Daredevil
Rated: PG-13
Usually the first three months of any year are a dumping ground for any crap studios made or retooled into a kid’s movie. So 20th Century Fox did a little counter-programming and decided to release a superhero film in mid-February. The first of this year’s superhero flicks is not based on mainstream character, but rather the Marvel universe’s answer to Batman. With questionable actors, a questionable superhero, and three mediocre trailers, I went into Daredevil wondering if this film would start the downfall of superhero films earlier than expected or be a surprise hit that would lead us into sequel-central. For those of you unfamiliar with the comic, let me try and sum it up as best as I can without getting hardcore fans writing me death threats (which would mean that people actually read these reviews). Matt Murdock is blinded as a child with radioactive material. After he loses his sense of sight, his other four senses function with superhuman ability. So Daredevil is a character whose superhuman ability is to see. Because this is based off a comic book and the kid’s childhood isn’t bad enough now that he’s blind, his father gets killed by the mob. Matty grows up to be a lawyer (in the movie, a pretty awful one) and when the law fails, he puts on a little red outfit, goes vigilante, and kicks the criminal’s ass anyway. So, yeah, he’s kind of a sore loser. I wish I could go more into the plot, but to be completely honest, this isn’t a plot-driven film. More so than any other superhero film we’ve seen lately, Daredevil is all about the character’s journey. Sure, there are other characters he must face such as the sexy Electra (Jennifer Garner), the cheesy-as-all-hell Bullseye (Colin Farrell), and the notorious Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan), but at its heart, the film is about one man’s journey and personal growth. 
I’ll tell you right out that while I enjoyed the movie, general consensus seems to be “not bad”. I think the film is a bit better than that estimation despite having some noticeable flaws. The cast is half-and-half. Affleck and Garner hit the right notes of self-confidence, vulnerability, and conflict in their respective characters. The villains of the piece leave something to be desired. Self-proclaimed movie-star Colin Farrell earns the easiest paycheck of his life as his character consists entirely of grinning and growling. He gives a fun performance, but it’s nothing memorable. Duncan gets the confidence of the Kingpin across but fails to deliver a good look at the more sinister side of the character. The film also has some good direction at work. With the exception of the first fight scene, the actions sequences have some fine choreography and execution. But what makes the film special in the special effects department is Daredevil’s “radar-vision”. While director Mark Stephen Johnson could have easily turned this effect into an overused gimmick, he exercises perfect restraint when he decides to use the effect. Every time the film cuts to radar-vision, it puts the viewer in Murdock’s position at the most valuable moment. At one point in the film, Matt uses his radar-vision to see Elektra’s face and it’s a really special moment between the two characters. However, despite a solid cast, fine direction, and good focus on the main character, the film suffers from some truly absurd moments. Daredevil manages to go through climatic battles with a major injury, he’s able to dodge a hundred glass shards thrown by Bullseye (the world’s greatest marksman) through the magic of back flipping, and he receives the world’s longest Dear John answering machine message. It’s still going on as I write this. Also, I miss the good old days when a John Williams or a Thomas Newman would actually write a score for a movie. Now studios burden us with every flash-in-the-pan artist and thus instantly date the film. However, when these horrendously awful Nü-metal or pop songs come up in the film, we only hear about five or ten seconds. Also, it is pretty obvious the film’s been cut up because apparently people don’t have attention spans past…past…sorry, where was I? Everything feels very rushed and as such, there are some pretty noticeable plot holes and the supporting characters need a little more depth. Don’t go into Daredevil expecting the next Spider-Man or X-Men. Daredevil isn’t about the villains or colorful action sequences. The film is about a vigilante’s quest to better understand his own sense of justice and it succeeds at that simple level. Unfortunately, today’s superhero film demands more than a simple tale of why it’s bad to kill people as a form of justice. Words by
|
