Marvel's Luke Cage

I enjoyed 'Luke Cage' like all Netflix-Marvel TV shows and gave it a 7/10. The acting, especially Mike Colter's portrayal of Luke Cage, was solid, bringing the character to life. The music and overall atmosphere of Harlem were standout elements, enhancing the series' unique identity. Casting choices were well-suited, and the cinematography captured the gritty urban setting effectively. The directing maintained a consistent tone throughout. However, the writing occasionally suffered from pacing issues and narrative detours, affecting the overall flow. Its strength lies in its exploration of themes like community and power, but it could have benefited from tighter storytelling. 'Luke Cage' is a worthy addition to the Netflix-Marvel lineup, offering a distinctive take on the superhero genre.

As a huge fan of Marvel I'm a little biased because I pretty much like everything they put out. My bias aside, Luke Cage is terrific. If you don't believe me just read through the reviews here and look at the ratings. Even the critics loved this show. It's about a fugitive who gets super strength after an experiment goes wrong. He moves back home to Harlem to try to rebuild his life and make his home a safe place from all the terrible people try to take over. Now that it's on Disney plus maybe they can bring him back. They've already started to bring back others and recently renewed Daredevil so there's still hope. Even if they don't bring him back for his own show again, at least bring him back into the MCU through another show like the Daredevil revival. If you're a Marvel fan then this is a must watch.

While the storyline plods along, the characterization is strong, especially with regard to Alfre Woodard's breakout role. She reminds us of what the complexity of a villain looks like, and she explores every part of what it means to be filled with avarice, love, desire, intelligence, and hate. She makes this show better for its unsure plot at times.

The show isn't without its flaws. There are elements of the script that feel slightly generic, cliched, unfocused, or heavy-handed, but the sheer strength of the performances, particularly Mahershala Ali's Cottonmouth and Alfre Woodard's Mariah, as well as Luke Cage himself and Rosario Dawson's Claire, keep the show engaging even when it occasionally stumbles. There's some solid action, too, and a quality rendition of Luke Cage's origin story.

While Luke Cage is not quite as good as The Punisher or Daredevil, it's still a very good, action packed show that is absolutely worth watching! It's another Netflix Marvel show that is outstanding. It's just too bad that they had to part ways because I loved all 5 of their shows, some more than others but all still good. Mike Colter was terrific as Luke Cage!