Rating: 
Summary: Daredevil
Review: Before trying to criticize Director's Name Here Daredevil, you must first take a look back at the comic derived movies of the past. I say this with more recent films such as Sam Raimi's Spiderman and Director's Name Here's X-men in mind, but, in particular, Daredevil brought the earlier half of the Batman franchise to mind, that is, while Tim Burton was still in charge, and Joel Schumacher (Batman & Robin, Batman Forever) was keeping his filthy hands far, far away.
I mention these movies because Daredevil makes a deliberate attempt to steer away from many of their standards, thus making it the most daring "Comic movie" in the slew of these films. The most noticeable difference is the film's turn towards brutality. Most of the previous films shied away from the subject of death completely, leaving their character's last moments suggested, but never shown. Daredevil however, is a much darker film than its predecessors. It takes a full on approach to bloodshed, pushing its PG-13 rating to the limit. We witness characters being run over, stabbed, shot, and much, much worse. Whether or not this new attitude towards violence is welcomed by the audience, I can only wonder. For me, and I hate to sound morbid here, it provided the movie with enough grit to save it from some potentially sappy moments in the screenplay.
The plot (in as few words as possible, because I'm running out of space here) is as follows: Matthew Murdock is a bullied child living in Hell's Kitchen with his father, a washed up prize-fighter. After Matt is blinded in a freak accident involving radiation, he is blinded, though his other four senses, notably his hearing, are improved, and his father is beaten to death by gangsters, Matt vows to protect the underdogs of the city, becoming a lawyer by day, and an angry, vengeful superhero by night. He is thus pitted against the Kingpin, who seemingly rules all crime in New York City, and his protogé, Bullseye. In addition to all of this, he falls in love with Electra (Jennifer Garner), a sassy martial arts expert who, through a series of events which I haven't got the space to delve into here, turns against him.
Out of all the movies I mentioned above, Daredevil finds most of its roots in Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns. These are two films noted for their atmosphere (I've yet to find any movie that can match Gotham City's corruption and greed), their dark nature, and above all, their villains. Daredevil, as I mentioned above, is most definantly dark, and its atmosphere does provide it with its own distinct feel. What Burton and Director's last name here both agree on most of all, however, is that being bad is so much more fun than being good. It's more fun to watch as well. Batman was always in the shadows of his villain's wickedly unique personalities, and here, Daredevil pales in comparison to the true evil of The Kingpin (Micheal Clarke Duncan) and Bullseye (Collin Farrell). Both of these characters are vividly imagined, each with their own distinct approach towards evil. This is greatly to the credit of the actors portraying them. Both are perfectly cast, Micheal Clarke Duncan providing his usual macho presence, and Farrell's portrayl of the psychotic Bullseye was nothing short of brilliance.
Despite all of this, Daredevil does have its share of flaws. The romantic relationship between Electra and Matt was just asking too much for me. Normally I forgive any implausibilities in comic book movies, as, after all, it's based on a comic book. It's not supposed to be realistic. Their relationship, however, pushed me to the limit. Within minutes of screen time together they fall deeply in love, their conversations simply too sappy to bear. This steals away far too much precious time from the plot, which, at a brisk 96 mins. long, is stretched thin as it is. The breakneck pace of the movie as it tries to fit into such a short time slot infringes on its quality as well.
