"Daredevil" is a fairly inconsistent film. It has moments of genuine entertainment value, but it also has an equal amount of flaws. It is as exciting as it is dull, as serious it is inadvertently goofy, and as good as it is bad.
One of the film's biggest problems is that it just takes itself a little too seriously. Ben Affleck stars as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer and troubled soul. As a child, Matt and his father, a boxer and hired muscle, were on their own. After an accident with toxic waste took Matt's eyesight, his other senses developed at superhuman levels. When tragedy left him an orphan, Matt devoted his life to the quest for vigilante justice.
Moonlighting as Daredevil, a leather-clad vigilante with the ability to spring from buildings and fight with the greatest of ease, Matt stalks the evil that plagues the street. Said evil is run by Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan), a mythical crime lord who controls every criminal activity in the city.
It all hits the fan when Matt's kung-fu-fighting girlfriend Elektra (Jennifer Garner) and her family are targeted for assassination. Daredevil must thwart the villains and protect the woman he loves.
Those unfamiliar with the comic book will likely be surprised by the overall darkness of the content. Daredevil is not a particularly happy camper. He follows criminals after acquittal in court and himself acts as judge and executioner. The bad guys he meets, particularly in the earlier scenes, don't get off with a thrashing - they get cut in half or beaten half-dead.
It's not a particularly pleasant film in general. Its dimly lit, gothic-style sets are intentionally unnerving. There is an overall somberness to the entire film.
It's also quite violent. Playing hired assassin Bullseye, Colin Farell is just plain insane. His character is a sadist with a Christ complex and the ability to throw any sharp or blunt object with the utmost accuracy. Evoking a "Breakfast Club"-era Judd Nelson, Farrell says little as he twitches and grumbles his way through the movie. His character is good, if not a little over-the-top.
Of course, you can't have a comic movie without action, and on that level the film is most disappointing. The scenes are dark and violent. Choppy editing and bad lighting techniques confuse and distract. The light flashes enough to send all of Japan into seizures and the result is pretty sloppy.
The special effects and fight choreography are fairly good and used sparingly. The fights are a bit overdone, but when they hit they hit. Garner and Affleck's introductory fight on a playground is good fun, and Farrell seems to be having a good time killing bartenders with paperclips and old ladies with peanuts (don't ask).
Affleck fares better than expected as the hero, though he is not given much in the way of dialogue. He is constantly reminding the audience of his blindness, saying things like "Justice is blind," or "I've never seen him" (har har). His voiceover sounds like he's trying to put too much Clint Eastwood into it, and his delivery is a bit off. Still, he manages to pull it off decently enough as the hero.
His supporting cast is given even less to do. Farrell just snarls and laughs. Duncan is completely wasted, which is unfortunate given he is likely the most talented person in the cast. Garner is red hot in her leather fighting gear, but, like her leading man, has a hard time with delivery.
By the time the inevitable allusion to a sequel ends the film, you will likely have forgotten a great deal about "Daredevil." It is entertaining, but somehow disappoints. The comic book movies will continue to be released in droves, and will hopefully be much better. As far as popcorn movies go, "Daredevil" does the job. As far as comic book movies go, it isn't "Spider-Man," but at least it isn't "Spawn."
If you liked this, you may also like: "Batman" or "Blade."
Recommended viewing: Sniff some glue before you see it, a reduction in brain cells just might make it seem smarter.
Overall: 2.5 stars
Acting: 2 stars
Cinematography: 3 stars
Directing: 2.5 stars
Music: 1 star
Script: 2.5 stars
