Monday, July 20, 2009

Daredevil - Febuary 2003

Recommended

"Daredevil" is based on a lesser-known Marvel comic book. I never read comic books as a kid so I judge all comic book-based movies by the same standards I use for all movies. My standards are simply: was it entertaining and was it a valuable use of my time? Daredevil passes the test with ease.

With the loss of his sight, Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) found his remaining senses sharpened and his sense of fear diminished. By day, he’s an attorney who insists on representing only innocent clients and therefore has plenty of time to sit in the neighborhood coffee shop. By night, Murdock dons a maroon leather costume and prowls the rooftops seeking justice for those who have been failed by the system.

Running a quick 96 minutes, "Daredevil" treats us to the genesis of the superhero, some of his daytime life, a nosy reporter, showdowns with two colorful and over-the-top villains and a love story with Alias’ Jennifer Garner. Not as slick as "Spider Man," "Daredevil" holds up well on its own.

[2009: Having rented "Daredevil" in January 2005, I had a different take the second time. I thought the story was a bit thin, Colin Farrell's villain unnecessarily over the top, and something about the way the young Murdock became a daredevil just didn't gel this time. By the time the related movie "Elektra" showed up in 2005, I had completely soured on "Daredevil."]

No comments:

Post a Comment