Rating:
Summary: Daredevil does not disappoint
Review: "Lawyer by day, judge and jury by night."Like many superheroes before him, Matt Murdock leads a double life. In one of those lives, he defends the innocent in court. In the other he is known as the Daredevil, a vigilante who takes the law into his own hands and punishes those that take advantages of the loopholes in the justice system. The unique thing about Murdock is that he is blind, an unfortunate result from a childhood chemical accident. To compensate the loss of sight, the rest of his four senses are consequently heightened to help him navigate his environment, acting like radar that works in a similar way to the bat sonar. "A man without fear is a man without hope." Surprisingly, Daredevil isn't a simple crime fighting fare or a showcase of good vs. evil. Beneath those familiar themes is a struggle with the meaning of justice and revenge. As expected, the obligatory introduction for the protagonist is there for the benefit of those that are not familiar with the comic. Even though one can't really fault these sequences for being formulaic (i.e. guy gets hurt, guy obtains superhuman abilities, and guy learns how to perfect these skills), suffice to say the movie does an adequate job of presenting the character of Daredevil to the audiences. I admit to having doubts when hearing Ben Affleck is to don the costume as Daredevil, he just does not look like the superhero type to me. However, as the film progressed, I became more and more convinced that while he may not be perfect for the role, he did a fantastic job with it. Affleck was able to translate Murdock's loneliness, his playfulness and his inner struggles to the screen. He is a complex hero filled with the most basic of human needs, he is as fallible as you and me, and he does not always make the right choices. The lovely Jennifer Garner plays the tough and resilient Elektra, Murdock's love interest in the movie. I really appreciate the time taken to develop their relationship with each other, and the chemistry between the two leads is definitely there. The characterizations of the villains, on the other hand, were rather weak. This is not to say that the performances by Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin and Colin Farrell as Bullseye were bad, but little screen time were devoted to them to flesh out these personalities, which could be the intention of the director for all we know. Nevertheless, the supporting cast is a strong one; I especially liked Jon Favreau in the part of Murdock's good-humored partner, Franklin Nelson. The veteran Hong Kong master Cheung-Yan Yuen (brother to Woo-Ping) provides the action choreography, evident in the amount of wirework present in the movie. Personally, I think the film benefited from such collaboration, and it certainly made the fighting sequences much more exciting and stylish to watch. However, some of the editing of the said scenes left a lot to be desired, for example, the confrontation in the bar at the beginning was hectic and poorly lit, it is hard to appreciate what you cannot see. Not a comic reader myself, I cannot say whether Daredevil is a faithful adaptation of the source material, but I can tell you that I enjoyed every minute of it. The movie is not without faults, yet I truly believe that it is everything Spider-Man was and more. It has action for the guys and romance for the women, come to think of it, Daredevil may not be a bad choice to spend part of your Valentine's Day. It is fun, charming, and a touch sinister. I really think Marvel has another success in its hands. Be sure to sit through the credits, there is an additional scene you don't want to miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Looks pretty cool...
Review: When I first heard who they were screening for 'Daredevil', I have to admit I had my doubts. Ben Affleck didn't exactly strike me as DD/Matt Murdock, but after seeing the trailer, one has to admit that he does look pretty convincing. They couldn't go wrong with Jennifer Garner. The looks are pretty similiar, and she does have the acting ability. My one complaint on the casting is Michael Clarke Duncan as 'the Kingpin'. Skin color really doesn't matter, but does he really have the acting ability to pull off the evil, terrifying 'Kingpin'? Duncan has always seemed like the kind of actor who'd play the GOODGUY. He just looks too, well, nice.
One thing we can all anticipate for in 'Daredevil' are the action scenes. The same artist who designed the storyboards for 'The Matrix' and 'X-men' will be doing them! I can only hope Jean Wo Ping('Chrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', 'The Iron Monkey') is doing the fight scenes. That would be unbeleivably cool. *Three Stars Because This Film Could Be Better Or Worse, I Just Chose An Average Rating*
Rating: 
Summary: Take the Dare! Go for the Bullseye!
Review: Forget Ben Affleck, the guy is getting married--soon. Well, maybe not so soon. Anyway, just see this movie to check out the spankin' new Hollywood Golden Boy, Irish heartrob Colin Farrell. The man is as hot as chili wings in Palm Springs. Grindin'! Plus he has the acting abilities of a seriously talented actor (STA), as you can see in 'Tigerland' and 'Minority Report'--come on, how many people can actually stare down Tom Cruise and take on Ben Affleck? With moves on big blockbusters like 'Minority Report' and 'Daredevil', you have to figure the guy is gonna end up in the stardom slot.
To give 'Daredevil' its due, however, the movie does look pretty good. Ben Affleck, a DD fan himself, seems to be a convincing choice for the Man Without Fear, and 'Alias' chick Jennifer Garner's moves on the big screen come off pretty well. Overall, this movie is built like a serious blockbuster, with lead Affleck and spy chick Garner doing the usual karate action (See how 'The Matrix' has everyone trapped inside it! 'Reloaded' & 'Revolutions' 2003! Whoo-hoo!). It's obvious that this movie wants to become the next 'Spider-man'. Who knows? Perhaps it will, through the loyalty of DD's fans + Mr. Affleck's rabid fan club + 'Alias' groupies + at least one person in the world who goes to see Colin Farrell make his argument for super-stardom (that would be me, for all those with the seemingly low IQs). Add these elements together, set the temperature for smoking hot, and 'Daredevil' will find an audience...and perhaps a franchise.
