Marvel's Luke Cage

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Ambiturner

Ssraeszha Raider
16,040
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Finished the season, loved every moment of it. I liked it better than DD or JJ for the simple reason that the protagonist was likable.

Cornell was a great antagonist but had to go after the first half of the season. He was always going to be the first step that Luke Cage climbed up and over. Cornell himself was an overachiever who scrapped and clawed everything he could and took favors from everyone who would listen to get into a place of power. As soon as there was an issue he would be out of his depth and crack. It's why he had so much focus on being the "king" because he wasn't confident he deserved or could hold onto it.

Whether it was his character (I don't know the comics) or just Mahershala's acting I don't know, but I really enjoyed the genuine laughs Cornell would produce when threatened or insulted. It gave the character a sense of humanness and levity, and betrayed that he wasn't in control of the situation even when he had a room full of armed guards in his castle.

If I had to make one criticism, I didn't think they set up Diamondback correctly. There was too much disassociation between his character and the character they built up before. He seemed to fit the role of Deathstroke in the Arrow series: Hyper-intelligent maniac bent on the absolute destruction of the hero and using a criminal enterprise to do so. However, every seen with Diamondback showed someone who could only destroy and ruin, not set things up. Everything he touched went to shit.

I know they were setting up shades (Who I thought was miscast, Theo Rossi just didn't seem menacing or cunning though they writers/directors tried), but they should have let Diamondback do at least some of the smart work. Or there should have been a scene at the end where Shades explained that he was just using Diamondback as a puppet for his connections or whatever.

Luke Cage himself was perfect. Strong enough to be enjoyable, thoughtful enough to be personable. The action scenes lived up to what the trailer suggested. There's a superman like difficulty in creating interesting and challenging fight scenes with a man who can't be harmed by any weapons in the scene, but I thought they did a good job and even in the last couple episodes him walking through gunfire was entertaining.

The juxtaposition of the action scenes with the music was the highlight of the show. I don't think any TV show has even tried to accomplish the same integration of great music being played by something in the scene and an action sequence. When I was halfway through the series I remarked that I wasn't sure if 100% of the music was played by a scene object, which would be ardorous on the level of having 5 minute fight scenes in apartment hallways. This wasn't true of course, but all the big music scenes were. Beyond the directing/prop placement work, the music was central to the show's Harlem soul.

I saw mixed reviews in this thread for the series, but I hope this TV show is successful enough that in future versions of DD and JJ the writers decide they don't need their characters to be miserable all the time. I'm pretty pumped to see another season.

Disagree with a couple parts of this. I thought the final episode was really bad and Diamondback's outfit looked like something out of Power Rangers. Then them fighting in front of the bystanders cheering him on was just over the top cheesy. Whoever said it was a deleted scene out of Meteor Man was spot on.

I also liked Shades. I never watched Sons of Anarchy so I don't know the actor as some whiny wannabe biker and that might be apart of it. Him always keeping his cool and seeming like he was always a step ahead of everyone was a lot better than Diamondback, Cottonmouth, and Mariah who always seemed like they were on the verge of self destructing.
 
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Tuco

I got Tuco'd!
<Gold Donor>
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I agree on Diamondback's outfit. They should have done a much better job on it. I'm guessing the budget for Ironman's CGI in a movie is more than the entire Luke Cage season, but they needed to do more than a brown jumpsuit and a dorky helmet.

But, I didn't care too much about it. And I enjoyed the 1v1 match on the streets and thought it was totally fitting and cheesy in all the right ways.
 

Shonuff

Mr. Poopybutthole
5,538
790
I agree on Diamondback's outfit. They should have done a much better job on it. I'm guessing the budget for Ironman's CGI in a movie is more than the entire Luke Cage season, but they needed to do more than a brown jumpsuit and a dorky helmet.

Netflix claims that each of their Marvel shows is costing upwards of $100m.
 

Cybsled

Avatar of War Slayer
16,295
11,938
I imagine a bit portion of the cost is the fact they film in NYC. That can't be cheap.
 

Shonuff

Mr. Poopybutthole
5,538
790
Say what you want about Juice whining, but the club put him in the position he was in. Also, he went out like a G. You whiny bitches would be running and screaming like little schoolgirls.

 

Caliane

Golden Baronet of the Realm
14,425
9,802
Just started. episode2.

I feel like Misty Knight is miscast, atm. was shocked that was supposed to be her.
Think either actress in Powers playing Pilgrim, or Sleepy Hollow lady would have been better picks.

