Reviews Series / The Defenders 2017

eh...no

After five seasons of varying quality, Marvel have finally brought all four of their heroes together; a blind ninja, a super strong alcoholic, a bulletproof ex-con, and a billionaire Shaolin monk, to fight a mysterious organisation known as "The Hand". It seems like a show that will be stronger than the sum of its parts, and with Sigourney Weaver on-board as the leader of The Hand, it all looks super exciting.

One thing this show gets right is the running length. The number one criticism of all the Marvel tv shows is that they run for far too long and have to pad everything out. Here they've trimmed off all the fat, and we have eight lean episodes of varying length with a very clear focus. That makes it far more watchable.

Unfortunately the show is a let down in a lot of ways. On the most basic conceptual level, the issue with combining these four superheroes is that whilst they seem diverse, their powers all basically revolve around being very good at punching people. This means that every action scene quickly devolves into either a one on one fight, or a group brawl. On top of this, these superheroes are clearly better at fighting than anyone else they go up against, so there never is a credible threat of them losing. Worse though are the actual fights themselves. If you are making a martial arts show along the lines of Martial Law, don't have terrible choreography and camera work. I presume most of the cast aren't professional martial artists, as the editing is doing its best to obscure the fights with constant, disorientating cuts. There is none of the inventive and stylish fighting of Dare Devil.

As much as I hate to say it, Sigourney Weaver is also kind of a let down. She spends most of the season doing very little except standing around, making veiled threats at people - the show establishes that she is dying, becoming increasingly vulnerable, but it doesn`t go anywhere with it and she gets completely wasted as a concept. Speaking of the villains, the Hand`s plot is overly convoluted, when really it consists of them trying to open a big door underground to get to an (ultimately underwhelming) treasure inside. For all their clichés about power and danger, at no point do you ever get a sense that these guys are any real match for the heroes.

The heroes themselves are kind of fun when they bounce off one another. Jessica Jones spends the whole time snarking at the other's costumes and rolling her eyes every time Danny Rand proclaims he is the Iron Fist. That everyone hates Rand, including his own comrades, is probably the best thing about the show. Unfortunately it never quite comes together. The weak action, uninspired villains, and the lack of urgency or imagination make this a slightly dull and lifeless show. At least it is a short one.