Thought Bubble Thursdays #18 - Immortal Dragon Falls Off Wagon
A post that is good enough alone can stand on its own.
-- No one ever
I've held out on writing about Netflix's Marvel's Iron Fist for as long as I can, but the celestial entites have aligned and now I must face my destiny.
So, without further ado, I…
Oh huh… it seems I have already shown the cover. Great. And, I had this whole kung-fu inspired intro, too. Awesome. Hmm… well this is awkward. I guess I'll just… start?
Sure. Okay.
Enter, the Dragon
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For those of you unfamiliar with the character, all you have to know is that the Iron Fist is not just the name of the superhero in question, but a title bestowed upon the greatest fighter of a mystical city called K'un-Lun. As all mystical cities go, K'un-Lun phases in and out of the physical world every 88 years, so champions come few and far in between. But, that's a story for a different post.
How it's relevant is that in K'un-Lun, there is a cave, and in the cave lives an immortal dragon named Shou-Lao the Undying. Now, apart from being immortal, as suggested by its name, Shou-Lao the Undying serves as the source of power for the city. Not only that, fighting it is the final test when the city is choosing its champion, the Iron Fist.
Basically, the greatest fighters all take a shot at killing an immortal dragon in their quest to become a mystical city's champion. To defeat the dragon, one must plunge one's fist into its heart, thereby gaining a fraction of its power. Shou-Lao the Undying then, er, dies, only to be reborn in time for the choosing of the next champion. And so the cycle continues. So, exactly like the act of insemination.
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
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The trouble with adapting Iron Fist as a property is because, like Luke Cage, it was a product of its time. The so-called Heroes for Hire (the unlikely pair of Luke Cage and Iron Fist) were made in a time when Blaxploitation and White Savior martial artists were all the rage. Given the politically correct climate we live in, the properties don't really jibe all that well, hence the backlash by Social Justice Warriors.
Calls for an Asian Iron Fist jammed up the cyber comicspace, and it felt like the project was dead before it aired. It didn't help that when it finally aired, more than 60% of the scenes revolved around the offices of Rand Enterprises. Offices and Kung Fu. Those are two words that should never be closely associated with each other, unless there was a whole clan of ninjas scaling up the walls and shaolin monks making a last stand on the rooftop. Sadly, that scene happened in Daredevil Season 2 instead (minus the shaolin monks). On top of that, the show was created by the guy who created the TV series Dexter (which was a great show, except for the final seasons) and who followed it up with Marvel's weakest product to date, the widely panned Inhumans. Personally, I think the guy just doesn't get comic book properties, but I digress.
Add to the fact that the property doesn't have the same renown as the others, it's easy for people to misunderstand where it's coming from. Unless it's a straight up, balls to the wall brawlfest, complete with kick-ass choreography and super strange concepts, it would never live up to expectations.
Even bringing in a new showrunner couldn't help right the ship. It was too far gone before it even set sail. They had lessons from The Defenders and Danny Rand's Luke Cage season two appearance to learn from, but they just couldn't get a handle on it.
Perhaps, the problems were deeper than anyone realized. Casting choices, shoddy writing, blame everything.
Kung Fu Hassle
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So there it was, the little show that can. Or at least, tried to. It never stood a chance. Really though, it had a few bright spots, but they could never shine through the dark cloud hanging over the series. It tried to do too much and too little at the same time. Sadly, it didn't have the same kick as the other shows. Daredevil is famous enough to warrant his own movie. Jessica Jones has the backing of the whole feminist agenda. Likewise, Luke Cage has the African-American community behind him. Iron Fist, well… he should have the backing of the maligned sector of society every SJW is trying to take down, and yet he doesn't. The show tried to stand even though everything is kicking it down.
This is not a review of the show, not even a recap of all the themes. You see, Iron Fist was cancelled a little less than a week ago. And, I'm not trying to start a campaign to bring it back on the merit of what it could be given the right direction. I'm just trying to acknowledge that it was here, and that it existed.
Isn't it all anyone could ask for?
The characters will live on, even if as a supporting role in all the other shows that continue their run. And maybe that's where they truly belong. No character in the series ever had marquee billing. It's amazing that they even made it to the small screen! But, for the others who aren't lucky enough to continue, life goes on.
