Luke Cage Review

Synopsis: "Luke Cage" is the 3rd Marvel series to premiere on Netflix and stars Mike Colter as the titular character trying to find out if he wants to be a hero and what exactly that means. The series picks up a few months after the finale of "Jessica Jones" and we find out that Luke has once again been laying low, this time at a barbershop called "Pops". Everything seems to be going well until a couple of workers from Pops decide to steal from the gangster known as Cottonmouth, aka Cornell Stokes, and set forth in motion events that will force Luke to confront not only the criminal element of Harlem head on, but also the past he so desperately tries to escape.

Plot: As far as the story goes, it isn't something that is wildly original in terms of arc (it is essentially the classic Heroes Journey) and some plotlines are very similar to that of Daredevil Season 1; but, the way that multiple plot lines interact in a way that seems logically and natural is done very well. I hardly ever found myself going "Well how did they get here?" or " How did so and so end up with that person?". There were moments however where I did go "Well that's convenient" but that is to be expected since this is scripted television show and certain things have to happen to progress the story. One thing I will say is that this series is easily the most connected to the MCU out of all the other Netflix shows; in fact in the later half of the series, the events from the first "Avengers" film plays a pivotal role in the story as it presents a challenge to Luke that actually raises the stakes for the character and I am glad that they did this because otherwise there would have been almost zero threat from any enemy Cage faced.

The composition of this scene is brillant

Presentation: The presentation of "Luke Cage" is superb; from the musical score found throughout the series all the way to the cinematography, it brings a completely different type of energy to the Netflix Marvel series of shows. The entire feel of the series is almost like an album, which is no surprise seeing as how each episode is named after a Gang Starr track, and the music itself ties deeply to one of the themes of the show. There is a growing battle between old and new; the gang members of old are trying to operate in the modern world with all of these younger, more aggressive types with no respect for the rules, Cage is trying to find himself while also escape from his past, the world is still trying to figure out how to handle the sudden influx of enhanced individuals.

Characters: The cast of "Luke Cage" is superb. Colter expands on his portrayal of Luke Cage by making him be much more of 3 dimensional character instead of the " I only live for Reva" guy he was in "Jessica Jones".  He did a great job playing a character who outwardly seems very "thuggish" but is actually a very insightful man with a strong moral code and a personality, albeit a very corny one but hey it works for him. Mahershala Ali as Cottonmouth was just a brilliant choice, the guy is legit great at playing such a conflicted character; one minute he can be smiling and laughing and the next he's working on his ground and pound game using a lackey's head. He has a very intimidating aura about him that lets you know exactly why he is running the show; although he isn't alone in that. Cottonmouth is a bad ass and needs badass partners and he has no shortage of those. Alfre Woodard plays Mariah Dillard, aka Black Mariah, and I think she is easily the best actor in the series (and that is saying a lot because the acting here is freaking amazing). She just has such a mastery of her character; she is able to go between the naive, almost innocent, Councilwoman who just wants to better her city to this cunning, ruthless individual who lets nothing stand in her way. The way that she fights between who she wants to be and who she is really is such a marvelous sight to behold. Another character that was great at playing both sides was Shades (played by Theo Rossi). I always liked the characters where you never truly know where their loyalties lie and you definitely get that feeling from Shades, every word and action he takes seems to have a double meaning, it feels like at any moment he can pull the rug from under you.Rosario Dawson returns once again as Claire and the evolution of her character is really on display here; in Daredevil she is extremely reluctant to get involved but by the time she appears in the series, she is actively putting herself in harms way in order to help save the day.

Misty Knight (Simone Missick) and Luke Cage

 Action: This is a superhero series at the end of the day and that means you can definitely expect some action scenes to take place. A complaint I heard a lot about "Jessica Jones" is that the fight scenes weren't as good as they were in Daredevil and I still contend that in order to showcase their powers that they scenes couldn't be like they were in Daredevil. Daredevil is a normal guy so he has to know how to fight because he has no super strength or durability. The fights in "Luke Cage" have to also show you that Luke is not just some regular guy and is in fact a freaking tank with legs. I enjoyed the fight scenes in "Luke Cage" because while they weren't martial arts masterpieces, they captured the "street brawler" aspect of the character. No, Luke isn't going to backflip into the air to kick you in the face, he doesn't need to. Instead, he's going to effortlessly swat a no name henchman away and take out a building full of heavily armed men because that is what he does. Why would you need to be a superhuman martial artist when a simple punch can take out almost any foe you face? That isn't to say that the fight scenes aren't well choreographed, but these are definitely "brawling scenes" if that makes any sense.

Verdict: Overall, "Luke Cage" is a different kind of Netflix show because it is a different kind of hero. It is an unapologetically black and socially aware show that isn't going to shy away from the treatment of black people in this country by the police; but also isn't going to shy away from the criminal element in black communities either. It has the perfect balance of both and that really allows you to immerse yourself into the world if you are unfamiliar with the issues. There is definitely more to the show than just a guy with unbreakable skin but they don't abandon the comic book roots either; in fact there are some moments in here that had me going " Holy crap that was a comic booky way to resolve it" but in the best way possible (like The Flash). The music on the show really encompassed the feel of the show and the characters truly made the show a joy to watch. I was legit rooting against the bad guys here and I really felt for Luke and the season finale had me so upset but also so excited for the next series. I strongly urge anyone who has read this to watch the series. It is a fantastic origin story and while it takes some liberties here and there, it is a great way to introduce yourself to Luke Cage. Also, its easily the funniest of the Netflix series as I was legit laughing out loud at some parts.

So yeah, go watch it and then come back to this review and tell me how right or wrong I was. I look forward to the discourse either way.