Superhero movies usually come in two different and very distinct flavors these days. One comes in lighthearted and uplifting motifs, and is best exemplified by Warner’s "Superman: The Movie" and Columbia’s "Spider-Man." Then there are the dark and very violent (physically as well as emotionally) superhero tales that are best exemplified by Tim Burton’s first couple of "Batman" movies and Ang Lee’s recent interpretation of "The Hulk." A few superhero movies manage to cross both styles and be both realistic and silly, too cute for their own good while also attempting to be taken seriously. Bryan Singer’s "X-Men" movies are the perfect example of this crossover philosophy, one that "Daredevil" would have been wise to follow. Instead we get a mish-mash of styles, moods and oddly-paced action sequences that constantly tug at the heart of what "Daredevil" is attempting to be, and leaving the audience conflicted about what they have just seen. From the movie’s relatively low rating at the IMDB website to the split between those that have seen it, "Daredevil" is either loved or despised; there’s rarely any in-between consensus.
Writer/Director Mark Steven Johnson ("Simon Birch," "Grumpy Old Man," etc.) has his heart and perceivable affection toward Stan Lee’s comic book character in the right place. The $70 million budget he was handed to make the blind comic book hero come to life on the screen is all there. Some pretty slick use of wireframe aerial battles, special effects, authentic-looking garbs, impressive set designs and background CG artwork make it clear Fox has high hopes for "Daredevil" to become another superhero franchise worth following. Ben Affleck ("Chasing Amy," "Armageddon," etc.) and Jennifer Gardner ("Catch Me If You Can," TV’s "Alias," etc.) have an easygoing chemistry that make their handful of scenes together (particularly an encounter under the rain in Ch.13 that recalls "Spider-Man’s" classic upside-down kiss under the rain’ scene) sizzle with both excitement and genuine sexual chemistry.
And, unlike the butchered-beyond-recognition background and origins of the characters and myths from the comic book in "The Hulk" movie, "Daredevil" treats the origin of Matt Murdock’s blindness and sense-enhanced super powers with a reverence that is to be commended. The scenes between young Murdock (played by Scott Terra) and his father Jack (David Keith) are easily the best in the entire film, and are packed with the emotional depth and complexity that makes the better Marvel Comics such timeless classics. Too bad that the past has to give way to Matt Murdock’s present, where potentially interesting characters are only skimmed at their surface (Gardner’s Elektra Natchios, Michael Clarke Duncan’s Kingpin) while others are given way too much free room to chew scenery and grow stale the longer they’re on-screen (Colin Farrell’s Bullseye). It’s a testament to how underdeveloped and/or underplayed the heroes of "Daredevil" are that the two most memorable performances are given by supporting performers Jon Favreau (sensational as Murdock’s fellow lawyer friend Franklin Nelson) and Joe Pantoliano (dignified and low-key as newspaper reporter Urich).
"Daredevil" is a very good superhero movie that could have been a great one if it had chosen a more clear path for its characters to navigate. As it is right now their personalities and motives are all over the place, acting like human beings one moment and cartoon retards the next. The scene where Matt Murdock meets Elektra for the first time and tries to get her name by having a duel in a kid’s park (Ch.13) borders on being retarded. Is this the best Mark Steven Johnson could come up with to replace the years-long courtship between Elektra and Matt from the comic books? Turn the brain off and forget about the comic book links though, and "Daredevil" can still work its magic as a thoroughly amusing action flick with weird costumed characters battling each other for their own peculiar reasons. But damn man, it could have been so much more than an appetizer to keep us amused until the next "X-Men," "Punisher" or "Spider-Man" movie materializes.
