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Sunday, November 5, 2017
SUPERHEROES ON TV
WHERE DO THESE SUPERHEROES COME FROM?
Long before the onslaught of superheroes over the past decade, these characters had been making their way onto the small screen through adaptations of comic books as far back as the 1950's. Many of these television shows did not give us lasting substance to hang on to. A few of the good ones became hits ("The Incredible Hulk" and "Batman") and remain part of our pop culture. For example, the 90's classic "Lois and Clark" allowed us to get to know real people and connect with them.
But unfolding now, the new superheroes have brought us their human side and we can enjoy them even more. They are real people and are sensitive as well as interested in relationships with normal humans.
MARVEL made a deal with Netflix in 2015. Netflix announced at the Television Critics Association summer meeting that it would be rolling out a new Marvel superhero series every six months. The first to be released was 13 episodes of "Daredevil."
Daredevil is played by Boardwalk Empire's Charlie Cox. The character first appeared on Marvel pages in 1964. After being blinded by a radioactive substance as a child. Matt Murdock's other senses became enhanced. He takes to the streets at night to serve justice for "Hell's Kitchen" in New York. His day job is being a lawyer with his old college friend, Foggy, played by Elden Henson. Rosario Dawson plays a nurse friend who tries to patch him up after his fighting bouts and is a love interest.
"Foggy" (photo below)
Vincent D'Onofrio makes a shocking appearance as Wilson Fisk, a bald business man from Hell's Kitchen. He captures the sensitive side of this character who has a very aggressive and bullish personality. I did not recognize him!
Of course, Daredevil has to be a daredevil and mess with him....well you have to watch the show to see what happens! The first few episodes of Daredevil are slow and show us his world of isolation and darkness with night scenes and displays of his skills as a fighter. Be patient because it pays off to keep watching and things get rolling. Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page) is the blonde secretary for the law office and is a daredevil herself as she tries to get to the bottom of things in Hells Kitchen!
"Daredevil" was nominated for 5 Prime Time Emmy's and had 5 wins and 24 nominations.
Jon Bernthal joins the "Daredevil" series as The Punisher. He is one of our favorites from "The Walking Dead." He is perfect for the character. A violent, intense superhero who has lost everything. Matt Murdock and "Foggy" take his case and defend him with Karen helping them. It gets interesting!
This week a new series "The Punisher" was released. The show is very well done. It shows what he was doing during the time the team was first getting together. Jon Bernthal does some exceptional acting.
"LUKE CAGE" surprised me with an elaborate style of filming.
A cross between Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee with beautiful set designs and lighting keeping the shots in a surreal comic book style. It starts out in a barber shop with Luke Cage and his friends. He is sweeping the floor and keeping a low profile. I was immediately drawn in by the colorful setting and natural dialogue.
The Harlem nightclub where the Kingpin has his office is a set designers perfection with blue and yellow lighting and great music in the background. This first episode maintains this high standard of set design, lighting, music and acting revealing this world to us at a steady pace and sets everything up for a great series! First Class. . .two thumbs up from me.
Luke Cage is played by Mike Colter. When a sabotaged experiment gives him super strength and unbreakable skin, he is attempts to rebuild his life in Harlem and fight for his city. We have been watching Season 2 of Luke Cage and it maintains the same quality filming as the first one. You will not be disappointed! Streaming on Netflix.
"IRON FIST" played by Finn Jones is a martial artist and the most foreign of Netflix's heroes, coming from the extradimensional city of K'un Lun. Full of superhuman energy and impeccable training Iron Fist is Danny Rand by day and uses his chi to control his own strength and those of others.
This series starts out with Danny returning to New York after being missing for 14 years. There was an airplane crash and only he survived to be raised by monks Kinda like a Cinderella story, Danny has two evil brothers who run the family enterprise and don't believe this barefoot street person is their brother! Met by rejection and snobs Danny hangs out in the park and keeps trying to connect with his old life as a child. I was impressed by Finn Jones acting and the way the story and awesome acting and writing kept me watching. It was dramatic and I was concerned when he was admitted to a mental institution because the brothers thought he wanted their business empire and their money. Just when I was getting depressed, the story takes a turn toward the end of the second episode and things start looking up. . .thank goodness! No spoilers! Go watch this one.
"JESSICA JONES" is played by Krysten Ritter of Breaking Bad. Like Daredevil, Jessica became superhuman as the result of a childhood mishap; having been exposed to chemicals in a car accident, she gained extraordinary strength and near invincibility, as well as the ability to fly.
Jones has a fairly uneventful superhero career until she
intervenes in a disturbance at a restaurant involving Zebediah
Killgrave, the Purple Man, played by David Tennant. He uses his power of mind control to place Jones under his command, psychologically torturing her and forcing her to aid his criminal schemes. David Tennant gives an impressive performance acting as Killgrave!
She has given up her life as a super hero saving the world and has become a private investigator. Jessica Jones Season 2 stays interesting and gets really wound up to a 10! Her dark story leads her to some thriller episodes that are intense and scary!! Watch Season 2 on NetFlix!
"THE DEFENDERS"
Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist join forces to take on common enemies as a sinister conspiracy threatens New York City as their paths cross in the series called "The Defenders."
I have to mention Stan Lee who keeps reinventing the heroes and is the master mind behind them. We thank him for keeping this going strong all these years so we can enjoy Marvel comic book heroes! Stan Lee . . . an American
comic -book writer, editor, and publisher, who was formerly executive
vice president and publisher of Marvel Comics. He created Spider-Man,
the Hulk, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, Thor,
the X-Men, and many other characters.
On July16, 2017, Lee (born December 28, 1922 in New York City) was
named a Disney Legend, a hall of fame program that recognizes
individuals who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution the
The Walt Disney Company.
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