Daredevil [Blu-ray] [2003] [US Import]
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20th Century Fox Release date: Tuesday 30th of September 2008 Starring: Format: AC-3, Colour, Director's Cut, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, Running time: 124 minutes Language: English (Original Language) Language: French (Original Language) Language: Spanish (Original Language) Language: Cantonese Chinese (Subtitled) Language: English (Subtitled) Language: French (Subtitled) Language: Spanish (Subtitled) Language: French (Dubbed) Language: Spanish (Dubbed) |
Daredevil tells the story of Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck), a young lawyer who spent his youth getting kicked around by life in Hell's Kitchen, NYC. He's blinded at an early age in an industrial accident, but when he recovers, he discovers that his remaining senses are superhumanly acute. When his father, a boxer, is killed by gangsters for refusing to throw a fight, Matt Murdock vows to dedicate his life to fighting for what's right. To that end, he becomes a lawyer by day and a masked vigilante by night--Daredevil, the Man Without Fear. Using as its source material a classic (well, to comics fans, at least) Frank Miller story line, the film manages to find room for Daredevil's origin, his love affair with Elektra (Jennifer Garner) and his first meetings with his two arch-nemeses, Bullseye (Colin Farrell) and Kingpin (Michael Clark Duncan). Colin Farrell has fun with the psychotic Irish assassin Bullseye, who can use nearly any object as a deadly projectile (and who, as he proudly states, never misses). Michael Clark Duncan adds stone-cold menace to the Kingpin of Crime, the criminal mastermind at the nexus of New York's underworld. Yet Daredevil tries to cram too much into its relatively short running time, and ultimately it's the relationship between Matt Murdock and Elektra that suffers--Garner does all she can with the character, but she could have benefited from a bit more screen time. And the action sequences--particularly the faster-paced, Matrix-style wire fights--only succeed in making Affleck and Farrell look a bit awkward (unlike Garner, neither are natural martial artists). Still, Daredevil is a film by comic-book fans, for comic-book fans, packed with cameos and in-jokes sure to appeal to the die-hards. If that's you, then there's much to love here. --Robert Burrow
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Whether or not one likes Daredevil the movie probably has a lot to do with whether or not one likes Daredevil the comic book. To its credit (or, depending upon your perspective, its detriment), Daredevil is one of the most faithful comic-book adaptations to make it to the big screen. Yet in a world where the red-suited crimefighter is hardly a cultural icon in the same league as Batman and Spider-Man, that will mean very little to most filmgoers.
Daredevil-Theatrical Cut
Review date: 2008-12-29 Rating: 4 out of 10
5.5/10
First things first, whether or not you or I have read the Daredevil comic's is fairly irrelevant when judging the cinematic success or failure or yet another Marvel Superhero. As it stands we have Spider-man, Iron-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Punisher and then the likes of DC Hero's Batman and Superman. Having seen the big screen incarnations for all but two of these, I have to say Daredevil fares quite poorly. It's by no means a bad film, yet in watching it felt like there was half of a potentially excellent comic book film, and a half clichéd, unexciting story going nowhere. As most well already know Daredevil is really a man called Matt Murdock who suffered exposure from bio-hazardous material causing blindness, but also allowing him a heightened sense of smell, hearing, touch as well as making him super strong and perfectly balanced. Sound familiar? His father was a boxer and was killed early on in Mats life when he refused to throw a fight. Spurned on by this Matt has been fighting injustice ever since, helping those who can't defend themselves and so on. By day he's a respected lawyer fighting injustice alongside his best friend Franklin in Hells kitchen, by night he's Daredevil, crime fighter extraordinaire, well you get the idea. Murdock has all the stereotypical problems associated with most Super-Heroes, he is an emotionally conflicted man, unsure at times whether what he is doing is the right thing, often consulting a priest who watches over him despite apparently having little or no obvious connection to him. We learn Matt has been seeing a woman for three months who hasn't even seen his apartment; a quick and relatively easy way of establishing our boy is a lonely figure that can't juggle a romance and crime-fighting duties, a problem shared by aforementioned rival Superheroes. Despite this he does get a love-interest provided by Jennifer Garners Elektra Natchios a lethal martial arts expert, whose father is killed by Kingpin, and like Daredevil she vows revenge. They have a couple of touching scenes together and one short love scene that like most of the movie feels desperately rushed.
