Daredevil Movie Review:


When I was a mere squirt of about 13 years old, a comic book taught me a few lessons that I haven’t forgotten to this day. This comic book was Daredevil.

The new feature film based on the popular Marvel Comics character, Daredevil, stars Ben Affleck as attorney-vigilante Matt Murdock who prowls the roof-tops of New York’s Hell’s Kitchen in a search to preserve and maintain justice.

The film opens with a bloodied and battered Daredevil falling into a church much to a preacher’s surprise. This event springboards the filmgoer back into the character’s past where young Matt lives with his struggling boxer father Jack Murdock (David Keith).

When Matt is blinded in a freak accident, a new connection develops between father and son. But it seems that Matt has adopted some extraordinary powers that leave his remaining 4 remaining senses in a sort of hyper-flux. He also develops a sort of radar sense that allows him to see in a whole new way.

After Matt’s father is killed following a crooked boxing match, Matt devotes his life to justice. He becomes an attorney. When the worst cases slip through the system, Matt dons a crimson leather suit and exacts his own brand of justice as the vigilante, Daredevil.

One day when Daredevil comes to close to uncovering the truth about organized crime in Hell’s Kitchen he becomes hunted by the self-made crimelord Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan). Kingpin hires the assassin-with-perfect-aim Bullseye (Colin Farrell) to take down Daredevil but Matt’s new girlfriend Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner) becomes reluctantly involved. How will this new dynamic and showdown effect "the man without fear"? Can a mere attorney from Hell’s Kitchen bring down one of the most powerful crimelords in New York?

This is one of the hardest reviews I have ever had to write. I have struggled to look at this film without my admiration with the comic. I have found that impossible. The film is based on the legendary Frank Miller storyline from the 1980s, which changed the lives of the ones who read it forever. How could a comic influence and change a reader so much? Isn’t that left only for novels? Well for anyone who doesn’t enjoy comics or know that comics are for grown-ups, that maybe the truth.

Daredevil, the film incarnate moves along very briskly in its 103-minute time frame. Because of time restraints, it seems Kingpin and Elektra have been over simplified. For fans of the comic, these changes may be annoying since each character is so multi-layered and intricate for the plot. For the basic moviegoer it maybe all right. I may never know.

I loved the look of Daredevil; the dark, grisly feel is such homage to the comic. I also loved how some of the scenes reminded me so much of favorite panels from the comics. I loved how the film depicted Daredevil and how he was in constant conflict with his faith. I also cheered the aspect of Murdock needing a sensory depravation-tank. How else is he able to escape his heightened senses. I thought there was a lot of depth in Affleck’s portrayal of Matt Murdock. He even surprised me.

I also loved the depiction and portrayal of both Daredevil and Bullseye. Bullseye, character-wise, reminded me so much of his comic version. Colin Farrell’s performance as Bullseye was a real treat in the film.

I had a lot of problems with the portrayals of Elektra and Kingpin. The audience needs to know more about them before it can connect with them. Even as a die-hard fan I found it difficult to follow the film-versions. It was as if Joel Schumacher had written these characters. Who is Elektra? Why should we care about her? How deep does the Kingpin’s influence go? What is his motive?

I really think that with a longer running time, the film could have been more of a success. Maybe the DVD will shed some light on that. I just hope that the power, emotion and life lessons I learned as a kid will be seen some day. Daredevil is a success but not a rampant one.

(4 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Dean Kish

Exciting, and mostly faithful, adaptation of Marvel comic’s ‘Man Without Fear', ‘Daredevil’ is a good movie that could’ve been great, but despite an eclectic cast, some nice action sequences and atmospheric cinematography, still comes in as a bit of a lightweight, when judged alongside the likes of ‘Blade’ and ‘Spiderman’.

Ben Affelck makes a good Matt Murdock/Daredevil; blinded as a child only to gain super-sensory skills and death defying abilities. By day, Matt’s that rarest of things; a lawyer with a conscience, by night, he’s red leather-clad superhero Daredevil, cleaning up the mean streets of Hell’s Kitchen, and gunning after sai-weilding-minx-in-a-catsuit Elektra (Jennifer Garner).

The whole ‘Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin’ issue is a bit of a moot point by now; I mean on one hand you could argue that whilst studios will have a white villain played by a black man, they’d never have a white hero played by an African American actor (Omar Epps as Batman?, Nona Gaye as Psylocke?; if only). But then again, at least ‘DD’ allows Michael to bring his larger-than-life persona/acting talent to such a prominent role, and judging by the movie itself, I don’t reckon any other actor (besides Marlon Brando or Anthony Hopkins) could’ve done a better job.

I thought Ben Affleck was great as Daredevil ‘The Man Without Fear’, and though a lot of people seem to have something against him, Affleck’s a pretty good actor (re: ‘Chasing Amy’, ‘Dogma’) who just about manages not to look like a complete twat in that rubious outfit, (Ben’s got it easy folks; remember Billy Zane in ‘The Phantom’?!).

He works well with Jennifer Garner, who, despite showing promise way back in ‘Dude, Where’s My Car?’ (And yes; I am serious) seems a tad uncomfortable here. For ‘Alias’ has to be one of the most overrated TV shows since ‘Frasier’ (how many people have I just pissed off with that comment I wonder?…a million surely) and though Jen comes over as Elektra, (for ‘DD’ boasts some of the best Sai work since Rachel Wiesz and Trish Velasquez in ‘The Mummy Returns’) it seems more likely that she’ll go onto be the next Andie McDowell, as opposed to next Michelle Yeoh. Future star Colin ‘Tigerland’ Farrell hams it up big-time, as bike-riding-skinhead Bullseye (the most ludicrous Marvel supervillain since Baron Zemo), Joe Pantalano is always a welcome addition to any move whilst Jon ‘Swingers’ Favareau does his utmost to make Affleck look good in the Matt Murdock scenes.

‘Daredevil’ is an enjoyable, undemanding little movie, no real aspirations to be the new ‘Batman’, it’s dark enough to convey a certain atmosphere, but also light enough to get the pre-teens and Affleck fans in, everyone does what’s required; nothing more, nothing less. And though it’ll be twice the film on DVD (where the extras should compensate for the breezy 90 min running time) ‘DD’ is worth checking out at your local multiplex; for there’s action, darkness, atmosphere and even a cameo appearance by Kevin Smith.

‘DD’ is a movie that isn’t afraid to be what it wants to be, its just a little disappointing that it doesn’t wanna be all that much. Fearless.

7/10.

Kashif Ahmed

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