a member of The Hand? The costume fits!

Friday at the Movies: Best of Netflix

Hi all,

Just posting this as a place holder. I spent far too long beating my first campaign of XCOM tonight and didn't set aside time for... well, anything else.

Sorry again for being late! Now, I'm going to list my Netflix Streaming suggestions, give a brief line as to why, and then move on with my weekend!

TV Series

Supernatural - Click the link to see the blog post I wrote about Supernatural previously!

Doctor Who - I did a couple blog posts about this, too. There will be more, when I eventually re-watch the remaining seasons...

The Firefly's Crew

Firefly - Follow Malcom Reynolds and his crew about their spaceship, Firefly. The cast is fantastic, the storyline amazing, and the universe feels unique. And remember, Captain Reynolds aims to misbehave...

Lost - One of the first TV series I watched completely on Netflix, Lost is a rollercoaster ride of a show. It all starts when an commercial airplane crashes on an apparently deserted island. There are survivors from the crash, and they have to adjust to their current living situation, as well as each other. Oh, and to the island, which isn't exactly uninhabited. Or in any way normal. Show is amazing for those who like suspense and twisting storylines. I will warn you, the first few seasons are the best, then it is downhill. Worth it, but downhill. And the ending is crap. But worth it!

Heroes - I really enjoyed watching the first season of Heroes. I felt it was an interesting view on what would happen if normal people randomly got super powers. Unfortunately, the later seasons decided that premise wasn't enough (I think they watched too much Lost), but it's at least interesting.

Breaking Bad - I'm only a couple seasons in, but this show is fantastic. Walter White, a suburban dad and high school teacher, finds out he has cancer. He turns to cooking and selling Meth to support his family.

That's the premise, anyway. It gets all sorts of nutty and awesome after that. If you're not hooked by the first 2-3 episodes, you're nuts. Another rollercoaster, but it ossilates between suspense, action, and "WTF?" moments.

Twin Peaks - This show's premise isn't exciting. A girl gets killed in a small, secluded town and an FBI agent arrives to try and find out who. What is interesting, however, is the FBI agent, Agent Cooper, and his really, really strange approach to... well, everything. Seriously, this show is 100% worth watching, simply because of him.

It IS another example of a show that starts good but doesn't maintain it. I loved the first season. It hits the suspense just right, it introduces phenomenally interesting characters, and focuses mostly on Cooper. The second season pulls a bit away from Cooper to include additional side stories, and, once the main suspense elements are cut in the second season, the show falters. In fact, it goes a touch too crazy, which is when I stopped.

Still, the first season alone makes it one of my favorite television shows, ever.

Movies

The Fifth Element - My favorite Bruce Willis movie (well, tied with 12 Monkeys, which is also on Netflix...), The Fifth Element takes place on Earth in an advanced future. The end of the world is approaching (literally), and it's up to an unusual group to put a stop to it.

Really, really interesting characters, and I especially love the main antagonist. Additionally, it has one of the best shoot-out scenes ever, especially since it is set during a Space Opera.

Blade Runner - Another futuristic movie, though Blade Runner features a much darker, grittier Earth. Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, a retired private detective type character who specializes in hunting down artificial humans, also known as Replicants. He gets called out of retirement when a gang of Replicants get loose on Earth.

Amazing dystopian setting, mind bending questions, and a not too clear ending make this one of my favorite films of all time.

Kick-Ass - This is a movie that is based on one of Mark Millar's graphic novels which mocks super hero comics. The "super heroes" in this movie are simply regular folks who dress up and try to fight crime.

Sounds a little lame, but it is awesome. And, despite the premise, it quickly picks up the pace and turns into an action packed comic book movie with a main character that you can't help to sympathize with.

Bunraku - This one... is hard to explain. It stars Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson, and someone named Gackt as protagonists set in a dystopian world where guns are outlawed and the only fighting that occurs is with melee weapons. It is a super-stylized film and has a very different art style, but the fight scenes are awesome and it reminds me of a good anime, only with real people.

Highlander - An immortal guy has to cut off other immortal guys' heads to take their power. It's set in a relatively contemporary world for when it was made.

A Knight's Tale - Heath Ledger masquerades as a knight to win fame and honor on the tournament field.

Also features a kickass soundtrack the most interesting depiction of Chaucer I've ever seen.

Serenity - This movie is the sequel/ending to the tragically short Firefly show. It's decent in its own right as well, though you'll appreciate it more if you watch Firefly first.

Tomorrow, When the War Began - I actually just watched this last night. It's basically Breaking Dawn set in Australia, which is pretty awesome. The characters are mildly archetypal,  though that doesn't stop them from being enjoyable and interesting to watch as they react to their homeland being invaded.

Apparently it's based off of a book series, which I will now how to hunt down and read.

Daybreakers - In this movie, vampires rule the world while humanity is a natural resource that is running out. It's really this premise that makes it interesting, but that's enough if you want to try a different take on vampires.

If I remember correctly, it's a touch gory at times, but I enjoyed it from start to finish.

Anime 

High School of the Dead - Watched this recently and enjoyed it. There isn't too much plot until the end, but the setting of a zombie outbreak and a group of high school students having to fight their way to find friends and family was done much, much better than I would have expected. Being only one season, there are a lot of loose ends -- I'm hoping a second season eventually sees daylight.

Trigun - Check out the recent blog post if you missed it!

Other

The Guild - These "episodes" are done in the style of a video blog. They are very short, though interesting none-the-less. The cast are a group of MMO players that, at the start of the show, end up setting into motion plans to meet in real life for the first time. It is very, very funny.


Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog - I've already blogged about this because I love it so damn much. Go watch it NOW!


This post was more difficult than I thought! I didn't realize how many shows rotated OFF of Netflix Instant Streaming after I'd watched them -- this list is more of suggestions as of today, I really could post all my actual favorites, because they're disc only now.

Either way, this list will get you started. Maybe I'll do a different list on another Friday for my top five movies of all time... That'd be interesting. And Difficult.