Marvel and Netflix have done it again. This time they tell the story of Luke Cage, the bulletproof power man.
If you have been living under a rock for a year, Neftlix has been doing their own brand of shows under the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have done Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and now Luke Cage. The next shows in their line up are Iron Fist, The Defenders, and The Punisher.
Luke Cage is about a bulletproof man who is trying to stay low from the public eye in Harlem. However, a situation happens to make him come out of hiding and defend the city from notorious mobsters.
The character himself is not that well known to casual comic fans. Luke Cage made his debut in the 1970s and has teamed up with characters like Jessica Jones and Iron Fist. He is one the first major Black superheroes (only behind Black Panther and The Falcon). In the MCU, he made his debut in the first season of Jessica Jones.
Mike Colter plays the titular character, and he shines in his performance. He is just a likable and charismatic guy. He makes Luke so cool while caring. Let's just say, you would bring Luke him to meet Mom and Dad. He also kicks major ass. His action scenes are up to par with those in Daredevil. Cage is a well-rounded character as he believes in moving forward. Always.
The supporting characters are also enjoyable to watch. Rosario Dawson makes her return as Claire Temple. She has basically become Netflix's Nick Fury. You get to see where Claire grew up, and she adds a sense of realism and hope to the show. Simone Cook plays Detective Misty Knight, who gets involve with Cage's case and is a valuable asset to the show. I love her character so much. She is so intelligent and badass. I did not expect to love her character as much as I do.
Now let's talk about the villains. Mahersala Ali plays Cornell Cottonmouth. He's a mob boss who Luke Cage blames for his situation. I was very interested in his character. He is kind of over the top, but he does not cross that line. Towards the middle of the show, you find out why he is the way he is. Netflix knows how to make compelling characters. Also, Alfre Woodward as Mariah Dillard is a performance worth remembering. I don't want to say too much of her because her character growth is too interesting to spoil.
The show's strengths are the characters and the music score. The music is perfectly matched to the scenes. It has a mixture of jazz and hip hop. It kind of reminded me of the 2013 version of The Great Gatsby. Each character also shines in his or her own way.
The only big downfall is towards the end of the show. I did not feel the last couple episodes were that satisfying and fulfilling. I also did not care for the second antagonist they introduce the second half of the season. His whole story and reason to hate Luke Cage was bleak and boring to me. He was also a little too crazy for my taste.
Luke Cage is an another amazing to the Netflix MCU. It is full of strong characters and a well-developed story. It is definitely worth your binge-watching time. It also has a message against the use of violence. This show should be shown to everyone in this day of age.
This is a side note. If you know someone who will not watch this show because the main character is Black, you need to talk some sense into them. I have heard this reason is to why some people will not watch this show. It maybe a fiction show, but it shows some themes of things that have been happening today. They also handle what is going on in the real world very well. It never gets too preachy as this the story of Luke Cage. This show is empowering to the Black community. As one of the executive producers said, "When I think about what’s going on in the world right now, the world is ready for a bulletproof black man.” Let that sink in.
