'Allo! I'm not contributing to Ciao for the time being but if you are bored / desperate / weird enou...
'Allo! I'm not contributing to Ciao for the time being but if you are bored / desperate / weird enough to wish to continue to read my ramblings, you can find me on Dooyoo under the user name plipplop. See you around! :P
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Following a freak accident in a dockside factory, young teenager Matt Murdock falls into a deep coma. When he awakes in hospital, he finds that he has been blinded, but is shocked to discover that his other senses have been heightened incredibly. He can hear sounds through walls and even on the streets below as though they were in the same room and a heightened sense of touch has made him very agile. Even more incredible is a new-found enhancement to his hearing that provides him with a virtual view of his surroundings, rather like radar. When his father is murdered, Matt dedicates his life to fighting for justice for those individuals who are unable to defend themselves. By day, he becomes a successful lawyer, and by night, he prowls the streets of Hell’s Kitchen as a costumed vigilante known as Daredevil. When he meets a remarkable young woman named Elektra, Matt’s life is thrown into turmoil, as he quickly falls in love for the first time. But his love may soon be in jeopardy. The Kingpin of crime is taking over the streets of New York - and he has business with Elektra and her family.
Following last year’s incredibly successful film adaptation of Spiderman, it was really only a matter of time before the Hollywood studios turned their attention to some of the other well-known Marvel Comics characters. 2003 may well be remembered as the year of the superhero movie - as well as Daredevil, we are also soon to be graced with a film version of The Hulk, and a second X Men movie. Daredevil is far less known in this country than in his native America, where Daredevil comics have been immensely popular since the 1960s. A few years ago, the title was cancelled and relaunched with a new edgier look, under the more mature Marvel Knights banner. It was an incredibly successful change and probably secured the possibility of a feature-length Daredevil film. Whilst I am a long-term fan of many Marvel
Comics, Daredevil has never been a character who has particularly interested me, but I still went into the cinema armed with plenty of preconceptions about how things should work.
Daredevil has a darker, more violent feel to it than the Spiderman movie. This is reflected in its 15 certificate, but right from the start, the film seems gritty and stark, and lacks any real sense of fun or adventure. Part of the appeal of Spiderman was the excitement and adventure experienced by the young Peter Parker as he gradually became accustomed to his powers. Daredevil is a much more tragic tale, and portrays a character with a much darker, and much more troubled existence. From my memories of reading the Daredevil comics, this seems to be something that has been accentuated for the film’s benefit - I never remembered Matt Murdock as having quite such a tragic history. I generally felt that the filmmakers had made a concerted effort to create something very gothic and moody, rather like the original Batman films that worked so well. However, with Daredevil, I’m not sure things worked quite so well.
One of the problems faced with the film version of Daredevil is that compared to other super heroes such as Spiderman, Batman and Superman, the character is virtually unknown in this country. The comic book series lacks the adulation and heritage shared by some of the better known heroes, and as such, the film has to work a lot harder to try and inject some life into the concept. Generally, this was attempted through gimmicks and gadgets that were introduced into the film to give Daredevil a more unique identity. Rather than living in a normal apartment, the film version resides in some underground block, complete with gothic architecture and industrial fixtures and fittings. He spends his nights sleeping in a sensory deprivation tank, and has a combined walking stick and weapon that boasts its own Daredevil insignia. It may be that I have lost touch with the character, but I don’t remember any of these things from the comics. Despite the effort, these things still aren’t enough.
Whilst I could recount and suggest dozens of characters, stories and villains that could be adapted for a Spiderman or X Men movie, I would struggle to think of more than two or three Daredevil stories of old. Indeed, it is easily the most famous story line that is used in this film - the meeting and love affair with the assassin Elektra. Whilst this was probably inevitable, I think it was also misguided, and conceptually the film really doesn’t do the job. It’s worth bearing in mind that the affair between Murdock and Elektra was originally stormy, unconventional and very slow - the film tries to cram it all into a space of about 30 minutes and this just doesn’t work. Worse still, it means that a significant part of the film’s running time is devoted to a romantic sub-plot and this was never really appropriate to this type of film. The climax to the whole piece rates as one of the most famous moments in Marvel Comics’ history, but it loses any real impact in the film. I can’t think of a way that this could necessarily have been prevented - unless the whole story was avoided in the first place. In the end, the film doesn’t have enough of its own plot to work as a self-contained story. I appreciated the scale of what was happening much more, because I related to how it was developed in comic book history. It was generally lost on my friends who knew nothing of the comic books.
