Having watched the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Hawkeye on Disney Plus a few years ago and the introduction to Echo and reintroduction of Kingpin from the Marvel Netflix Universe, having a series centred around Echo was definitely a bold choice. Yes, she was cool in Hawkeye, but she is a deaf amputee who did not speak/say much. With the Hawkeye series not doing as good as I'm guessing Marvel would have liked as it gained a lot of mixed-to-negative reviews, this series was already on the back foot. Learning about the reshoots and the problems making this series, to learning of the series not testing well with audiences, not knowing how to market the show, if Daredevil was going to be in it, if Kingpin was going to be in it, to dropping the entire five-episode show in January (the dumping ground for movies), thoughts of this show being any good was basically out the window at this point. TV MA in America is basically a 15 in the UK and the trailers showed us some of the "grit" this show had, akin to the Netflix series' which looked great, so having watched the entire series (five episodes), I will say that, although not excellent or flawless, it is much better than a lot of the shows that have come before.
We start the episode with some kind of flashback, but it seems that the more we get into the flashbacks, the more we learn about the possible connection. For me, it was a little confusing with the mysticism at first but as the series goes on, it slowly bleeds in and you start to understand 'the why' later. We meet more of the side characters, Maya's family and what happened in her past. A lot of the first episode to which almost felt like half of the first episode is flashbacks with moments taken from the Hawkeye series so the episode comes across as very choppy. But when we get to the "present day" (I guess), we have a warehouse fight which leads into one of the best fight scenes in the show...and there are two of them.
From the second episode onwards, we get into more character work and we are introduced to a particular character, "Biscuits" who is involved with an action set piece which leads onto a scene afterwards that is straight-up hilarious. He is the comic-relief for the show in which I felt worked very well. Other supporting characters include Echo's grandmother and her other cousin Bonnie. We do not get a great deal from the latter, but the grandmother also plays an important part where, when we get to episode four, there is some character building with both her and Echo and the episode before, Bonnie and Echo that also help to humanise Echo, especially when she meets up with Kingpin.
By the fifth and final episode, although it was not outstanding or great, we have learnt all about Maya as her story told us who she is, where she comes from, where she has been, what she has done, how she feels and where she is going whilst also establishing, her friends (family), her ideology and where it came from, her influences and again, where she is going. Maya is a hero. I would have expected a little more from the finale, like a bigger fight with Maya showcasing more of her fighting skills because that IS what Echo is about right? Her ability to echo/copy other people's fighting moves/skills, something they have changed from the comics but something I would like them to include going forward which would show her as an underrated and deadly character. Echo is shown as skilled but I think there could be more fleshing out. I am not sure what I would have expected for the ending or how it ended especially if you want to continue to use specific characters in future shows and/or movies, so I am not sure what I would have done differently, but all in all, the show was pretty good and I think I understand as to why it was not testing well and received a lot of negativity before the release.
Overall, there are five episodes and placing the first episode aside, the episodes are fairly slow-paced, with a lot of character-work. I also believe there is a slight slower pace to some of the non-verbal scenes due to all the signing as, hearing someone talk their lines opposed to someone signing their lines seems to make the dialogue and pacing flow a touch smoother than having to read. I am not sure if the scenes with dialogue which involve signing are purposely given time to breathe or if it simply comes across that way, either way I am sure the signing scenes would be a reason as to why people will not like it. The show also forces you to pay attention because you have to read as you may miss something in the conversation, which is fine with me, but I'd imagine a lot of people may be turned off by that. Pacing aside, the show does feel like it needed to be a few more episodes to flesh out more of Echo's backstory growing up and what she did for her uncle. It would have been nice for a little more lip service to a specific character and how he has been a nuisance to his operations. More was needed for Bonnie and Biscuits, but other than that, as well as the "final fight", these are my only gripes
The supporting characters are who really carry this show. Alaqua is great and all, but being stoic and angry for someone who cannot hear, she has to do a lot of emoting with her eyes, face and body, like any other actor, so the show could have concentrated more on what Maya see's like what they did with Daredevil who concentrated on what he could hear, because he could not see. Alaqua does some great acting alongside her supporting cast, where she demonstrates conflict within herself very well without saying a thing. There was not a single weak actor. The music was great! From past to present, the music was well put together, along with the visuals, angles and imagery. You can tell with the attention to detail that the everyone involved took care with this show as there are some real elements of film-making and cleverness. Lastly, although the producers took a few liberties from the comics on Echo's powers, it would be nice to get more from the character and add her to more upcoming episodes in the MCU, whether that is Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and of course Daredevil. I think with a bit more done with her, she can be an even cooler character if we have her fighting some more. I like Daredevil because he is a blind man fighting and fighting well. He is smart and he is cunning, as well as moving somewhat like a ninja at times. I think Echo, if handed a little better could be a deaf person fighting and fighting well. She is smart (there is a Macguyver moment which was awesome) and cunning, as well as having abilities that can mimick/copy or echo others, she could be better. The studio did a decent job with this.