The rest of the players here are Jon Favreau portraying Mat's best friend and legal partner Franklin, he gets some good light humoured lines and his exchanges with Affleck are always fun to watch. Michael Clarke Duncan breathes great menace into Wilson Fisk also known as the Kingpin a criminal mastermind who Duncan brings a silently ferocious presence to; Kingpin is also responsible for the death of Daredevils father. , a hit-man with a perfect aim played by Colin Farrell who probably had a lot of fun while playing this demented Irish assassin who is balls-out crazy killing people with peanuts, paper clips, death stars, daggers and overall is sadly under-used during the course of the movie. Joe Pantoliano, an extremely versatile actor who I really liked in "The Matrix", "Memento" and "The Fugitive" plays Ben Urich (adding some form of emotional weight to what could have been an otherwise unmemorable character), a journalist who writes "urban myth" related articles "amongst other things" and is very close to uncovering the truth about Daredevil and the Kingpin. While I liked all of these characters and the actors playing them, it would have helped to have a bit more of Ben Urich or extended scenes between Matt Murdock and Elektra, even Mat's best friend and legal partner Franklin (whose scenes together I couldn't complain about) would have been nice to see a little more of. Instead what we get is a scattered collection of sketchily developed side players who actually appear to have more to contribute and I wish for the movie's sake they had been allowed to deliver more.
Along with the underdeveloped characters who, with a bit more screen time could really have helped the proceedings the first half of Daredevil suffers from a mix of frantic fight sequences, routine story set-ups that plague most comic-book movies and. The action sequences lack any of the fluidity or grace seen in either of the first two Spider-Man movies or Ang Lee's Hulk nor does Daredevil posses the clear high-octane sequences that set the latest Hulk alive. An early fight scene in a bar where our hero is tracking a known rapist is extremely difficult to make out because the scene is so dark and so shot so quickly. Also the effects are something of a letdown, watching Daredevil soar around the rooftops of hells kitchen never felt particularly believable, nor did the aforementioned fight scenes at the start, even some of the better material later on doesn't always hit the mark, an otherwise excellent battle between Daredevil and Bulls-Eye does at times appear fake. However around the halfway mark there's an injection of action scenes that were stylishly and effectively choreographed, involving, at various points Electra, Bulls-Eye and Daredevil. Also the assassination sequence and 90 per-cent of the final showdown make up for early problems I had with the movie's heavy action scenes.
However Daredevil isn't just about the action, while his back story feels almost fatally obligatory and is rushed through, the romantic aspects of the story involving Daredevil and Elektra are never really given enough time, Affleck and Garner have great chemistry on screen and while they're scenes are quite tender they feel a little bit rushed as a fair bit is crammed into a little over two hours, which is a shame given the story and its characters were worth fleshing out a little more, something apparently addressed in the 2005 directors cut. On that note I'll finish saying that if you liked any part of this movie and like me, and probably many others enjoyed part of this, I recommend the directors cut which got superior reviews and may deliver a fuller more satisfying version of Marvel's man without fear.
Reviews
not quite good enough
Review date: 2008-07-23 Rating: 4 out of 10
Having just finished watching this I realised that its taken me three days with breaks to finish this. If I was gripped by the film I would have finished it in one viewing, therefore I have to say that I didn't enjoy this at all. I wanted to, I really did, I think Ben Affleck is great, and yes, though it's embarassing to say I do actually quite admire Colin Farrell's screen presence, however the two just didn't work here and I kept waiting for that fantastic moment where I'd finally realise that the film was worth while after all - it never came. I can understand people who are into the cartoon strips that show these stories and maybe me having an alien concept to cartoons doesn't help but I just felt something was really lacking here, and I am sorry to say I never found it!
