Review of Daredevil (2003) by George E — 12 Jul 2012

This film gets a bad rep from pretty much anyone, which has always amazed me, because in my opinion this is one of the better superhero films out there. It was one of the first Marvel films to feature a rather dark and at times depressing storyline, one where the hero is not guaranteed to win and even if he does, it's a Pyrrhic victory at best. Of course there had been Blade before this one, but aside from that, this was the first one, which I found very refreshing. Aside from that, the character cast fits the mood of the film and the casting is pretty solid, with Colin Farrell absolutely nailing the role of Bullseye. Add in a great and gritty visual style, some solid action scenes and a love interest that actually is able to look after herself - to a certain degree - and I really don't get why this movie hasn't been ranked any higher than it is.

Well, okay, one of the reasons is the original cut, which is nowhere near as good as the director's cut. The original is not bad in my opinion either, but the director's cut just flows better and enhances the darker aspects of the story. A shame that the director's vision didn't get a theater release, because it might have saved this film from its mixed reception.

And that's my two cents about this film. It's a solid superhero film with a dark atmosphere, great characters and a good storyline. Definitely worth checking out if superhero films are your thing or even if you're just looking for a good action film.