Trash? I would not say trash, but maybe I am giving one of my "favourite" directors a pass? Maybe I am being too lenient on Zack because most of his movies, I have seen and enjoyed. This film has a few problems, but the problems it does have, are major problems. Everything else is fine and in some cases, great. True Zack Snyder storytelling, but the problems stick out like a sore thumb and some people may not be able to cast that aside. I am not saying that I happily cast aside the problems, not at all, but I feel I can identify the problems, separate them from the other good/great moments and give my opinion on what I think of the movie overall. I'll explain.
Kora is an ex-soldier, who defected from the Imperium, an infantry, part of The Motherworld a militaristic empire who seek to rule the universe through centuries of conquests and war. Living a quiet life on a distant moon on a farm helping out the locals, the imperium comes knocking and Admiral Atticus Noble seeks out the moon and it's dwellers. Knowing how Noble will operate, Kora decides to help the farmers out by rallying a team of warriors to help her take down the Motherworld and stop their tyranny.
Very cut and dry. A simple story of good vs bad. We have a protagonist and we have an antagonist. Before this movie was released, I heard that this film was proposed to Lucas Film (now at Disney) as a Star Wars movie and Lucas rejected it. Netflix took it and allowed Zack to make the movie he wanted. There is a very high possibility that nobody oversaw his work and let Zack get on with it because if I am honest, it shows. Zack is a great storyteller with a visual flare that dwarfs Michael Bay. I have said this many times here in many reviews. I am not a Zack fanboy but I do like his movies, so maybe I am being a bit biased here, but I would not say the movie is straight-up trash. It just feels like a movie made specifically to be a part 1, than a movie that happens to be a part 1. If that makes any sense! For example, this year alone we have had two movies I can draw from that felt like a whole movie but ended on a cliffhanger because they were part 1 of 2; 'Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse' and 'Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1'. Both films were lengthy, told a story with minimal flashbacks and were split into a three-act structure. You are introduced to the characters, we are told as to what is to be done and how to do it, and we go about trying to achieve that goal. This movie does not quite do that. We are introduced to the characters, we are told what is to be done, we spend time looking for more characters and given even more back-story of the main character (exposition) and then a fight ensues, finished, the end. The entire film felt like a first act including part of a second act with nothing but flashbacks and slow motion. Or better yet, more accurately, the film could have been a series and this was the end of Season One. The film generally felt unengaging because of this, slightly disjointed, and rushed, although still operating at a slow pace not really getting anywhere and everything simply felt surface level. It spends a lot of time trying to get somewhere but ultimately getting nowhere. The film reminded me of playing an RPG game, you've got your main character and they are on a quest, they pick up an assortment of different characters who will help you in your fight and each of them look very different from each other with different skill sets. Not terrible, but not executed in a way that made the characters stick out. The characters do not really sit with you either. It is very exposition-heavy for the main character. These are the issues with this film, along with the main actress being OK and the dialogue also being, just OK. The villain was trying to be menacing, but...was not that menacing at all, the film just felt very brief and chopped.
