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| Daredevil
Year: 2003
Directed:
- Mark Steven Johnson
Actors/Actresses:
- Ben Affleck
- Jennifer Garner
- Colin Farrell
- Michael Clarke Duncan
An Underappreciated Comic Book Movie
From the start it was clear that Daredevil was not expected to be as well received as X-Men or Spider-Man (the delayed release in February was the first clue). And many people went to see the movie with high expectations because of the amazing job done with the Spider-Man movie and seemed disappointed by this darker tale of vengence and justice. And while the performance of Ben Affleck does somewhat leave something to be desired, the end product (thanks to the vision and passion of director Mark Steven Johnson) is well worth watching. Like X-Men before it, Daredevil is partially hamstrung by setting up the characters for the audience, leaving less screen time for the antagonists (and in particular Colin Farrell who does a dead-on Bullseye). But the back story is important to set the stage for the true lesson being learned by our protagonist; namely, the difference between vigilante and hero lies in the difference between vengence and justice. And what better character to learn this through than a lawyer, tasked with placing justice above all, even at the expence of vengence. Yes, the movie has its flaws and slip-ups, but the characters are true to their comic book roots, the character interactions are handled well, the romance played with the proper amount of tragedy, our hero learns his lesson (and truly rises to the ranks of "hero"), and best of all, at the end of the day, the players are all in position for the next chapter in the drama. If you missed it in the theaters, I highly recommend seeing this on DVD.
Fun to Watch, with the Best Kiss Scene Ever?
Superhero movies. They're on their way this summer in the forms of the Incredible Hulk, a "League" of gentlemen, and some guy named Wolverine. Could Daredevil just be a taste of what's to come? If so, then I say bring on them crazy superhero mutants!<BR> <BR>Daredevil was a great surprise to me. To begin with, I'm not a fan of Daredevil, Ben Affleck, nor Jennifer Garner. Not that their stuff bores me, it's just I'm not big fans of their work. Daredevil changed that. <BR> <BR> The story is simple. Murdock is a blind guy who has enhanced all of his abilities through his handicap. He uses these abilities to revenge the death of his father by giving justice to the city he lives in. When he meets Elektra, a new sort of justice comes into play. <BR> <BR> Our leads give a fantastic performance and their chemistry was awesome. The rooftop kiss in the rain scene is - in my opinion - one of the best kiss scenes. Colin Farrel gives a hoot of a performance as a co-villian and Michael Clarke Duncan rocks as usual. <BR> <BR> The action in this movie is high. There are a number of great fight scenes and action sequences. A bunch of adrenaline here.<BR> <BR> I only have one complaint with this movie, and it seemed it moved too fast at times. I need a little bit more character development (partially with Elektra) for me. But other than . . .<BR> <BR> Daredevil was a fun adrenaline-filled movie with the right amount of a side love story to settle it.
A Fun Comic Book Come To Life. Nothing More, Nothing Less..
Exceeding all expectations, 'Daredevil' turns out to be a fast-paced shot of popcorn fun, just like any good comic book. The gritty look of Daredevil's world is captured well by the director, Mark Steven Johnson, who also adapted the source material into a tight, streamlined screenplay for both comic fans and generic moviegoers alike. The film doesn't take itself too seriously and at the same time doesn't plant its tongue too firmly in its cheek either.
A lot of people have thrown a fit over the casting choices made here. However, everyone turns in fine performances for what the film is - a chop-socky comic book come to life. Some scenes look like they were literally ripped from issues of 'Daredevil' altogether, which isn't a bad thing at all. Ben Affleck serves up a redeeming performance as Daredevil/Matt Murdock, blind lawyer by day, crime-fighting risk-taker by night. He's gifted with heightened senses and a radar-like sight after being blinded by toxic chemicals at a young age. His pain and suffering as well as his sense of justice is well conveyed by Affleck throughout the film. Daredevil's love interest and fellow b-kicker, Elektra, played by Jennifer Garner, gets the least to work with among the lead actors and still manages to make an effective presence on screen. As for the baddies, Colin Farrell hams it up as the eagle-eye sociopath Bullseye, who's hell-bent on pretty much killing anyone he sees. Michael Clarke Duncan's Kingpin is just fine. Yeah, he's black instead of white like in the books. You know what? Who cares. He does a great job of being a menacing syndicate overlord and his part, although small, blends smoothly with the rest of the film. The rest of the supporting cast all make the movie fun to watch, including camoes by Kevin Smith and Stan Lee.
If you come in with the right mindset for a flick like this, you'll come away satisfied. If you're a snobbish nose-thumber or a zealous fanboy with exaggerated expectations, then you'll probably (and predictably) rail on it for being this or that or whatever. There are a few fight scenes with poor editing and shoddy lighting as well as some spots in the movie that are dotted with corny dialogue, but that comes with the territory these days it seems. Those things don't detract too much from the fun of the movie though.
Bottom Line: 'Daredevil' is a fun and disposable comic treat that goes down nice and easy without too much discomfort. It's much better than other comic fare such as 'Spawn' or 'Judge Dredd' and on the level with the first 'X-Men' and 'Spider-Man.' Bon Appetit...
Buy Daredevil at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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