Cast: Vincent D’Onofrio, Graham Greene, Alaqua Cox, Tantoo Cardinal, Chaske Spencer, and Charlie Cox.
Author: Marion Dayre
Sydney Freeland is the director.
Accessible via Disney+
Language: (subtitled) English
Running Time: Five Episodes, Each About Forty Minutes
What It Concerns:
These days, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going through some difficult times. Every single one of their products and the responses from the public reflect this quality. It appears that not everyone is only curious enough to follow the MCU’s main plot in these new chapters. The MCU may take a further tumble with more films and television shows on the horizon. The newest Marvel TV series onDisney+, Echo, succeeds in part because it dares to take a fresh approach.
Examining the script:
Echo strongly resembles a test within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first Marvel series onDisney+ to receive an M-rated rating and revert to the tone that initially made the Netflix series so well-liked was Echo, a decision made by Kevin Feige and his staff. Because Echo is a minor character in both the comics and the MCU overall, they are able to explore avenues that they would never consider with more well-known characters. The end product is a story that is brief but powerful.
Echo still feels and looks very much like a Daredevil spin-off, in the same way that The Punisher and the other Netflix episodes felt after being led by the blind superhero. The action scenes in Echo, which is a violent and gloomy film, rely heavily on “one shot” camera work to give it a remarkable and impressive effect. While the action scenes presented in that format are often entertaining, the program performs well in that area. However, there are instances when the choreography is inappropriate for the situation, which lessens the impact of the fight scenes.
While it’s good that Echo can provide an emotional core for more important storylines, it could have done better by raising the stakes and improving the flow between episodes. Although the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was built on the idea that each tale was a part of a larger one, it is okay for this story to be about Echo and Echo alone. Echo does follow this formula, and it’s possible that the MCU writers have forgotten how to do it.
Star Performance:
Not only does Alaqua Cox perform the lead role, but the entire program is set up to highlight her as a talent worth seeing, making her the show’s star. In addition to being a master at her role during the action scenes, Cox is also credible when the plot devolves into its more sentimental parts, even when those around her act a little too camp. One of the best parts of this miniseries and its star is Cox.
As a whole, the cast performs admirably, although not as brilliantly as Cox. For instance, it’s really great to have performers of Tantoo Cardinal and Graham Greene’s caliber in the cast. Even so, even though significant.
Music & Direction:
Thankfully, Echo’s attempt to harken back to the tone of Netflix’s programs is more akin to Daredevil season 1 than any other. But the show also aims to be so much more than just violent, and Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie’s direction greatly contributes to the show’s feeling of dynamic enough, particularly in these interesting openings where we find out more about Echo’s ancestors and how they will affect her in the present. The show deviates from the realistic at the end, but not enough to upset the preexisting scene..
At times, the action scenes veer too close to becoming “one shots,” and I would rather watch the well edited scenes. Movies such as The Raid and John Wick have demonstrated that the most important factor is not the duration of the shot but rather the object’s appearance and visibility, and in that regard, some of the direction falters. The score is written by Dave Porter, and when the situation calls for it, the music does a fantastic job building suspense and intensity.
Final Word
In terms of altering people’s perceptions of the present MCU, Echo doesn’t feel as groundbreaking as it ought to. It is a good watch, though, only if you are a true fan of the MCU; otherwise, the tale feels more like filler than anything else. Still, it doesn’t quite reach the lows of something like Ms. Marvel either. However, it demonstrates that the MCU can and should take a different turn because the existing formula is no longer effective for either the stories or the viewers.