Rating: 
Summary: If Fertilizer Made movies, this would be its oscar winner
Review: Three words: Kingpin is white. I'm not a flaming racist, a psychotic comic book crony, or a disgruntled Marlon Brando. But race does matter in comic books. Think of Storm--should we make her white? Or how about Wolverine--let's take him out of Canada and put him in Italy! What about Mary Jane from Spiderman? Should she be made blonde simply to pacify the movie directors' lust for a beachwear using bombshell? See? It doesn't work. Changing the race of the Kingpin is the second clue that this movie is a politically correct horror show. (Oh, and Michael Clarke Duncan is about as scary as a giant, angry teddy bear. really. When he delivers tough, terse lines you just want to run up to the big guy and hug him like a two year old with her favorite stuffed animal. Not scary. Not.)
The first clue, however? Ben Affleck. Nothing screams "Jerry Bruckheimer's (sp?) Errand Boy" bigger than Ben Affleck. Because most male fans can see through his utterly unendearing acting skills (Pearl Harbor, anyone? Or how about Dogma? Shall we run through a list of clunkers?), movie honchos had their addled brilliant notion to open this on Valentine's Day. Why? Two reasons: 1) it would fail in a real movie season, so opening it now gives them a chance to get those people so bored they'll see anything 2)it gives the girls the line, "Let's go see something for you on Valentine's Day, like Daredevil!" which is girl code for "Let's see a crappy movie with Ben "Lopez's Cabana Boy" Affleck in tight leather and reading lines like he's intoxicated!" His acting int his movie is so wooden, Val Kilmer may get another shot at Batman. I mean, he can always argue, "Hey, I'm no Ben Affleck in 'Daredevil'," and he'd be right (Thansk Mr. Cranky). There are multiple, lesser things wrong with this movie you can see coming a mile away. First, the sham marriage of Lopez and Affleck, which is a last second, desperate grab for attention without talking about "Maid in Manhattan", "Daredevil", "Jersey Girl", or whatever else piece of garbage they're involved in over the next few months . (Notice they seldom talk about their movies nowadays---they can't have too many nice things to say about them). Then, Jennifer Garner, with all the acting ability of wet toadstools, being some kind of "smack you over the head with a nuclear powered sledgehammer" love interest. She exudes superhero like I exude paint thinner. Then the guy who's best friends with Vince Vaughn makes a glorified cameo as Affleck's visually non-impaired best friend. I mean, honestly, how dumb do you have to be to be best friends with Vince Vaughn? Apparently, dumb enough to be in Daredevil. This movie supposedly has the underlying message of "looks can be deceiving". It's real message : "Don't go see me".
Rating:
Summary: The Man Without Fear
Review: I have been a fan of Daredevil since the age of 7. I went to the local comic-book store and picked up the Born Again TPB and had my mother buy it for me and I have read over 50 times since. I have collected everything I could find on DD ever since. I mean, I would save my lunch money and birthday money to buy DD comics. I have a treasury full of DD TPBs, back issues, and Volume 2 issues. As well as toys, mags featuring him, and the Daredevil Vs. Spiderman animated DVD pre-ordered. Get this, I payed 7.15 for a matinee to "Just Married" so my girlfriend and and my friends could see the new DD trailer.
So, you could imagine how much I want to see this film...a lot! Everything about it (except the slow and dismal marketing campaign) amazes, it is how I would make a Daredevil motion picture. Ben Affleck=DD fanboy=perfect Matt Murdock. Colin Farrell is perfect as the coolest villian ever: the insane Bullseye! Jennifer Garner is sexy and smooth as a cool and leather-clad Elektra. Skin color does not matter to me, even though the Kingpin in the comics was a white guy, I couldn't think of anyone better than the inspired Michael Clark Duncan. Duncan is an electrifying, yet terrifying, actor and should light up the screen with intensity and menace.
We have a devil, a psycho, a kingpin, and ninja all in one film! And the trailer showed us so much, like Scott Terra in the role of a 12 year-old Murdock. He shows great promise. The story is rumored to be based on the Elektra/Bullseye saga, which is a lot to squeeze into one film, which kind of worries me, but who cares!
Best lines from the new trailer:
Kingpin:"Is there anything else?"
Bullseye:"Yeah....I want a costume!"
-and-
Daredevil:"Time to give the devil his due!"
ON FEBRUARY 14th,
TAKE THE DARE!!!!
Rating:
Summary: DAREDEVIL
Review: With the recent releases of X-MEN SPIDERMAN, the upcoming release of THE INCREDIBLE HULK, X-MEN 2 and THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN, it appears that MARVEL is on a roll with the comic book-to-film adventures. And from previews, DAREDEVIL looks set to add another notch to MARVEL'S box-office successes. I thought XMEN and SPIDERMAN were fantastic, and this is a must-see for comic book fans. The film stars Ben Affleck as the title hero, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin and Colin Farrell as bad guy Bullseye. With plenty of spectacular action, vertigo-inducing camera swoops and great one-liners, this one looks set to be one of the best films of 2003.