Oh, and speaking of other shows, Daredevil returns for its third season tomorrow, exclusively in Netflix!
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I ❤️ Marvel. Whilst I prefer the characters and stories at DC, Marvel do a better job at creating a coherent editorial narrative across all their titles. And that’s how they’ve been able to bring that across to film & TV.
I watched S1 of Iron Fist. Because Marvel. And I knew it was introducing a character that was then going to be part of the Defenders.
Daredevil was awesome. Hated the movie. Cage was seriously badass. And Jessica Jones is both funny and tragic and equally addictive.
I felt compelled to watch Iron Fist. I’m also a huge Gongfu & martial arts fan, so it was kinda cool.
But it was also pretty forgettable. I can’t really put my finger on why, but it didn’t have what the others had. Maybe Matt Murdoch, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage work as 2nd-rate superheroes (i.e. not Avengers) because they’re ordinary folk living amongst the ordinary folk in local communities.... and Danny Rand is not?
Can’t use the whole ‘rich white guy’ thing as a reason because ... well, Tony Stark (and Bruce Wayne)
I’d even think the whole mystical eastern warrior-monk trope would make it work.... but Dr Strange does that so much better.
Iron Fist has simply never captured anyone’s imagination. It’s too many tropes squeezed into one character... tropes that are already being used well by other titles/characters. It’s just not actually original.
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Right!? I think you hit the nail right on the head there! Too many tropes squeezed into one character. It's like they're trying to do too much things all at once. They should've focused on key characteristics and rolled with it. Iron Fist should've been great for TV, but they really missed a huge opportunity. It's a shame too because I think they could've played the rich-guy-suddenly-became-broke card quite well. Just imagine a spoiled white kid trying to relearn how to be a normal human being.
Also, fun fact, all of Netflix's Defenders have been part of the Avengers, with Luke Cage leading the team at one point. Maybe they could've just created a Defenders series where the characters feature separately. Like, DD has episode 1, JJ has episode 2 with a cameo appearance from Cage, and so on. Maybe that would've fixed it? Them having their own solo outings but still as an ensemble.
I appreciate your passionate comment for my post. You're good people! There should be more people on Steemit like you :D
Damn it gif man, you never told me of this post!!
For that, I challenge you to... The death!!!
Or maybe something less harmless..
I constantly see adverts for Iron Fist and never write fancied it. It just looked like a cash in on the current catalogue of superheroes overrunning (in a good way) our TV screens.
So I for one am glad it's cancelled! Glad I tell you!!
Ha! Caught you off-guard, didn't I!? I want to be anonymous from time to time, like all gentlemen does.
Well then... I'll see your challenge, and I raise you.. steaks!!
Good thing you didn't bother watching it, BOOMdagger! Else you would've been turned off by anything Marvel! I just wish they could've handled the property properly.
They obviously didn't know the first thing about steak cooking!! And when I say steaks I mean something else entirely!!
But, of course! I completely know what you mean, BROthermostat! We are of the same mind, you and I, that's why no context clues are needed to arrive at the same exact conclusion!
SJW's, snowflakes, feminazis, they are just ruining entertainment all over the damn place! I'm all for a strong female character for example, but not when it tries too hard, yuck, and because I'm a woman I can say that but because I'm white I can't say much else without being jumped on these days sheeshhhhh, LOL!
Glad these are back my brother!
Just because people are so sensitive these days, we have to walk on eggshells so as not to get mugged on. Heck, I'm not even sure if we're allowed to use that term or if "eggshells" is now a derogatory term sheesh!
I don't know if you remember, but I've written about it here once before that I was mobbed online by feminazis, all the while I was defending women. I was like "WTF I'm on your side!" but they all turned all because I think I may have mentioned a term that didn't sit well with the Feminazi Agenda. Hard lesson learned for me back then. That was way before Steemit.
I do remember! I wish I would have been around for that one, we would have had a trounce on feminazi party haha!!
