Rated
R (Violence and Language)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 13 Minutes
Cast:
Ben
Affleck-Matt Murdock/Daredevil
Jennifer
Garner-Elektra Natchios
Michael
Clarke Duncan-Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin
Colin
Farrell-Bullseye
Jon
Favreau-Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson
Joe
Pantoliano-Ben Urich
Ellen
Pompeo-Karen Page
Erick
Avari-Nikolas Natchios
Artis
Leon Ivey Jr./Coolio-Dante Jackson
Derrick
O'Connor-Father Everett
David
Keith-Jack Murdock
Directed
by Mark Steven Johnson
 |
| Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? |
After
the critical and commercial success of "X-Men" and "Spider-Man," Marvel let
loose in 2003 with three films based upon their popular characters. One of them
was "Daredevil," created by writer Stan Lee and illustrator Bill Everett in
1964. The character has a status somewhat similar to Iron Man as he’s not
well-known outside of comic book fans. Released on February 14, 2003, the film received
a mixed reception from critics and was derided by fans. Nonetheless, it proved
to be a modest box office success. A year after its release, director Mark
Steven Johnson released an R-rated director’s cut which restored almost 30
minutes cut from the theatrical version, which is the subject of this Blu-Ray
review. While the original version of "Daredevil" was entertaining if largely
forgettable, this new edition is vastly superior but is still bogged down by an
uninspired script and some cheesy elements.
Twelve-year-old
Matt Murdock lives in New York City's Hell’s Kitchen with his father Jack (David
Keith), a washed-up boxer who also works as an enforcer for the local mob. Matt
is always pushed to excel in school but one day, he comes upon his father
beating another man. Horrified, he runs away and is exposed to radioactive
waste that blinds him. However, his other four senses have been heightened to
near superhuman levels and he develops a radar sense that allows him to ‘see.’
When Jack is murdered for refusing to throw a fight, Matt vows to avenge his
father's death. He grows up to become a lawyer with his best friend, Franklin 'Foggy'
Nelson (Jon Favreau) but at night, he prowls the rooftops of New York City as
the costumed vigilante Daredevil (Ben Affleck). While pursuing a case involving
a murdered prostitute, Murdock comes face to face with the leader of the
criminal underworld, Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and
his assassin-for-hire, Bullseye (Colin Farrell). In addition, Murdock also has
to contend with Elektra (Jennifer Garner), who believes Daredevil had murdered
her father.
"Daredevil"
features a standard superhero origin that often recalls Spider-Man and a tone
similar to Batman. The theatrical cut moved at a very brisk pace with a heavy
emphasis on action and 'there [were] times when important nuggets of
information are missing–not because they have been intentionally withheld but
because the scene(s) in which they were revealed are not in the final cut'
(James Berardinelli, ReelViews). The director's cut adds in an entirely new
subplot to the film which fleshes out the story. It illuminates Murdock’s
activities as a lawyer, where he tries to defend a drug addict played by rapper
Coolio. This helps tie into how he proved that Wilson Fisk was not the honest
business man that most people believe him to be. Less emphasis is placed upon
the romance between Murdock and Elektra, which I feel is a good thing because
the film should be focused more on Daredevil and his journey alone. There are
still flaws, such as the origin being too rushed. It’s a mystery as to how
Murdock managed to become so acrobatic without being trained by someone and some of the moves he does
almost border on being superhuman, which is true in relation to his radar
sense but not in terms of physicality, which is on par with Olympian athletes.
Johnson also tends to over-compensate since he's not that good of a writer.
What’s really puzzling is why this version wasn’t released in the first place
and the answer was studio interference: 20th Century Fox wanted a brisk, faster
paced version. Well, at least the director’s cut managed to make it although
one can’t help wondering how much better the film would’ve done if this version
was released in the first place.
Ben
Affleck never really feels comfortable as Daredevil. It’s not a bad performance
per se but it’s not very good either. The leather costume he wears doesn’t look
all that great since the DD symbol is so tiny you can hardly make it out. While
we do learn more about Murdock here, I believe that Johnson could’ve gone
deeper with what he deals with psychologically and the toll it takes on him.
There are also other changes such as the casting of Michael Clarke Duncan as
the Kingpin, who was Caucasian in the comics. That's not big deal but Duncan
just doesn't come across as very menacing and feels more like a cartoon
villain. Colin Farrell brings a mixed performance to Bullseye as well and fails to
capture the character’s sadistic nature, coming off as second-rate Joker. Only
Jennifer Garner seems to nails down her part as Elektra despite her costume
being black instead of red like in the comics. Too bad the spin-off movie
turned out so horrible.
The
action scenes are well-choreographed but the CGI comes off as too obvious in
certain parts. None of the fights ever stand out with the exception of Murdock
and Elektra playing basketball while flirting with each other. It's one of the cheesier
scenes that somehow manage to work despite how ridiculous it looks at first
glance. There's also too much music and it feels like it was made and edited by
MTV. The cinematography from Ericson Core goes for an appropriately dark look that recalls Batman
with its gothic architecture. Although there were talks of a sequel after its
release, five years later and there’s been nothing, no script, no actors
committed or anything. The best thing 20th Century Fox should do is just go the
Batman route where they reboot the whole thing and hopefully give us comic fans
a superior movie.
As
for the Blu-Ray release, the transfer is excellent and there is a slight film
grain filter that keeps the style dark and gritty, just like how Alex Maleev did
it in the comics. Audio is also strong, particularly the use of ambient sound in
relation to Daredevil’s powers. Special features include an audio commentary
from Johnson and producer Avi Arad where they talk about the differences
between the two versions and how they were forced by the studio to drastically
alter the film. In addition, there are two one-hour documentaries on the making
of the film and the evolution of the comic character, a series of production
featurettes, music videos, still galleries and trailers.
"Daredevil"
was originally released on February 14, 2003 to mixed reviews with a 44% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it to be 'passable if derivative as
entertainment…but the film is not up to par with recent superhero films.' The
film grossed $179 million worldwide, a modest success
considering it was made for only $78 million and released during a slow season.
There’s no way to gauge how many people liked the director’s cut of "Daredevil" but it’s safe
to assume that most people will find it vastly superior to the original
theatrical version. Unfortunately, there are still issues with the script and the dodgy
acting with hit-or-miss special effects brings a mediocre film up
to a merely average superhero flick.
Final
Rating: 3 out of 5
"Hell's
Kitchen is my neighborhood. I prowl the rooftops and alleyways at night,
watching from the darkness. Forever in darkness. A guardian devil."
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