Daredevil Director's Cut Blu-Ray Review

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."