Alas, I wish those women the best in their agenda!
and if you watched the season they literally try to please them like they need special care. This is the exact same thing they suppose to be fighting. They changed the story adding something that never existed in first place just because "strong female character" while the female character was already strong and was already considered a badass in par with Iron Fist even though she had no powers and they took that away too
In their defense, Wu Ao-Shi (the pirate queen of Pinghai Bay) really existed as a legendary Iron Fist in the comics. There was also the female Iron Fist from 1,000,000 B.C. (but, I guess that's included in the SJW pleasing phase) and Fongji Wu (the Phoenix-Iron Fist hybrid from AvX) But, you're right that Colleen never became the Iron Fist in the comics, and it really does seem like a response for the call for representation.
they fucked up with iron fist. I didn't know they cancelled it that was big news but i was expecting it when i saw the last 2-3 episodes. I should have written it in my post, now i would be a prophet :P
I don't understand why the heck are they listening the sjw. They are a small % of the views, they are literally can't do anything to prevent the film or show, everything is just on their mind.
If the series is good then people will watch it, if you try to please anyone and miss the main reason people liked it in comics then screw you it will fail. Take the last spiderman films for example, whatever nonsense the sjw could say it would never affected the movie because it was simply great
With the Disney streaming service coming (I really thought it was Disney Life that we got a few months back), I guess this was something inevitable.
They're trying to please everyone, all the while alienating many others. I think they're making calculated risks based on their calculations, so I guess they're okay with losing preexisting fans maybe because they feel like we would just return eventually.
they wanna please a tiny bit % called sjw that i am pretty sure mostly nobody of them watch these shows :P All in all i hope that cancellations of the shows it due to the Disney streaming service and that when they make them again to be better, or they will end up cancelled again :P
Ha! Yeah.. I doubt a lot of SJWs really tune in to the shows. They just watch a bit to make sure everyone's following their agenda. I hope so, too. I wish they just team them up and have a Heroes for Hire show that doesn't take itself too seriously.
I'm pretty sure I read some Iron Fist comics ages ago (my dad has/had a LOT of comics, but Phantom was his favourite so there were only smatterings of things that weren't Phantom XD). I knew that Iron Fist was a title for the character as well as a superhero name but...I had no idea that was how they got it and with your comparison I can never think of it the same way again, no amount of brain bleach is going to help here XD
If they'd "whitewashed" the movie I could understand why SJWs were up in arms. Are we now only allowed to learn kung fu if Chinese? Damn I'm doomed :D
Phantom! Oh man! I collected so many newspaper clippings just to piece together the larger arc they're trying to tell. It was published in short strips in newspapers here.
That's the thing though, it's like they're calling for a reversal. The series wasn't whitewashed because it was white in the first place. Sure, one could argue that the comics itself was whitewashed, but now I don't know why they haven't realized their reverse racism is actually hurting the cause more than it's helping it.
What, just because someone is "Asian" and by Asian I mean they're literally bracketing Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Indonesians, etc into one category, they should know how to Kung Fu? That's ridiculous! I really hate how they're arguing that.
There were comics in the papers here too. I didn't read them religiously, it was kind of a thing to do in the morning or afternoon if I wasn't watching cartoons before and after school, and I knew there were arcs and I even wondered how people kept track of the arcs but 16-17yo me was too dumb to think about collecting them and just assumed people had good memories for things like this XD
Racism is just racism regardless of which way it's going. I remember there being issues way back when with this person who was pretty convinced that one couldn't be racist against white people and therefore all racist behaviour against white people was perfectly fine and not racist but if a white person looked at a non-white person wrongly RACISM. Could not drill sense into them and basically telling them they were being racst meant you were racist (though after hearing about this particular drama for a while I'm pretty sure if you had said anything at all that wasn't 100% agreeing with every piece of crap that came out of this person meant you were racist XD).
And I meant I'm not Chinese, but I am learning kung fu, but when you're talking to some people who go really extreme with this kind of thing that counts as "co-opting someone else's culture", which is where I would get in trouble XD
But yes I think it's kinda dumb.
I'm currently watching iron fist buddy, it's a splendid Marvel super hero series, quite strange that it revolves around Japanese, Chinese and Asians in general and at the end a Chinese lady Colleen wing got the iron fist powers taken from Danny Rand.
It actually just revolves around Chinese concepts, with a little sprinkling of Japanese by way of Colleen Wing (who is of Japanese decent, teaching the Japanese martial art Karate). I do have to admit that the series in general is quite forgettable and sadly didn't live up to its potential.