Setting aside the fact that Daredevil is a
murdering vigilante with no regard for the
law...
Setting aside the fact that Ben Affleck is fast
becoming known for his legendary inability to
act...
Setting aside the fact that this is yet another
'superhero in spandex' movie...
Setting aside the fact this movie features a
1980's-esque 'training montage' set to bad
music...
Setting aside the fact that the action sequences
are poorly choreographed and shot...
Setting all that aside...
'Daredevil' is not the completely awful &
hideous mess I feared it was going to be. Going
in, I honestly thought this film was going to
merit a genuine 'F' rating. (That may be a back
handed compliment). I am not exactly the desired
demographic for this type of film... I am
neither a man who is desperately clinging to his
childhood sense of irresponsibility by defiantly
holding on to the notion of super-heroes... nor
am I an eight year old. However, I will grant
that this latest in a long string of Marvel
comic book adaptations does have a few redeeming
qualities. I liked the sets and overall visual
tone of the film. It was moody and stylish in
ways reminiscent of the first 'Batman' movie. I
also appreciated the way the film bounces along
at a reasonably swift pace.
Unfortunately, virtually everything else about
this film screams pre-pubescence. With all the
wonderful films made each year that have nuance
and depth and brilliant humor and fantastic
tension, there just isn't enough room on my
horizon for a movie about a red-spandex-clad &
blind male-model (Affleck) whose other senses
have compensated for the handicap to such an
extent that he can almost fly with the grace of
Superman?!?!?!?!? The concept is just plain
infantile. Now I can completely identify with
the love of comic books. I, for one, was a
fanatical reader as a child. I would have loved
this film back then. BUT!!! Some of us grow up
in this world and others don't... it is a fact
of life. Those of you that haven't will still be
able to recapture the magic with a film like
this. If 2002's hit 'Spider-Man' appealed to
you, then this entry in the genre will hit all
the right notes. Personally I don't think it is
very healthy to have had your emotional and
intellectual growth stunted at the age of 10...
the comprehension of profundity and wisdom is
far more gratifying than the whimsical notion of
recapturing your youth. I like the fact that I'm
not one who can enjoy a film like this, but I
also accept the fact that most people will never
have any idea why I'm that way.
Ben Affleck is a plague on the cinematic world.
He has a face that will always keep him working,
but he has talent that would have him laughed
off of most porn sets. The only face on this
planet that generates less emotion on screen is
that of Liv Tyler whose facial muscles have
atrophied into nothingness.
Jennifer Garner is
undeniably a star. Even in a film like this one,
it is evident that she'll be at the top of
Hollywood's A-List for decades to come. I
suspect she has the talent to match the
beauty... but I haven't seen any tangible proof
yet. She had a small but memorable role in
Spielberg's great 2002 film, 'Catch Me if you
Can', that gave us a glimpse of what lies
beneath the exterior. I truly hope she makes
some good choices and avoids the path most
traveled.
Michael Clarke
Duncan is fast becoming a side show. When he
burst on to the scene with his Oscar nominated
role in 'The Green Mile', it all looked rosy for
the big man. He has yet to duplicate that
performance and likely never will with roles in
films like 'Daredevil' and 'The Scorpion King'.
His size will always be a BIG problem in getting
the serious parts.
Collin Farrell is
the new 'it' boy I suppose. Girls love him...
guys think he is cool. Soon, the novelty will
wear off and we will have to see whether or not
the talent is there. I suspect it isn't... but
I'm not sure just yet. Roles like this one will
be great for his bank account, but not for his
longevity. I look forward to the intriguing film
he stars in later this year called 'Phone
Booth', in which he carries the bulk of the
screen time. I will have a better notion of his
potential after having watched that.
If you are familiar with my reviews, it won't
come as any surprise that this film didn't
appeal to me. Is it one of the year's worst
films? Probably not. But it is absolutely
forgettable and meaningless... and movies like
that waved bye-bye to me a long time ago.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
I enjoyed
this film a bit on my first viewing, but when I
revisited it with a friend months later I sat
there watching the screen going "What the heck
is this?" Love must be blind if Garner and
Affleck can meet on this film and still fall in
love.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
"Daredevil" is one of those movies that could
have been really, really good. But it ends up
being really, really average.
Daredevil is a superhero and a unique one at
that: he is blind, but has extraordinary
hearing. So he is a lawyer at day, and a
vigilante at night. it sounds pretty cool, and
it should have been, but that is where I bring
up the film's major fault: Ben Affleck is
Daredevil. Affleck seems most affective when he
plays whiney dorks or comically evil angels, but
he is no superhero.
The second fault is that the script is
convoluted and at times boring. The action is
really exciting and a high point in the film,
but for every five minutes of action, there is
15 minutes of melodramatic lush between Affleck
and love interest/assassin Elektra (The capable
Jennifer Garner). His character is boring, she
is written as a spoiled rich girl who likes
knives. They have no chemistry.
But in addition to the action, there are some
reasons to see "Daredevil." The main one is
Irish actor Collin Farrell as villain Bullseye.
He chews the scenery and overacts just as much
as Jack Nicholson did in "Batman" and I love it.
A great villain in an average movie.