Rating:
Summary: This will be awesome!
Review: "How do you kill a man without fear?" Kingpin said this line in the trailer. Ben Affleck is pitch-perfect for Daredevil/Matt Murdock. The character has an intense side/Daredevil and a serious, humorous side/Matt Murdock which is shown in the trailer. His best friend, Foggy Nelson, reads a news article to Matt about Daredevil. Matt argues that there weren't any eyewitnesses. He says "But there were no eyewit-I mean- bigfoot has eyewitnesses." I heard that and thought it was pretty funny. It lit up the darkness of the action with DD with the light-heartedness of Matt Murdock. I think this movie will be great.
Rating:
Summary: Way better than I anticipated...a fine superhero film!
Review: I think the negativity exhibited towards this movie is misdirected.
This is a fine superhero action movie. Period. The opening "origin" vignette actually is one of the best of its' type put to film. From casting to cinematography to editing...it's a beaut.
Yes, Ben Affleck is a bit smug, but as a serious longtime comic geek, my big beef was that his hair wasn't red. That's it. That's all. No big deal.
Jennifer Garner, as Elektra, is luminous. Perfect casting. They shoot her in a manner that elevates her from "very pretty" to "absolutely stunning". Her intro works perfectly within the plot, and Murdock's "superpowers" are creatively and often poetically demonstrated.
Colin Farrell joins the list of simply awesome movie villains. With a few quick scenes, you know all you need to know about Bullseye. His psycho-manic performance electrifies the screen.
The story neatly encapsulates a chunk of the Elektra saga from the Frank Miller era in the comics. The winks toward the comic book audience were greatly appreciated. There are hundreds of not-so-subtle nods to the significant creators of Daredevil...Stan Lee's cameo, DD's dad fighting John Romita, name-dropping "Miller, Mack and Bendis" as fighters, "Joe Quesada" as a bad guy, Kevin Smith showing up as a guy named "Kirby".
But I particularly loved the angles and shots that recall specific classic images from those old books, especially the ending of the fight between Bullseye and Elektra (Frank Miller covers come to life), and the swirling cable around a plummeting Daredevil, evoking the cover of the most recent relaunch of the series.
It's a "dark" movie, emotionally and cinematographically. The former didn't bother me, but the latter sometimes had me squinting trying to discern details.
I have read many of the other reviews about this film, but I have to say I was totally satisfied when it was over. I really did want more.
Rating:
Summary: You have to try real hard to mess up a Daredevil movie.
Review: This should have been the easiest superhero movie to pull off. If Spider-Man and X-Men could have achieved greatness on the big screen, Daredevil should have been a cake walk, right? Sadly, no. I think I was actually insulted by this movie. I should have known early on that I wasn't going to like this when I read a comment by Ben Affleck (a self-proclaimed comic book geek) stating that this won't ruin his career if people don't like this movie. The story: Blind lawyer, Matt Murdock moonlights as vigilante crimefighter calling himself Daredevil. A man with enhanced senses that allow him to navigate despite his blindness. His archenemy? An organized crime lord known as The Kingpin. Along the way, Kingpin hires an extroidanary Irish marksman named Bullseye and for some reason a Greek aristocrat named Elektra gets involved. Oh, and another thing regarding Elektra....she's apparently a ninja...a point that is NEVER EXPLAINED in the movie. The problems: Let's start with Elektra. I remember when the first press photos of Daredevil were released showing each of the characters suited up. I took the magazine over to a friend of mine saying, "Hey, check it out. It looks like Kingpin hires both Bullseye AND Elektra to take out Daredevil." Why did I assume that Elektra was going to be a villian in the movie? Because in the traditional comic-book storyline, Elektra debuted as a ninja assassin hired to kill Daredevil. A killer for a Yakuza type ninja clan known as The Hand, Elektra was meant to be the coldest, most ruthless killer anyone has ever seen. Not some goofy love-interest for Affleck. Oh, man....she just shouldn't have even been in the movie if that is what they had planned for her. Another problem would be the lack of a man named Stick. Stick was meant to be the guy who takes Matt in as a young boy and teaches him to control his inhanced senses. Also, Stick teaches him the incredible martial arts that were never explained in the movie. Ugh...I think I'd rather have my tongue nailed to a sleeping velocoraptor than have to sit through this again. One thing that I actually enjoyed about this movie was Colin Farrel's performance as Bullseye. The guy gave everything he had to make at least HIS character interesting. Now I'm hearing news about an Elektra spin-off? Why not a Bullseye spin-off instead? I'd actually go see that.
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