Rating: 
Summary: Frank Miller's Daredevil makes it to the screen!
Review: I was wondering how long it would take to see Frank Miller's version of Daredevil to become a major motion picture. Although some things have been changed and Bullseye has no costume it's a very good film. It is more realistic than Spiderman and I'd like to say much better. I think this would make a great TV series because DD fights contemporary criminals like the Kingpin and other parasites of society. Let's hope we see them again in some type of series. Daredevil like Spiderman deserves a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected.
Review: The initial previews for this movie were not that great. But I knew I would see it anyway. Ben Affleck portrays Matt Murdock--who, as a young boy, was doused with a chemical that caused him to go blind. Without sight, his other senses become heightened. He meets a young woman named Elektra, and the sparks fly in a very creative, maybe the most creative, martial arts sequence. The only flaw with this movie is that it is hard to believe Murdock's sight was the only thing affected. That much of a biohazardous chemical would more likely cause a HULK effect rather than blindness and heightening of other senses. Much better than the pointless SPIDER-MAN, though.
Rating: 
Summary: appearances - and trailers - can be deceptive...
Review: Most of the reviews I had read already here were actually based on viewing the trailer of Daredevil, and ended with the words "I'm sure the movie will be great." Yeah, i saw that trailer too. It .... In a way, it's sad. I spent the first hour thinking "it'll improve soon. Really. Just as soon as the flashback stops/ Jennifer Garner turns up/ Bullseye appears." How can i put this - it DIDN'T. The first warning is the title sequence (yes, it's that bad), curiously reminiscent of.. Spiderman! Surprise. Not the last time I would be thinking that, either. OK, nice first image; gothic, creepy. That red leather isn't *quite* working, but it's early days, right...? Wrong. Cue a, what, 20 minute flashback that exists purely to pile sentimental ... upon more sentimental .... I'm not caring already. The trailer sold me cool fights... um, don't expect a ... thing until the childhood trauma is well and truly driven home with a sledgehammer. And the really sad thing? It's nothing new. It's nothing we haven't seen a billion times before, better acted, and most definitely better scripted. After the sentimental stuff, a couple of flashes of how good this could have been, given a little talent: the rendering of the 'radar' sense (whilst entirely illogical) is clever and cinematically works. It's new, it's *different*. Here, the plot departs from logic with screaming haste. Yes, we understand little Matt has the radar-sense-thingy. We do not understand, and are never offered any explanation for, why he is suddenly as agile as Spidey. Only, y'know, lacking any visible webslinging powers. Note to the cack-handed scriptwriter/ director: THIS MAKES NO SENSE. It so obviously exists purely to provide 'cool' visuals in the fight scenes that, quite frankly, aren't even done very well. Moving swiftly on... I don't remember Ben Affleck ever being quite this dire. After an embarrassingly bad courtroom scene, the first action set piece is.. yup, pretty dire. The leather outfit gets worse by the moment. The requisite cool visuals are completely obscured half the time, which left me blinking in confusion as to who or what was supposedly getting their ... kicked. I was still blinking in confusion a minute later, when I realised someone had been watching the subway scene from The Matrix a little too often... and then comes a little character development that makes me wonder why this guy is our hero, exactly. Still, that little spark of hope remains... the script perks up with the entrance of Jon Favreau. The guy's funny, he gets a couple of decent lines, and hey, Elektra's about to turn up... *shudder* Jennifer Garner can act. Jennifer Garner can fight convincingly on screen. I know this, having sat through a season of Alias. Guess what? This script (and fight choreography) doesn't seem to agree. I kept expecting her to break into one of Sydney's tortured speeches (anything being better than the drivel that passes for character development in this) but no. The initial showdown between her and Matt in a kid's playground is so barkingly nonsensical that I was staring at the screen in disbelief. And so on and so forth. It's not even enjoyably bad; it just keeps setting up potentially cool scenarios, only to fail to see them through. In some ways, it does perk up when Bullseye shows up. A barely recognisable Colin Farrell gurns his way through as a manic little leprechaun who can't miss a shot to kill anyone with *anything* (old lady with peanut was a classic. In a completely amoral way...). Kingpin is, frankly, a bit underwhelming. On the plus side, some fairly decent songs are used to drown out the bad acting most of the time.. the soundtrack looks half decent, considering... The Valentine day opening means one trailer campaign focuses on the romantic pairing of Matt and Elektra, which is ironic given that this is one of the least convincing screen romances I've ever seen. She likes him because.. um, well, cos he's blind? He likes her because, hey, she's hot. And she can kick .... For Absolutely No Apparent Reason. I'm guessing a whole chunk of backstory got ditched along the way, but what is unforgiveable is the waste of the only source of tension this plot has in their relationship. Far as I can see, this should have been what the plot hinged upon. As it is, it's meaningless and shallow, aiming to set up a sequel far too lazily. That's a prospect that really irritates me: a sequel to a film that managed to spend this much money on such an awful script and bad direction (the same guy being responsible for both should give you a clue). I spent half the plot wondering if anyone had bothered to proofread the script before they went into production, as it unashamedly and amateurly ... half a dozen better movies without drawing breath (mainly Spiderman and the Matrix). Sure, girls may go to drool over Ben Affleck, but the guy has never looked less attractive (get that flabby, unshaven chin beneath the halloween mask. *urgh*). Sure, guys may go for the action (hmm. Could do much, much better.) They'd all be better off staying home to watch Spiderman again, unfortunately.
Here's me wishing I had...
