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DAREDEVIL
review by Joseph B. Mauceri
REVIEW: According to the calendar, it may be Winter, however, 20th Century Fox has taken a bold step by releasing DAREDEVIL in February. The film delivers all the action, effects, and thrills that the best summer blockbuster has to offer. More important, this is a superhero for an older audience. Unlike his colleagues, such as Batman or Spiderman, Daredevil is driven by his emotions and exacts a justice that is more in line with Hammurabi's code of laws. It is not only as dark as Batman, it is edgier. Unlike Superman, Batman, and Spiderman, Daredevil never really achieved the same level of recognition. Then in the late 1990's, director, screenwriter, and actor Kevin Smith began to write for the character, and it achieved a bigger fan base and cult status. In fact, when the "Daredevil Visionaries" mini-series Smith penned was collected into a single volume, Smith's friend Ben Affleck wrote the forward. The key to any comic book superhero film is for the filmmakers to understand the cornerstones that the creators used to build the series. Like any Greek or Roman tragedy, it's all about the characters and what drives them. Next is finding actors to bring them to life. Sure, you would like actors who can appease the fans, but you're looking for people with the ability to reach a larger audience. You can't please everyone (and most of them are able to voice their jaded opinions somewhere on the internet) but, as a fan, I was happy with many of the aspects of the film, including the casting choices. Still, the film introduces a few new elements into the Daredevil mythology. They're interesting, but go unexplained. For example, Daredevil's other senses are so enhanced that the only way he can sleep is in a sensory deprivation tank. Okay, so what's that all about? Overall, I enjoyed DAREDEVIL and feel it is a rare cinematic thrill ride that delivers the maximum bangs for your buck. It sets new standards for superhero films and makes you want to simply stand up and cheer. Still, there were a couple of elements that were disappointing. The filmmakers chose Graeme Revell to score the film. Graeme's work has added atmosphere to many memorable films, including "The Crow." However, his work here is buried under a massive soundtrack compilation. There are at least two sequences where the score cuts from one pop song to another. It's confusing because you can hardly tell where Graeme's score is in the film. The other element that isn't up to par with the rest of the film is the fight sequence between Daredevil and the hired killer Bullseye on the pipes of a massive church organ. The live action fight sequences are amazing, but in this instance, their movements are so unrealistic that it's obvious we're watching computer generated images and not actors. But when you come right down to it, Ben Affleck has the hustle, Colin Farrell has the moves, Michael Clarke Duncan is the muscle, Jennifer Garner has the lethal look, and when they get together, the screen explodes in the biggest, peddle-to-the-metal superhero film yet! OFFICIAL
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SYNOPSIS:
In 1964, Stan Lee and Bill Everett unleashed a new character for
Marvel Comics. His name is Daredevil, and although his original
costume was a yellow and red combination, it wasn't long before
it became the legendry red outfit featured in the film. By day,
Daredevil is Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer from an area of New York
City called Hell's Kitchen. In his teens, a tragic accident took
Matt's sight, but enhanced his remaining senses to superhuman levels.
The tragic events of his life have led Matt to become not merely
an avenger of justice, but a masked vigilante. Like any premiere
comic book that addresses the origins of a superhero, DAREDEVIL
the film offers all those elements, plus the romantic question ö
Will Matt get the girl?