I’m a bit of a comic geek – not as much as I used to be but I’ll always take a big interest in any comic adaptations coming to the silver screen. I was never a massive fan of Daredevil so I wasn’t going to be too bothered if they strayed away from the source material. However, a lack of reviews in the movie mags and a general “bad” feeling meant I went into the film with low expectations on the actual quality of the movie. After seeing the film, I can report that it is one of the closest adaptations of any comic to the source material and a damn fine film as well.
The film begins with the all-important origin (slightly changed from the comic– Batmanised would be a good description): Matt Murdoch lives with his father on the mean streets of Hell’s kitchen in New York City. He’s getting bullied by Tony Soprano’s kid and his dad is a washed up boxer working for the mob. One day, Matt witnesses his old man intimidating some guy and runs straight into some toxic waste robbing him of his sight. It also
super enhances all his other senses giving him super powers. Some bad things happen after this and Daredevil is born.
Jump to the present and Matt (Ben Affleck) is a lawyer running a struggling law firm with his partner, Foggy Nelson (Jon Favreau). His powers allow him to sense if people are lying so when a criminal escapes justice in the courtroom, Daredevil can dish out his own justice at night. Daredevil is a man without fear, jumping off a building or into a packed club full of gun toting low-life’s. Unfortunately his powers don’t protect him from harm; Daredevil is a bruised and battered individual come the morning listening to his latest ex-girlfriend dump him via answerphone.
One morning, while discussing giant alligator with Foggy, Matt senses a beautiful girl walking into the café. The girl shoots him down, realises he’s blind, apologies and then walks out. The usual courting/flirting takes place (brawl in playground, using rain to see) and we have our film romance between Matt/Daredevil and Elektra. Meanwhile, the bad guys arrive as the Kingpin of Crime (Michael Clarke Duncan) hires super-assassin, Bullseye (Colin Farrell) to take out Elektra’s father.
From here on in its cool fights, death and then more cool fights as Daredevil, Elektra, Bullseye and the Kingpin kick the snot out of each other in stylish flashy ways.
So what makes Daredevil a good superhero film? Firstly, it’s a fifteen meaning it’s much darker than normal superhero films. Matt is a tortured character, much like Batman, obsessed with putting things right and making a difference regardless of the personal cost. The baddies are very bad indeed: Michael Clarke Duncan puts in a good performance as the Kingpin and Farrell excels and steal every scene he is in as the crazed Bullseye mixing the right amount of menace and melodrama to make an effective super-villain.
Ben does very well playing the blind lawyer in a role that a lot of critics thought he was miscast in before the film came out. Jennifer Garner (from Alias) is good as Elektra and the always brilliant Joe Pantoliano plays reporter Ben Ulrich to great effect. The real stand-out is Jon Favreau who nails the part of Foggy. The only problem, like the villains is that he isn’t in the film enough (more on that in a minute)
The direction of the film is very stylish although it can be a bit MTVish with super fast cuts but it looks cool and the film rockets along for the most part. Director, Mark Steve Johnson has done well in his second film. Daredevil’s powers are also very well.
On the downside, the relationship between Daredevil and Elektra is a little wooden and there is to much of it (although there is a good reason for giving it time). As I mentioned above it takes screen time from the bad guys who should have had more time to, well, be bad. The fight scene in the church is a bit ropy effect wise but otherwise the effects are excellent.
Overall, Daredevil is an excellent super-hero film and a damn good film in its own right. There are plenty on in-jokes and scenes from the comic for the fans but it is also a damn good and dark action flick with good characters and great intelligent fight scenes.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Action/Adventure - Director: The Wachowski Brothers - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Monica Bellucci, Jada Pinkett
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 2008 - Action/Adventure - Director: Christopher Nolan - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Totally agree with review, not enough fighting but when there is it is great! I'm glad you gave this film a high rating as i thought it was good (and the Elektra follow up is just as good) and deservered higher than any of the 2 star ratings given by other people.
Kiera13 17.02.2003 19:14
Great op, I agree that not enough films these days show the 'evilness' enough. I'm trying to get this on vcd
Whether or not one likesDaredevilthe movie probably has a lot to do with whether or not ... more
one likesDaredevilthe comic book. To its credit (or, depending upon your perspective, its detriment),Daredevilis one of the most faithful comic-book adaptations to ...
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Whether or not one likesDaredevilthe movie probably has a lot to do with whether or not ... more
one likesDaredevilthe comic book. To its credit (or, depending upon your perspective, its detriment),Daredevilis one of the most faithful comic-book adaptations to ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Ben Affleck is Matt Murdock a.k.a Daredevil. As a young boy he lost his sight in a ... more
chemical accident which left him with his other senses superhumanly enhanced (and some incredible acrobatic skills). Flash forward and Matt is working by day as a pro ...
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Feb 16th, 2003
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