Rating: 
Summary: Cool
Review: I just got back from seeing "Daredevil." I never read any DD comics when I was younger. I was more interested in X-Men and Spider-man. But I did know who he was and who the characters are. This movie was a lot better than I thought it would be. The thing that shocked me the most was how dark this movie is. I can't believe it got away with a PG-13 rating. There's one scene in a bar where the music in the background uses very foul language while Bullseye is murdering a guy. This comes as a pleasant surprise to me as an adult but I worry about parents who take their young kids to see this movie about a super hero is a vigilante. The only thing I really did not like about DD was some of the action scenes. They used wire to help balance the actors and also allow them to make jumps that are not possible. That's fine but they did a horrible job making it look realistic. When a character jumps from one building to another it's as if they are landing on a cloud and they just keep on running before their feet even touch ground. They might as well have left the wire in the movie it's that obvious. But other than that I loved the story and can't wait for Daredevil 2.
Rating:
Summary: Daredevil-One Nice Movie!
Review: Take the ultimate dare! Whew! This movie looks so great! Okay let me go through all the cast. Ben Affleck. Now at first I said Ben as a superhero, when rappers turn proper! However, Ben looked pretty good in the DD costume! I guess red is his color. Another A+ for the movie. Instead of molded black rubber that show nipples and abs like the motion picture Batman & Robin (a tragedy in the superhero movies line up)Ben sports a garnet red leather jacket complete with pants boots and nightstick! Then theres Elektra played by the youthful Jennifer Garner who stars on ABC's Alias. Clad in a tight black clevage revealing outfit, Jennifer make a good villainess wielding two sharp daggers! Colin Farrell has his fame rising ever so more because he makes a great Bulleye. The fight scenes between him Elektra and DD should be pretty good. Bullseye's weapon of choice: little throwing stars not to be confused with Batarangs! And rounding up the bunch is Mr. Micheal Clark Duncan. And he is The Kingpin. Now in the comics Kingpin is a caucasian, but Mike isnt bad as the Kingpin. He can play a pretty mean part despite what others may say. That DEEP voice does it all! So basically in this movie you can expect, daggers,hi-tech nightsticks that can turn into grappling hooks, throwing stars and a man with a DEEP voice! Waalah! The potential of a good movie. With an all star cast, a love scene, matrix type fighting, and dark setting, Daredevil should certainly be a great movie! I cannot wait to get it on DVD!
Rating:
Summary: I Just saw Daredevil!!!!!
Review: In a few words lets say this movie rocks!!! For those of you who think michale clark duncasn will make an awful kingpin cuz hes black or too nice, your WRONG!!!! He looked like kingpin, and played the part!! Ben afflek was an aweasome daredevil, jeniffer garner was HOT!!! But the best one was Bullseye!!! HE WAS RUTHLESS JERK AND BAD GUY!!!! Spoilers if you dont want to know dont read Theres a part here he kills an old lady, and another part where he kills a guy with a paper cilp!! Spoilers end GO SEE THIS MOVIE ITS THE BOMB!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Here Comes Daredevil, The Man Without Fear....
Review: Forget that piece of cinematic garbage called 'Spider-man'. Daredevil, one of Marvel's lesser known characters, strikes gold in this gritty, no holds barred film version. Mostly based on the Frank Miller era of DD, this film is everything Spider-man or Batman should have been, and much more. Daredevil literally comes to life in ways you will not expect. The cast is exemplary- Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell and Michael Clark Duncan are all excellent. The film does seem a little on the choppy side, but apparently, it had to be cut to accomodate a PG 13 rating. Overall- a great film, destined to become a cult classic. Without doubt, the best Marvel comics adaption to date. An extended DVD director's cut will be most welcome, and should garner it a 5 star rating....
Rating: 
Summary: Don't expect much
Review: Well it's another comic book movie and what can we do. We have to see it. Well at least I did. I did't expect much from this movie considering I barely knew anything about daredevil and of course Ben Affleck. I mean has he ever been in a great movie? Anyway, I gave this movie three stars because it was not fantastic, but it didn't completely blow. Just go into this movie looking for lots of fun unrealistic action. Two things save this movie. 1) Jennifer Garner, who looks amazing, 2)Colin Farrel, who is pretty funny as bullseye. I won't tell you much about the story because you probably already know it, but there's really not much to tell. Bad guy versus good guy. Bottom line, there are much better movies out (The Pianist, The Hours), but if your like me you just want to see this one.
Rating:
Summary: Frankly, I am surprised !
Review: First, I have to state that I am a bit of a comic book freak for more than 20 years now; so, it's kind of hard to satisfy me in comparison to a "normal" viewer as far as comic-adaption movies are concerned...
Nevertheless, "Daredevil" was a surprise to me! Yes, I did NOT want to have Ben Affleck as the title hero, yes, I think that J. Garner is NO Elektra, yes, I want to see Bullseye with his mask and NOT with a scar on his forehead and yes, MY kingpin is a white meatball (or -mountain rather)!
BUT: the guys did a pretty good job! Not only is the Daredevil of the movie the kind of hero who is dark, full of hate and longing for his kind of justice (=revenge), but B. Affleck really (yes, really) plays him quite well. If you are able to forget the blonde Matt Murdock of the comics, you will see a well-drawn character!
About the coustumes? I hated them when I first saw them on pictures and even more when I saw the trailer!! Guess what? You're getting used to all the leather and the attempts to connect the (old style of the) comics to the new century.
And the story? Well, it seems to me like the pilot episode of an ongoing series... and that doesn't has to be bad after all as long as you've seen enough to yearn for more!
So, and for all the comic-books fans out there: besides the cameos of Stan "The Man" and Kevin Smith, watch out for the names of some of the characters mentioned in the movie: does "Bendis", "Romita", "Quesada", "Miller", etc. ring a bell??!! ;-)
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.
|
