Ironheart

By the time "Ironheart" is over, it sticks the landing, bringing all those threads together into something that's surprising, fun, and feels genuinely new in an MCU landscape that always threatens to grow too homogeneous.

“Ironheart” points MCU in an intriguing direction and gives us characters we’d like to see more of in the future.

“Ironheart” may not have the visual pyrotechnics of a big-screen tentpole, but it compensates with texture and authenticity. The show knows when to flex its effects budget while keeping its focus on the characters.

Even though “Ironheart” is a lot of fun, it never loses sight of the wayward soul going through a particularly difficult coming-of-age in a particularly difficult world.

There are logic issues and some shaky plotting. .... But, the show still stands out for a few well-executed heists — including one set to Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody,” an unconventional but delightful choice of needle drop for such a sequence — as well as its character-focused moments, such as Riri bonding with her well-meaning partners in larceny, while also forming an unexpected connection with Alden Ehrenreich’s Joe, a tech nerd with similar interests.

When "Ironheart" gets cooking, it's impressive how much more satisfying it is than other Marvel shows that lean on earth-shattering events of cosmic importance. Nothing that happens over the course of the show's six, dense, quickly paced episodes impacts the larger MCU, but it sure changes Riri and her friends (and enemies).

It’s a rare balance of telling a street-level story in a way that truly feels like it’s set right in the same wider world of Iron Man and Doctor Strange. It went harder than I expected, and to places and characters I never saw coming, which was a nice surprise for a show that at first felt like it was aiming to carve out its own corner of the world with less connectivity more akin to a project like Moon Knight or Echo.

Ironheart is neither an instant classic nor a debacle, but a breezy, reasonably engaging bit of Marvel business that doesn’t skimp on hardware or mystery. If it is guilty of anything, it’s being too pat and frictionless.

“Ironheart” doesn’t swoop in last-minute to save the MCU on television; in all likelihood, this is a remnant of a Marvel TV model that’s about to be replaced. But like Riri’s eventual supersuit, it’s a pretty decent iteration from outside the established order.

The story wasn't allowed to fully breathe, and some of the aforementioned great themes did not get the full opportunity to be explored.

Like Ms Marvel, it is clearly aimed at the younger end of the fan spectrum and the pace is relentless. .... To say it becomes preachy would be putting things too strongly. But “slightly tiresome” would not. At least until it’s time again to throw someone at a wall.

This is a series with things on its mind but not necessarily the structure or platform to properly say those things. Still, despite the clumsy pilot and distracted finale, the warmth I felt for the four-episode filling of this televisual sandwich was real.

Only coming alive in its final episode, which should have been its starting point rather than its cliffhanger-y conclusion, it’s further evidence that the once-mighty comic-book brand has watered itself down with second-rate heroes and adventures.

“Ironheart” is by no means terrible; it’s just unremarkable enough to feel wholly non-essential.

“Ironheart” is a compelling story about the limitations of genius, whether to overcome a lack of money or bend laws of the universe like death. It’s also a lot of other stories at the same time, none of which is as focused or affecting.

If you’re still hanging on with Marvel, this isn’t the one that will make you give up; it’s a respectable piece of work. But it’s not going to revive anyone’s flagging interest.

While this “Black Mirror”-style story line is quite captivating, it’s too often overshadowed by the messy magical elements that the Marvel machine shoehorns into the show.

"Ironheart" tries to be a story worthy of Riri's status as a "Panther" breakout, but not hard enough.

Its run-of-the-mill antagonists and cynical script leave few characters to root for, and though its kinetic heist sequences offer some entertainment, the armored battles leave a lot to be desired.

Ironheart is a series for MCU completionists, and it does have a few moments that will make the hardcore audience cheer. However, as a standalone, the show just doesn't have a lot going for it, and most people may forget it ever happened in the first place.

Hamstrung by an unconvincing plotline and a script in dire need of a dose of WD40, it’s only in the action sequences, too few and far between, that Ironheart comes alive.

Mostly, though, the problem is Riri, and Thorne. It’s not impossible to tell a lively and engaging story about a character consumed by grief — see WandaVision, a.k.a. the best MCU show of all. But as written, and as played by Thorne, Riri is so dour, and so flat, that Ironheart all but grinds to a halt whenever a scene is primarily about the series’ protagonist.

Despite some nice flourishes and big introductions, Riri — and Ironheart — still hasn’t taken full flight. If Season 2 does come, some serious upgrades are required.