2024 Show
Lluís Quílez · Spain · Spanish
A straightforward portside cocaine crime drama that takes too long to get to the thrills
Iron Reign isn’t downright terrible. It has the usual stakes of a crime series– tough guys, guns, and cargo that the gang wants to sell, while the cops want to stop– and right off the gate, there are decent gunfight sequences between gangs that are fun to watch. However, even with a great production, and a unique portside location, the characters of Iron Reign start off as the most generic versions of themselves. Manchado rules the port, but we don’t get to know his mindset, what drives him, or anything that would motivate him, whereas Victor seems determined to bring him down only because it’s his real job as a police infiltrator. The betrayals and double-dealing later on start making the drama feel more interesting, but Iron Reign’s introductions falter in making the characters seem interesting.
Joaquín Manchado rules his drug empire from Barcelona's seaport with an iron fist — until a new shipment sends business and family spiraling.
At the Port of Barcelona, Joaquín Manchado rules over his drug empire with an iron fist, but his reign is threatened with a new shipment that arrives at port.
We’re used to fairly static cameras in television, so whenever the camera starts to move, we can’t help but pay attention. Iron Reign’s camera movement could have been an interesting choice– with an infiltrator in the crew, moving the camera, zooming in, etc. can indicate the ways Victor spots potential incriminating evidence– but the camera here moves ALL the time, even in moments that don't require it. It just makes it so distracting.
Stop. Moving. The. Camera.
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
Slow…slower….slowest
There are great moments in Iron Reign but it just moves too slow to be exciting. Some actors are outstanding but the actor portraying the head of the Manchado family is not believable as the head of a major crime syndicate. The basic storyline is pretty predictable and trite but the twist in who stole “the mail” was interesting. On a scale of one to ten, I would give it a 5.
This is boring and full of inconsistencies …. 3/10