D'Onofrio's Fisk was an unstable overemotional mess with no poker face. The real dangerous guys would have done a Tommy DeVito on him years before he could have reached such a position of power. Nobody would trust that blubbering baby in a bodega heist, let alone high-stakes crime.
D'Onofrio's acting style is the opposite of "less is more". People praise him for showing everything his character is feeling, but real people DON'T show you everything they're feeling--especially people who are supposed to be dangerous and competent. There is no nuance in his performance. I've never seen nuance in any of his performances.
AMEN! There was zero "criminal mastermind" in D'Onofrio's Kingpin. He constantly appeared as a bewildered, overgrown man-child that was befuddled by his environment and looked like he couldn't plan a trip to the bathroom on his own, let alone oversee a criminal empire. Comicbook Kingpin would casually eat Netflix Kingpin alive without a second thought.
Everyone has their own opinion, but I happen to think D’Onofrio was perfectly cast as Wilson Fisk, masterfully alternating between taking a man’s head off with a car door and whimpering like a child at the memory of his abusive father. As in the comics, Kingpin is a powerful man who relies on coercion and a mean facade - but on the inside he’s a sad and broken man craving the approval of those he loves.
D’Onofrio captured that duality perfectly, orchestrating a wide criminal network then attempting to ask a woman out on a date with the kind of awkward clumsiness all too many comic book fans can relate to in their own lives.
His appearances in the second season cement my high opinion of his casting more firmly in my mind.
Two words that have no right to be associated with any portrayal of the Kingpin. Complete disservice to the character.
Which brings me to the villains in Netflix's Luke Cage. I don't have the history and frame of reference with Cage's villains that I do with Daredevil, but I felt the first half of the season was superior to the second half. Mahershala Ali's Cottonmouth was nuanced, dynamic, and had depth. Erik LaRay Harvey's Diamondback was flat, cliche, and boring. When Luke's main opposition shifted from Cottonmouth to Diamondback, I didn't find it all that intriguing.
I also found the story arc for Alfre Woodard's Black Mariah interesting. Looking forward to a more sinister turn for her character in the future (although I didn't much care for "shades").
Sounds a bit like the sort of Kingpin you would have preferred could be found in Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin portrayal - which I think was one of the few highlights of the Daredevil movie. Sounds a lot like what you might have preferred, that kind of portrayal. However, I liked what Vincent did here and felt it brought a new dimension to the character that worked for me.
And I don't disagree with your Cottonmouth and Diamondback assessment at all.
Sounds a bit like the sort of Kingpin you would have preferred could be found in Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin portrayal - which I think was one of the few highlights of the Daredevil movie.
Ha! You're right! Not that I'm a fan of that Daredevil movie at all, but I do prefer Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin portrayal over Vincent D'Onofrio! Every time D’Onofrio struggled to spit out his lines of dialogue (give that man a respirator already!), it was like torture to me.
I forgot to mention that was super happy to see Turk again. Turk has always been one of my favourite Daredevil punching bags, and his portrayal in these Netflix shows is great. The one exception being his involvement in human trafficking in the Daredevil series. Turk is a punk, but I don't think even he would stoop that low.
Not read any updates on this one. But for me this is the weakest of the Netflix shows so far. I'm still stuck on episode 7. Just have no real desire to carry on. Hasn't grabbed me like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Should I watch the rest?
Not read any updates on this one. But for me this is the weakest of the Netflix shows so far. I'm still stuck on episode 7. Just have no real desire to carry on. Hasn't grabbed me like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Should I watch the rest?
No.
I finished up the series this week, but only due to "collectors" mentality. I agree that this is the weakest of the Netflix offerings so far.
I'm a bit of a latecomer to the Netflix Marvel series. Luke Cage was the first of the shows I watched and I enjoyed it very much. Leading man Mike Colter (who was excellent, by the way), described Luke Cage as Marvels version of The Wire, and I think that's an accurate assessment.
Comments
There was zero "criminal mastermind" in D'Onofrio's Kingpin. He constantly appeared as a bewildered, overgrown man-child that was befuddled by his environment and looked like he couldn't plan a trip to the bathroom on his own, let alone oversee a criminal empire. Comicbook Kingpin would casually eat Netflix Kingpin alive without a second thought.
D’Onofrio captured that duality perfectly, orchestrating a wide criminal network then attempting to ask a woman out on a date with the kind of awkward clumsiness all too many comic book fans can relate to in their own lives.
His appearances in the second season cement my high opinion of his casting more firmly in my mind.
Which brings me to the villains in Netflix's Luke Cage. I don't have the history and frame of reference with Cage's villains that I do with Daredevil, but I felt the first half of the season was superior to the second half. Mahershala Ali's Cottonmouth was nuanced, dynamic, and had depth. Erik LaRay Harvey's Diamondback was flat, cliche, and boring. When Luke's main opposition shifted from Cottonmouth to Diamondback, I didn't find it all that intriguing.
I also found the story arc for Alfre Woodard's Black Mariah interesting. Looking forward to a more sinister turn for her character in the future (although I didn't much care for "shades").
And I don't disagree with your Cottonmouth and Diamondback assessment at all.
Not that I'm a fan of that Daredevil movie at all, but I do prefer Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin portrayal over Vincent D'Onofrio! Every time D’Onofrio struggled to spit out his lines of dialogue (give that man a respirator already!), it was like torture to me.
I forgot to mention that was super happy to see Turk again. Turk has always been one of my favourite Daredevil punching bags, and his portrayal in these Netflix shows is great. The one exception being his involvement in human trafficking in the Daredevil series. Turk is a punk, but I don't think even he would stoop that low.
I finished up the series this week, but only due to "collectors" mentality. I agree that this is the weakest of the Netflix offerings so far.