Review of:Daredevil (2003)
Director:Mark Steven Johnson
Rating:PG-13 for action/violence and some sensuality
Starring:Ben Affleck, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell, Jon Favreau
Marvel Comics character of Daredevil has finally made it to the big screen. The character made somewhat famous by Stan Lee and Frank Miller puts on the red cowl to fight crime. With no super powers to think of Daredevil has long been a character driven by character development, and a grittiness that is not found in other comic characters. He holds the moniker "The Man Without Fear," for good reason.
Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) is a lawyer by day, and the costumed hero at night. Driven to protect those that need protecting this hero does what he must in Hell's Kitchen to make sure that evil is not rewarded. That means even going up against the diabolical Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan).
The character of Daredevil has always seemed to be almost a parallel character of Spiderman. The only difference is maybe in the fact that Spiderman is blessed or cursed with his powers from a radioactive spider. Daredevil has honed his abilities to gymnastic perfection, and uses his enhanced senses to see things almost like radar. Daredevil is more of a graffic novel type with a lot of his adventures coming against enemies that are as normal as he is. His chief opponent in the film is bullseye (Colin Farrell) who must be the most accomplished dart champion ever for the simple fact that he can take any object and make it into a weapon. To add a little twist to the script is the addition of Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner) who loves Matt Murdock by day and is trying to wipe Daredevil off the face of the earth by night.
Director Mark Steven Johnson has a host of credits attached to his name. Most notable is his direction of Simon Birch and a couple of credits for his involvement writing Grumpy Old Men, and Grumpier Old Men. A nice resume but one that does not involve the kind of action/adventure mix that this movie needs. It seems that all of the looks of the movie are there, but the main meat (the heart) is not beating at all. This is Hell's Kitchen man, where is all the grittiness, the pain. This locale is supposed to be on the same level as Gotham of Batman fame, but you wouldn't be able to tell it from the movie.
The best acting in the movie has to go to Colin Farrell as bullseye who hits his character dead center. He brings the heat anytime he is on screen, and if there is a part two hopefully he will be the focal point. In regards to Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin his role is seriously under utilized. The time would have been much better spent showing the mental prowess of the giant instead of just showing clips of him with a cigar in his mouth looking menacing. The fact that Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin is white in the comic book didn't even come into consideration since Duncan seems to fit the physical requirements of the big men to a tee. The relationship between Electra and Daredevil has always been one that has had heat to it. Love and Hate really does have a thin line as their alter egos continually love, and hate each other. This is a point that is shown somewhat in the film, but seems to be what the director should have hung his hat on. Ben Affleck tries, but isn't successful in bringing about the intensity of the Daredevil character. With all of his senses enhanced somewhat you would think that the character would be focused in all that he does. Maybe the PG-13 rating is what hindered this character. The character seems to get the watered down treatment to accomplish this.
By the end of the film I realized all of the potential of the film, and found it wanting. Maybe my own experience with the comic has caused the color of my perception to be a little rosy colored, but if true fans of the Man without fear are expected to support the movie there has to be a level of authenticy.
