The goal to make comic book movies more gritty and
realistic, as if that is even possible, was unattainable up to the point of
Netflix's first Marvel outing, Daredevil.
Before that, DC tried unsuccessfully with its underwhelming Dark Knight Trilogy
and miserably disappointing Superman reboot, The Man of Steel. But DC never could get the equation right;
unable to mix the right amounts of edgy authenticity with its canon's
fantasy. That has not been a problem
for Marvel as they score big with its second Netflix installment, Jessica
Jones. Unbelievably, creator Melissa
Rosenberg, of Twilight shame, brings us the best female hero story that I have
seen in my limited lifespan on this wonderful
planet of ours. Another area where DC
loses marks as their Supergirl series reduces all of its females leads to a
high school special level of maturity and
interaction. Instead, Rosenberg presents
us with powerful female performances that reflect an actuality that’s difficult to dismiss. She takes some significant risks running the gambit of several archetypes with enormous rewards thanks to some inspired
writing and skilled performances from a stellar cast. Marvel also respects its source material with
near dogma at times, unlike DC, who seems to feel the established mythology is
as flexible as Gumby in the heat wave;
Ritter brings the bitter, jaded, alcoholic Jones to illustriously
depressing and cynical life. Her portrayal is immediately convincing and you
find yourself deeply conflicted at times as whether to curse her imperfections
or root for her determination. Her hero
role is complimented by a villain, played terrifyingly well, by Dr. Who alumni,
Tennant; a hellish Ying to her damaged Yang.
Daredevil was the first comic production to provide us with a carefully
and effectively humanized baddie in
D'Onofrio's ominously entertaining Kingpin.
Jones ups the ante with a disturbingly endearing, outright demonic
malefactor in Kilgrave; the most frightening Marvelesque evil doer to date, in
my earnest opinion. Never have I been
so conflicted in my observations of an individual who possess such definitive
charm and yet exemplifies horrific abilities and absolute malice for life and
others; the quintessential narcissistic sociopath. And why are his powers so viscerally frightening? Other deviants use brute force, technology,
or magical ruses. Kilgrave's ability to strip any person of
free will with a simple statement or command, possessing utter control over their actions and persona,
most times leading to an abominable demise, is possibly the most distressing
and destructive weapon that could be conceived.
And Kilgrave revels in that dominance without remorse or
hesitation. The remaining cast is just
as masterful leaving permanent visual and emotional imprints with each of their
scenes. Far darker and more intense than
Daredevil; this is a brutal, in your face incarnation of the
reluctant heroine paints its story in violence, gore, and an undeniable
genuineness that can be tough to watch at times. It is laden with mature themes, so if you
intend to have the younger set view it with you, which I highly recommend
against, be prepared to field a myriad of questions you will be totally
unprepared to answer. My only
complaints; first it’s the gratuitous sex which adds nothing to the story and
feels as clumsy and forced as a teenager who just found his daddy's stack of
Playboys. Second; I am not a fan of the
whole gray hero bit, where defenders are neither good nor evil but conflicted
messes forced to justify every thought and action, even when it is clear to the
audience that their methods and purposes serve a complete sense of logic. Finally; the whole idea that evil is more of
a perception than actuality is tiresome and, with that rampant ideology seemingly contaminating every film of this type,
it feels more like indoctrination than perspective. With all of that said, this is an extremely
well-crafted series that features a totality of original and dynamic performances. 4 out of 5 Kernels: Where DC fails, Marvel
once again succeeds.
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