Daredevil’s 15 certificate was due in part to the fight scenes, which were intense, although not graphic, and to be honest, weren’t long enough for my liking. The whole point of an action/super hero film is to have plenty of exciting combat - the film strayed more into dialogue and character development than it did actually kicking butt. The action was comprised from a combination of computer-generated effects, choreographed sequences and wired stunts, but I have to say that the standard of these wasn’t impressive enough. The effects demonstrated a marginal improvement on Spiderman, but you could still clearly see what was real and what wasn’t. The choreography was good, but none of the moves were particularly original and Daredevil lacked that “Wow!” factor that a modern film really needs. There were some occasional moments of inspiration. The way in which Murdock uses the pattern of the falling rain to “see” Elektra is highly effective.
I also have significant reservations about the cast. Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Murdock is troubled and angst-ridden, but Affleck puts it all on a bit too much. He looks quite good in the red leather suit, but beyond the kinky body armour, he really adds nothing to the character. Affleck is simply too cheesy and only comes alive when he has a beautiful female to face up against. Facially, he looked the part when the mask was on, but he lacked Matt Murdock’s sympathetic features. Michael Clarke Duncan’s portrayal of The Kingpin was a brave effort, but almost doomed to failure from the outset. I never felt that he had the right presence, and didn’t convey enough of the latent power exhibited by the villain in the comic books. It’s worth bearing in mind that in both the Spiderman and Daredevil comics, the Kingpin has fought both heroes to a standstill, but the film version simply couldn't pull it off. The Wilson Fisk of the comic book is also white - I didn’t really understand the thinking behind making the film version black.
Jennifer Garner is fairly effective as Elektra, but simply not sensual or dynamic enough. Elektra was always portrayed wearing virtually next to nothing and engaging in dazzling combat - she was therefore an extremely tough opponent. The movie version of Elektra is far too feminine and girlish - although once she armed herself in the latter part of the film, she did start to shine. The film’s main saving grace is Colin Farrell’s superb portrayal of the psychotic hit man Bullseye. Farrell obviously thrives on every opportunity to snarl and grimace, and he is probably the only character in the film who is truly memorable. That aside, the most accomplished casting choice must surely go to Jon Favreau, who could quite literally have stepped from the paper pages of the comic onto the screen.
Generally, I’m afraid I was rather disappointed with Daredevil. The film lacked substance and despite utilising one of Marvel Comics’ most famous tragedies, the plot seemed to consist of hardly anything at all. With the exception of Bullseye, the three lead characters did little to persuade me that the film was worth the effort, and I there was a distinct atmosphere of disinterest as I looked around the theatre. Unless you are a die-hard comic fan, I probably wouldn’t bother with Daredevil. If you’re expecting another Spiderman then you’ll be disappointed.
Not recommended
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I have to disagree with you. Jennifer Garner/ Elektra was the only reason to watch this. I have to say as well, that I thought the recent spinoff (aptly titeled Elektra) was a great improvment on this.
BabyGirl 30.01.2004 01:57
Oh I'm sad I loved this film, I thought it was an enjoyable watch and not as bad as people made out. Even though you gotta love Colin he was not "rrrrr" in this movie, more like "YUK", did love his accent though ;) gREAT op as always! :D xx
kylecoare 03.08.2003 19:43
As a comic fan, i personallu thought this was a good film, not as good as spidey, but still watchable, and it was a fairly good rendition of a darkly troubled superhero. Agreed on the Kingpin though, although he played a good part, he wasnt half as memorable as in the comics!
Kyle
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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Advantages: Michael Clarke Duncan is superb as always Disadvantages: Probably the casting of Affleck, Im still not convinced and the scripts a bit poor
Andy.mack 26.10.2003 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Daredevil (DVD)
Advantages: Good action, Jennifer Garner in tight leather, cool soundtrack Disadvantages: Jennifer Garner trying to act, Affleck's chin, some of the acting is a little bit cheesy!
![Daredevil - Single Disc Edition [2003] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78500895.jpg "Daredevil - Single Disc Edition [2003] [DVD]")
![Daredevil (Special Edition) [DVD] [2003]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78490195.jpg "Daredevil (Special Edition) [DVD] [2003]")
Feb 25th, 2003
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