Heroes for hire joke in episode 1 made me chuckle. This doesn't end with Heroes for Hire right? leads into Defenders, instead?

kindof hoping for a Blade cameo..
 

Valderen

Space Pirate
<Bronze Donator>
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Just finished it, thoroughly enjoyed it.

The casting for Luke is just perfect the guy is awesome, and very likeable.
 

Xarpolis

Life's a Dream
14,053
15,565
I just finished this as well. I really did like it, but god damn was Diamondback a laughable character. He really seemed like a caricature of "bad guy". Rosario Dawson continues to be as beautiful as ever. Netflix did good casting her back in Daredevil.
 

Raes

Vyemm Raider
3,249
2,707
Just started. episode2.

I feel like Misty Knight is miscast, atm. was shocked that was supposed to be her.
Think either actress in Powers playing Pilgrim, or Sleepy Hollow lady would have been better picks.

Heroes for hire joke in episode 1 made me chuckle. This doesn't end with Heroes for Hire right? leads into Defenders, instead?

kindof hoping for a Blade cameo..

Pretty sure her boobs were cast, and the rest of her just came along.
 

sneakyflute

Golden Squire
156
127
I thought it was just ok but it could have used more action to prop up the lackluster drama. These shows are definitely feeling less Marvel with each installment. Also, I find it kind of strange that they won't release R-rated material on Netflix of all places.
 

meStevo

I think your wife's a bigfoot gus.
<Silver Donator>
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Marvel's LUKE CAGE Original Soundtrack 2XLP

Luke_Cage_Discs_1024x1024.jpg
 
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Aldarion

Egg Nazi
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24,055
Thanks for the feedback on the music in this show. Im a few episodes in and am frankly amazed at how little rap there is. Which is awesome. So far I rate this somewhere between Jessica Jones (which I loved) and Daredevil (which I found unwatchable). I expect to finish the season.
 

Xarpolis

Life's a Dream
14,053
15,565
I gotta say, Method Man's hoodies are always awesome. And nice job selling the bullet hole hoodies. That would make a killing IRL.
 

moonarchia

The Scientific Shitlord
20,906
37,906
Just finished this. Loved it. Diamondback suit was pure 90s comic book cheese, but otherwise just great all around.
 

Drakain

Trakanon Raider
1,585
688
Just started. episode2.

I feel like Misty Knight is miscast, atm. was shocked that was supposed to be her.
Think either actress in Powers playing Pilgrim, or Sleepy Hollow lady would have been better picks.

Heroes for hire joke in episode 1 made me chuckle. This doesn't end with Heroes for Hire right? leads into Defenders, instead?

kindof hoping for a Blade cameo..
Defenders is where it's headed, but as Shonuff Shonuff will tell you it's not 'Defenders.' It looks like they are doing a Heroes for Hire story and calling it Defenders cause a corporate suit thinks it sounds cooler.

I finished last night. Overall I really liked it. I'm in the loved Cottonmouth and Shades camp. Diamondback was not good. However I felt like the whole last episode was a set up for Defenders when it could have been used for more Luke story. That fight with Diamond back was dumb as shit with the ooohhs and ahhhs. If Diamondback is willing to go out in public to fight Cage, why not just start killing people watching before the SWAT team showed up? That would have pushed Luke over the edge and forced him to fight. And the oh there's a power pack on his back powering his punches, better not touch that thing...
I just felt that even with the Judas Bullets Cage was never in danger. Unlike Murdock getting beat and shot and stabbed and JJ getting mind raped.
 

Derkon

Trakanon Raider
2,444
1,183
Got around to finishing this yesterday, don't think I enjoyed this as much as the other Netflix Marvel shows. Luke Cage was probably the most likeable hero they've put out, and I really enjoyed the first half but the show really just fell off for me in the second part. Misty's actress felt forced and Shades tried a bit hard with the bad guy rasp. Not a bad show by any means, just didn't click with me.
 

SorrowsEnd

Trakanon Raider
1,448
746
This show had the same problem that Daredevil and JJ both had...too damn long.

All of these shows would have been better served as just 8 episode stand alone stories.

Luke Cage season 1 should have ended with Cottonmouth dying. Mr Pernsley was a garbage villian. The last half of the series was a snoozefest.
 

Alex

Still a Music Elitist
14,466
7,382
The thing I don't like about the gangsters in this show is how easily they would kill their own crew. That shit gets on my nerves. You're not king for long if you cap your own guys just for bringing up something you don't agree with.