Marvel's Iron Fist

This is easily the least compelling Marvel Netflix series so far.

Despite a very good cast and a great origin story, Iron Fist is predictable, a little hammy, and has no real sense of how to tell a cohesive story.

Marvel's Iron Fist gets off to a slow start. ... More concerning, however, is the lack of Iron Fist's signature moment. ... While it's a fun romp and stands on its own well enough, this new series is even more impressive when thought of as a bridge to a bigger world yet to come

Ultimately, Marvel’s Iron Fist feels incredibly inessential, even boring at times. It’s a show that doesn’t push for bigger themes, doesn’t seek to have its own voice beyond the Buddhist philosophy spouted by a white guy.

The biggest problems with it is pace and familiarity. It’s difficult to get a handle on Danny--an enigmatic lost rich kid with mystical powers--and parts of Iron Fist seem cribbed from other Marvel superhero tales. Jones does grow on you, especially after he begins to take on a kung-fu master persona, but there seems little special about the story or any of the characters.

Not as gritty as "Daredevil" or as cool as "Luke Cage" and "Jessica Jones," this latest component of what will be put together as "The Defenders" lands with more of a dull thud. If the Marvel-Netflix team-up has sought to assemble the Beatles of brooding brawls, think of "Iron Fist" as a notch below Ringo.

The first half of the season is just a checked box. Filler episodes are one thing, but right now Iron Fist looks like a filler season.

The sad thing, and perhaps the hopeful thing, about the dawdling featurelessness of the early episodes is that you can see a better show struggling to get out.