The music, and the action, are all superb. It is funny how a lot of the action is in slow motion so you can see the detail and what is going on, a Zack Snyder staple; the problem is, it was just a little overdone in my honest opinion, just a little too heavy-handed. Visually the movie is great though, something you can never take away from Zack. The music is also really good as it gave me Man of Steel vibes in places. The special effects could have been a little better considering 'The Creator' looked amazing on a shoestring budget, but it is Netflix, I am not going to cry over the special effects here. The acting from most of the characters was good. Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein and Charlie Hunnam were the standouts, but I just feel these characters could have been given more. Maybe if there were less slow-mo and more and better dialogue, the characters would have connected with the audience better, but then this leads me to the part 1 of it all.
Of recent, I have heard that Zack has a director's cut of this first part which makes me think 1 of 2 things happened here. Netflix stepped in and was actually involved in overseeing his work and told him to strip the movie down to a respectable time (because we all know Zack cannot make short films), so Zack did a lot of chopping and what he cut out of it, IS in fact in the directors cut which will tell more story OR, Zack and/or Netflix came to the decision of having a director's cut because "Release the Snyder Cut" was a movement and maybe Netflix thought they could capitalise off the back of that, either way, the film feels rushed and it ends awkwardly. The characters are touched on at a surface level, if that and the story hardly had any meat on its bones. It would have been nice to have the characters more fleshed out and memorable because the movie simply comes across as a fetch quest.
But did I enjoy the movie overall? Yes and no. I made 3 attempts to watch this movie and each time I tried, I was tired and I did fall asleep. All. Three. Times. Being ill and tired is one thing, but the main character is cool, but not really engaging. All the flashbacks and exposition got tired and boring. The slow motion, the visuals and the coolness of the film does not do enough to keep your attention because, well...we have seen it all before, you know. Sophia is nice and all, but they tried too hard for her to be badass but could have done more with her character if they took her in another direction. Like, she was the reluctant hero, with the charisma of a grape, but giving out forced speeches that had the weight of a feather which was meant to influence people to help her with her plight. Maybe it is her delivery. Maybe it is just how it is written. Maybe Part 2 will be better (because the trailer actually does look better) and maybe this film should have been one long 7-hour movie (I kid). Zack is a great filmmaker, but he does really need to know how to use better executions when directing. He is not trash by any means, but his misses are usually centred around the same things, all the time. Where is 300 Zack or Man of Steel Zack? There were glimpses of him here, but not enough. More Suckerpunch Snyder I'm afraid. Good but not as engaging with the characters overall lends to the film feeling hollow. The visuals, action and music are good though, but just not enough.
Let me get this somewhat straight. The film Mr. & Mrs. Smith starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were about two secret agents who did not know each other were secret agents and find out that they were both secret agents when they were tasked to take out each other and other secret agents or mercenaries were sent to their home to kill them both...from their own secret agency? Am I accurate? I pulled that from the deep depths of my brain and I really feel I am on the money with it. However, this trailer seems to have taken the name of Mr & Mrs Smith, to have two people who do not know each other, who are from the same agency, working together to carry out a mission but they need to pretend that they are a married couple whole they fulfil their assignment. Why not just call it something else?
There was a part in this trailer that made me laugh, and that was when they were sitting at the table and the woman across from them asked, "what is your sexual life like?" I am not utterly sure why I found that funny but I guess I have my own reasons. Donald looks amazing in this, dress and body-wise. Is that a white polo neck? Giving me Archer 'The Wind Cries Mary' vibes. If I am honest, the series looks cool and this is only a trailer, I am simply caught up in the name at this point. Also, I just need a little more to be fully interested because as of right now, I just feel like they are banking off the name/title itself to give us something that is lacking. With that said though, Donald Glover I'd producing and has helped to create, I can only assume as it is a action, drama-comedy, spy thriller, with other great actors such as Parker Posey, Ron Pearlman, John Turturro and Michaela Coel, I should have faith in this from these actors alone? I'll wait for another trailer.
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