Daredevil

A disturbingly dark and heavy superhero flick that becomes one of the better (if not the very best) films of one of the cinema's newer sub-genres by its finale. "Daredevil" is one of the best surprises of recent memory (I was expecting something similar to "The Shadow" or "The Phantom"). A young boy (Scott Terra) thinks his ex-boxer father (David Keith) is the greatest person on Earth. Terra is shocked though when he discovers that his father is little more than a thug, an enforcer in a rough neighborhood that preys on those who owe money to underworld syndicates. A freak accident soon follows that leaves the youth blind. Keith is grief-stricken and promises his son that he will change his colors. A bond that is stronger than ever then comes together, but evil forces lurk when Keith makes a comeback in the boxing ring and refuses to take a dive for those same criminals he once worked for. Tragedy does strike once again for the youth and he is forced to grow up quicker than most other children. The blindness leads to a strange type of radar sense which causes the character to know all that is going on around him. He then becomes versed in acrobatic martial arts and vows to take revenge on all those wrong-doers in New York City as he grows up to become a lawyer (in the form of Ben Affleck). Only Catholic priest Derrick O'Connor knows the real truth about Affleck and proves to be the father figure that the character desperately needs. Affleck learns that there is a new crime boss in town (a much heavier Michael Clarke Duncan of "The Green Mile" fame) as he falls in love with the ridiculously athletic Jennifer Garner. Garner's shady father though (Erick Avari) becomes Duncan's newest target. Thus more drama begins to take place as Duncan calls in super-villain Bull's Eye (a scene-stealing performance by Colin Farrell) in Ireland to cause more havoc in the city and kill the titled character for good. The thing that separates "Daredevil" from most every other film of its type is the fact that the film is as serious as a heart attack throughout. The "Batman" series became ridiculous because of its over-the-top comedy and most other superhero films lack believability and substance. "Daredevil" is amazingly realistic and its tone makes it a strikingly dramatic experience that has very few equals. All the performances are outstanding and the film's direction lifts an admittedly flawed screenplay (the screenplay does not work as well as it should due to the possibility of more installments). A smashing soundtrack and gloomy cinematography complete the impressive production. A daring film that ends up being an overwhelming success. 4 stars out of 5.

I have to admit when I saw Daredevil in its theatrical release, I found myself underwhelmed by it. I loved the visuals, but I found the love story soppy and couldn't always make sense of the story. However, hearing so much about the Director's Cut being superior I got the DVD off my brother, and actually I really liked it. Daredevil is not what I call a perfect movie, I still did find the love story soppy and becoming dangerously close to flagging down the film and the soundtrack is rather dated and heavy for my liking. On the other hand, I loved the stylish visuals, the fresh, funny dialogue, that I could make much more sense of the story and could be more entertained by it and the characterisation of the titular character with him being vulnerable and flawed I found him very interesting. The other characters are not as well developed, but are enthusiastically performed. Colin Farrell especially is lots of fun, Jennifer Garner is decent and Michael Clarke Duncan is great as is Joe Pantoliano. The editing is good if occasionally rushed, and the action sequences are clear if not always very subtle. Overall, a good movie that fared much better on re-watch. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox

Not the worst Marvel movie ever, but not really a good movie either. At best it's a fun and entertaining guilty pleasure movie. It has that early 2000's edge and cheesiness. The director's cut really fixes a lot of the movies problems but not all of it. There are a couple dumb scenes that take you out of the movie and the cgi is pretty dated. However most of the cast does a pretty good job with the roles they are given and the movie does a quick and simple job at telling the origin story. Some of the visuals and art designs are also pretty great and the action sequences still hold up. Overall, only watch the director's cut and don't take it to seriously.

First off, this was a more complete version of the DVD which came out earlier. In this edition, about a half-hour of new material was added to the disc (and what was shown at the theaters.) All reviews I read said it elevated this film from "fair at best" to "good." I agree. It made the movie much, much better.

Yeah, it's more far-fetched than the other superhero movies because here, the hero is a blind guy who, because of his blindness, has extraordinary hearing powers along with the rest of the usual Batman/Spiderman-type athletic skills.

As in most of the Batman films, this is a dark film. I think it would have been better had it lightened up a bit with a few jokes and a more wholesome female lead. Jennifer Garner is another one of these latter-day skinny chicks who is made to be tough-looking, tough-talking and tough-fighting. In other words: ridiculous. However, I will say she comes across a little more likable on the extended version. One more negative: the fight scenes go on a tad too long and are outlandish.

On the positive side, this may be the best-sounding DVD I own, at least up to ones I had heard up until this came out in January of 2005. Since the hero (Ben Affleck) has super hearing, this is emphasized in this movie and so you, if you have a 5.1 surround system, hear sounds from all speakers at almost times. It's awesome!

Affleck, meanwhile, is likable as the superhero and I liked the message he gives at the end about shunning revenge. Wow, you don't hear that much in movies. Kudos, too, to villains' Colin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan. They are fun to watch, especially Farrell.

So, if this superhero film interests you, make sure you get the "Director's Cut" edition. It's far better than the original, and, I believe, the same price.

That's why I think most critics hated this thing. It's not lighthearted fun like "Spider-Man" was, it's more adult-themed. I actually found it a bit more effective than Sam Raimi's superhero epic. Why? Because it wasn't campy and it didn't have cartoony special effects. The CGI in "Daredevil" is more photorealistic. I also loved the "Matrix"-like martial-arts incorporated throughout the film.

In fact, as far as darker-themed comic book movies go, I think "Daredevil" is a much better film than either of the first two "Batman" pictures were. I recently watched "Spider-Man" again on DVD and I've always had mixed reactions of it. I do think it works on the level of campy fun and for that I gave it a B Minus. But I think "Daredevil" is a more solid picture and I'd grade it with a B.

I like the look of the film, the washed-out colors make the movie look very 70's in certain scenes. Like "The Crow", the movie has an MTV mentality with rock and rap songs, but also has a love story as well. The sound design is awesome, if you have a good theatre sound system, "Daredevil" will take full advantage of it. I don't think Ben Affleck got credit when it was deserved. Along with Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan, Affleck was perfect cast.

Anyhow, as much as I believe "Daredevil" is a much better film than "Spider-Man" was. I actually think "Spider-Man 2" is better than "Daredevil". The best comic book movie ever placed on film. It shows that a director can really improve on his work. I highly recommend that film to anyone. Well, the bottom line is: "Spider-Man" (B-), "Daredevil" (B) and "Spider-Man 2" (A). I hope you enjoyed my review.