Review of Daredevil (2003) by C.m. W — 13 May 2013

The Vigilante alter-ego of Matt Murdoch could never have been an easy sale. For starters the comic does not reach the similar audience size of larger based superheroes; Spiderman, Superman etc. Nor does it hold an antagonist that is easily engrossing - such as Batman. With a much darker tone to other similar age group publications, and a main character that is withdrawn in his emotions, 'Daredevil' in movie form could have failed miserably in what other properties have succeeded in doing. It does not however, fail on every level that it attempts to achieve. Instead, only on certain elements that build up to form the film. This means that although 'Daredevil' is flawed, it does hold a maturity over the others as well as enough action sequences to at least make it watchable - with fans of the comic finding enough substance within to make it worthy of the name. With a lack of character origin - especially to the antagonists - and a plot that feels thin, 'Daredevil' is a film that seems to skimp on development and instead deliver the plot in a simple manner.

Matt Murdoch, a child from Hells Kitchen USA, is the son of a has-been boxer named Jack 'The Devil' Murdoch. A drunk and a bully to the less fortunate, his father is the basis of the majority of the bullying aimed at the young Matt. However, with Matt finding his father doing the dirty work of the areas crime boss, he flees the area and is blinded by a damaged toxic waste container. Waking from the accident with heightened senses, Matt begins to learn that his blindness has made him into something much more than he was. With his father learning remorse, and a promise made to raise again, the pair begin to bring back their lives. Winning multiple matches, 'The Devil' appears to have risen again. However, when he refuses to be beat in a match, the crime boss decides to kill him in hopes of raising a message. Seeking vengeance for his fathers murder, Matt trains his body and dons the disguise of the Daredevil, a vigilante who seeks to bring justice to those who deserve it. Fighting crime during the day as an attorney to the innocent, and at night with the alter-ego Matt begins to learn more about the truth behind his fathers murder. However, with an expert marksman on his trail, Bullseye, and a female ninja at his side, Elektra, Daredevil begins to gain closure to the truth that has alluded him for the majority of his life - climaxing in a man known simply as the Kingpin.

Overall, 'Daredevil' is not a bad film. It does the same as many other superhero genre pieces, however, the characters are in need of further development - with some just appearing without any meaning or understanding found - and the plot does in places feel thin and stretched. Ben Affleck as Matt Murdoch, is believable in his performance but never does he reach the levels that other actors have achieved in portraying similar characters. With the other leads being pretty forgettable in their roles, and a change to the source material hitting one of the major roles, the film does feel poor in this department. When taken as a film that fans should enjoy, 'Daredevil' does work, when taken in context to other films in the same genre it fails on some levels. However, to watch this film is to see another comic book creation brought to life. For this reason, the film should be watched by all those who find any element related to the source interesting. C+.