THE BEST MARVEL FILM
Review date: 2007-11-19 Rating: 10 out of 10
Daredevil is a brilliant film. it has stunts, gripping fights and a love story that makes peter parker and mary jane look board and unromantic. The plot is not one of the best but it still great and keeps you on the edge of your seet. the background music is good and is well suited to the scenes of the film. Overall Daredevil is a film you can watch over and over and each time enjoy it eaqually as much.
Casting problem
Review date: 2007-08-19 Rating: 2 out of 10
Comic book films have a habit of being bad. So why o why cast Ben Affleck. The guy has very limited acting ability and brings down any film he's in.
A SO-SO COMIC BOOK ADVENTURE
Review date: 2007-08-07 Rating: 6 out of 10
Having never read the adventures of Daredevil in comic book format, I was, however, familiar with the interesting story so I awaited the film with interest. Ben Affleck may have looked the part, but I was worried that he would too bland to carry it off, but alas I have to say the film it a success. Sure it ain't art, it's not striving to be. The film is after all starring a fan of the comics and has been written and directed by a fan. Mark Stephen Johnson was an unusual choice, having directed Simon Birch, but like Peter Jackson starting of doing zombie films and then moving on to Lord of The Rings, having a fan at the helm is a help to the film. Johnson treats the film with respect, he's not afraid to go into darker routes, like Tim Burton with Batman and creates a film that is very entertaining. The darker elements work brilliantly here. If Spiderman is Marvel's Superman then Daredevil is undoubtedly the Batman of the Marvel universe. Although he has enhanced senses, Matt Murdock is at the end of the day human. He scars easily and has to take pain killers and is at heart only in this gig for revenge, although the fighting for justice element is there in a more fuller way than in Batman. Murdock is a lawyer for his day job.
Affleck is surprisingly effective here as Murdock/Daredevil. Scenes of him doing his usual routine (folding his money up so as to know which bill is which) and trying to see Elekra in the rain work fantastically and Affleck is, I have to say, superb at times. His performance as a blind man is spot on and while the character is a darker hybrid over Spiderman, the emotional elements are here too and they work fantastically.
Having been in love with Jennifer Garner since Alias I am biased over her performance here. She is superb as Elektra, and even better is that unlike Mary Jane she ain't no mere love interest, this is a tough girl and despite the film's ending, I think it's safe to say a spin-off movie is on the cards. On an extra note that ending is shocking, not to mention brutal. Then there's the baddies. Michael Clarke Duncun is good as always as Kingpin, but Colin Farrell is the revelation here. Like The Joker in the first Batman film, Farrell is over the top and fun to watch and never outstays his welcome. His electric delivery and his sticking to his Irish accent works wonders and the character can be both fun, yet unflinchingly brutal (once again I point to the ending).
Hopefully this is a franchise in the making. While I did love Spiderman and I can't wait for its sequel, it would be nicer to see the darker cousin in his own series.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Paul Ben-Victor
Ben Affleck
Jude Ciccolella
Pat Crawford Brown
Erick Avari
Creators:
Ben Affleck (Primary Contributor)
Erick Avari (Primary Contributor)
Ericson Core (Cinematographer)
Graeme Revell (Composer)
Chic Daniel (Conductor)
Recording label: 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
EAN: 0024543550006
Binding: Blu-ray
Number of items: 1
Format: AC-3, Colour, Director's Cut, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen,
Release date: 2008-09-30
Universal product code (UPC): 024543550006
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Running time: 124 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2003
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Original Language)
Language: Spanish (Original Language)
Language: Cantonese Chinese (Subtitled)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: French (Dubbed)
Language: Spanish (Dubbed)
Tech info, cast and quotes/trivia when available. Exclusions may apply with free delivery. Price and availabiltity subject to change
