Ironheart Review | A lot of heart, but the story could use some work

After her appearance in Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams is back in Ironheart, the latest Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe series.

This is a bit of a short series at only six episodes, and while its title may imply that Riri is being built up as Iron Man’s successor, that’s not exactly the case. Instead, this show’s story aims to tell a story with interesting themes and messages, as is the case with the Black Panther movies. That’s because Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is involved in this show as an Executive Producer.

As a big fan of Coogler’s work (especially his most recent movie, Sinners), I was intrigued with Ironheart, and I hoped that it could tell a similarly touching and relevant story. In that sense, the show does deliver on its promise, though it’s a shame that the show overall is quite uneven story-wise.

Riri Williams Shines in this MCU Project

Technically, you can watch Ironheart without seeing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as this series is not exactly a direct sequel. One issue is that Riri Williams’ introduction in the show is quite fast, enough that, if you haven’t seen Wakanda Forever, it may be hard to get invested in her story, at least in the beginning.

This is a fairly minor complaint though as the series quickly becomes compelling, at least when it comes to Riri’s story. This is thanks in large part to Dominque Thorne’s performance as the young genius inventor.

While her role in Wakanda Forever isn’t that big, she gets plenty of time to shine here, especially because the show’s story centers around personal dilemmas, many of which are relevant in today’s climate.

For starters, one of the key developments in her journey in this series is how even with a brilliant mind, you’ll still need capital to succeed. Along with this, the show also delves into interesting ideas such as the ethics of AI, as well as grappling with the “sins of the father.”

Riri is at the core of these, but the other characters’ stories are also intertwined with these themes. If you ask me, this is the biggest strength of the series, as it truly feels that the series’ creators have things to say. That’s something you can’t say with other superhero projects.

Another highlight of the series is the chemistry between some of the principle characters. The best one is definitely Riri Williams and the character played by Alden Ehrenreich (we can’t say who he is as that’s a pretty big spoiler). They have multiple scenes in the series, and it’s fair to say that all of them are entertaining and fun to watch.

Aside from this duo, Riri also works well with some of the other cast members, including Natalie (played by Lyric Ross). Riri’s mom (played by Anji White) also has an interesting dynamic with her.

Note that, while the chemistry of the cast along the themes are great, there are still some issues with these aspects. To start, it felt like the Parker Robbins (The Hood) along with his crew could’ve used more screentime as the developments between them and Riri felt too fast.

More than these though, some of the themes weren’t explored as well as I would’ve liked. Perhaps the biggest one here is the ethics of AI angle that show introduced. This is a complex topic that I felt was kind of glossed over as the series progressed.

A lot of these flaws are likely because the show was limited to only six episodes. Along with some characters and themes, the biggest thing affected by the short running time is the story, which sadly does not land as well as it could have.

The Heart is There, but the Story is Not

Again, there’s a lot of heart in this series, but the story just doesn’t come together as well as it could have. There’s a sense that Ironheart tries to cram too much into the six episodes. On the flip side, there are several story elements that felt half-baked, making for a show that feels rushed and dull at the same time. This is especially the case with Parker’s storyline, as well as the magical elements introduced in the second half.

The show’s story isn’t all bad though. There are some good sequences and storylines here, especially some of the heists and the parts involving Ehrenreich’s character. Plus, the show is shot pretty well, so it looks quite good visually overall. There’s also the fact that it has a pretty powerful finale that’s not only hard-hitting, but also has big implications for Ironheart in the MCU moving forward.

Even with the good finale being good, the series as a whole just has glaring issues that gives a feeling of missed opportunity. Of course, this is still a fun watch for Marvel fans given its MCU connections, not to mention that there are enough good things about it that can redeem some of the less-than-stellar parts.

Ironheart Final Verdict

This new Disney+ Marvel series does a lot of things right, especially when it comes to its interesting themes and memorable character moments. Sadly, the show’s story just falls flat in certain aspects, making for a rather uneven watch.

On the bright side, Dominique Thorne has an excellent performance, enough that she redeems some of the show’s shortcomings. Hopefully, we see more of her soon in another MCU project.

The first three episodes of Ironheart are now streaming Disney+, with the final three episodes set to be released next week.