"Daredevil" (PG-13)
(out of four)
2003 is going to be the year of the superhero movies. Comic book fans of all ages had their palates whetted in the past couple years with "X-Men" and "Spider-Man," and are now anxiously awaiting a summer that will bring us the "X-Men" sequel, "The Matrix: Reloaded" and the CGI-created "The Hulk."
Along with those, talks of a long-awaited "Fantastic Four" movie and the anticipation of "Spider-Man 2" continue to tempt the hearts of all of us who grew up knowing that Christopher Reeve really
was Superman and Michael Keaton
is only true Batman (apologies to Adam West).
Before all of these films hit the screen, we have our first superhero flick of the year -- "Daredevil" which has been my favorite comic book hero since I was 7 years old.
I still remember when my brother and I walked to Moondance Comics in Brattleboro, Vt., to pick up issue #181. For those of you who aren't geeks like myself, "Daredevil" #181 is an extremely critical issue in terms of the relationship between Daredevil, Elektra and Bullseye, who are the central characters in this movie.
Before I break off into more reminiscing, I will say that I have been waiting to see my hero -- dubbed "The Man Without Fear" -- on the big screen for many years, and always wondered if Hollywood could ever do it justice.
The movie starts by showing us a glimpse of how our hero gained his super-powers, the result of an accident where radioactive chemicals sprayed into the young Matt Murdock's eyes. Although he was left blinded, his remaining senses were heightened to super-human levels, to a point where he developed a radar sense which allowed him to "see." Matt also starts to turn himself into an athlete comparable to a professional gymnast.
While still young, Matt suffers a personal tragedy, and is to be forever driven by his want for retribution.
Fast-forward to adulthood, and Matt (Ben Affleck) is a successful attorney who moonlights as the crime-fighting Daredevil, a superhero-vigilante bent on bringing the thugs of Hell's Kitchen to justice.
Matt starts by disrupting the business matters of Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan), causing the crime lord to bring in an assassin to wipe out the pesky horned hero. Enter Bullseye (Collin Farrell), a menacing mercenary whose specialty is turning any object into a lethal weapon with his dead-on accuracy.
Matt is also in the midst of falling in love with the beautiful and mysterious Elektra (Jennifer Garner), but her ties to the Kingpin may prevent their relationship from ever blossoming to its potential. Will the good guys win and love prevail?
You have to see for yourself, but those familiar with the various versions of "Daredevil" comic books will be pleased with director-writer Mark Steven Johnson's ability to stay true to a great deal of the original stories, sometimes to the point of replicating the dialogue and imagery to perfection. I would have liked more backstory, but that could be because I already know it.
Most Daredevil purists squirmed when it was announced that heartthrob Affleck would be playing our favorite blind attorney-by-day, hero-by-night, but he does a fantastic job and the story is so wonderfully knit that you forget you are watching the "dude who's gonna marry J-Lo" and who once saved the world from asteroid annihilation.
Affleck still has a way to go with the tough-guy speak, but he is convincing as a sightless man and shows depth with a more complex character than some would expect in a superhero movie.
The ensemble cast also makes "Daredevil" fans proud, as Farrell is creepy as Bullseye, Jon Favreau is perfect as Matt's quirky law partner Foggy Nelson, and Duncan is the only human on earth who could play Kingpin.
Garner is also strong, and despite her not fitting the original comic version of a Mediterranean-born Elektra, she plays a compelling character and shows she has more in her than just TV's "Alias." She is also said to have done all her own stunts with Elektra's signature sai's (swords). The cameos of "Daredevil" alums Frank Miller, Stan Lee, and filmmaker-comic book author Kevin Smith also left me extremely satisfied.
Parents should pay attention to the PG-13 rating, as this is a darker and slightly more violent movie than 2002's "Spider-Man," but as with all stories of fantasy, the imagination and morality of it's theme makes it a good show to see with your kids.
We are in the midst of a comic book fan's dream, where all of his or her favorite heroes and villains are finally coming to life. Sometimes they are left disappointed about the differences in costumes or the combining of multiple characters into one, and sometimes in awe that the pictures that had been in their minds had actually taken shape in front of their eyes. I, for one, was content with my hero on the big screen. --
Patrick Morgan Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