The Disc:
Despite not being labeled as such Fox has pulled Special Edition-caliber bonus features and "X-Men 1.5"-quality picture/sound to make "Daredevil’s" debut on DVD worth getting excited about. The Widescreen Anamorphic (2:35:1) Video Transfer does a terrific job handling what could have been nightmarish contrasts between its many dark and nighttime scenes with muted and atmospheric lightning. Shimmering, edge enhancements and artifacting are close to non-existent, and skin tones are as realistic or fantastic as the situation in which the heroes/villains find themselves in demands of them. The final confrontation between Kingpin and Daredevil, for example (Ch.29), is filled with blindingly-bright blue hues that stand in sharp but colorful contrast with the former’s skin tone and the latter’s washed-out costume. Even more impressive than the picture are the soundtracks. From the English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround & 5.1 DTS ES one’s to the more humble but equally-professional Spanish & French Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround tracks, the "Daredevil" DVD gives viewers a chance to experience what goes on inside Matt Murdock’s head from a pure and cleanly-sampled audio perspective. The DTS soundtrack is to die for, but the Dolby 5.1 ain’t that far behind; both manage to put "X-Men 1.5’s" soundtracks to utter shame, which is an amazing feat in and of itself.
Disc One also includes English and Spanish Subtitles. It also houses some neat DVD-ROM Content when inserted into an appropriately-equipped PC, which ranges from high-resolution still artwork to a chronology of the Daredevil comic book series and much, much more. There’s also an "X-Men 1.5"-like Enhanced Viewing Mode that takes the viewer away from the movie when the appropriate icon appears on-screen and into a handful of behind-the-scenes featurettes (most of them involving special effects shots and the like), an On-Screen Trivia Track filled with interesting little facts and an Audio Description Track for visually impaired viewers (???!!) that is a first for any DVD that I’ve ever reviewed. The highlight of the bonus stuff in Disc One is a feature-length Commentary Track with "Daredevil" producer Gary Foster and writer/director Mark Steven Johnson. It’s clear the movie was a labor of love for these two (particularly Johnson), and their easy-going demeanor and loose talkative style makes for as pleasant a listening experience as the director’s commentary in "X-Men 1.5." The discussion about the upcoming Elektra movies and "Daredevil’s" difficulty getting a PG-13 rating from the MPAA, in particular, were quite memorable.
Moving on to Disc Two, the powers-that-be at Fox wisely chose to emulate the approach Columbia Pictures took with its own "Spider-Man" DVD release. The bonus material in the second disc has been split into ‘The Film’ and ‘The Comic Book’ categories, each chronicling in-depth their respective source material. Let’s start with the latter, shall we? ‘Men Without Fear: Creating Daredevil’ (59 min.) is a documentary that allows many of the artists and writers from Daredevil’s many comic book adventures to talk about how much the character has meant to them (and a lot of other stuff). From Stan Lee to Frank Miller (the comic book artist whose work influenced the live action film the most) all the way down to "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma" writer/director Kevin Smith, the men behind Daredevil’s many comic book incarnations never come across as dorky, dull or uninteresting. There are also Modeling Ships (AKA hand-drawn stills) for the six main characters in the movie along with a ‘Shadow World Tour’ that mixes clips from the movie with comic book panels to illustrate how sound was an essential element of the character’s ability to go about his business.
‘The Movie’ portion of the second disc is much deeper and stacked with goodies than ‘The Comic Book’ section (the "Spider-Man" DVD balanced both elements a little more evenly). ‘Beyond Hell’s Kitchen: Making Daredevil’ (60 min.) also comes with an Enhanced Viewing Mode of its own (just like the main feature on the first disc), except you can view the featurettes on their own without having to watch the documentary. Why couldn’t the "Daredevil" movie also offer this option? Anywho, this is one interesting and fun to watch documentary that reveals lots of behind-the-scenes information (including a few clips of deleted scenes that aren’t available anywhere else in the disc) and eats for breakfast the more show-business-tilted ‘HBO First Look: The Making of Daredevil’ featurette (whose only positive is that its hosted by Jennifer Gardner’s disarming smile). Speaking of featurettes, "Daredevil" comes loaded with plenty of them: Combat Choreography, Costume Design, Film Work, Seeing With Sound, Smoke and Fire and L.A. For N.Y.’. Each covers a specific part of the production in thorough and often nauseating detail.
Also included in Disc Two: Six Multi-Angle Scene Studies, a Jennifer Gardner Screen Test, a Kingpin Featurette, a ‘Moving Through Space: A Day With Tom Sullivan’ featurette (profiling the blind man that served as an advisor for Ben Affleck’s blind man mannerisms in "Daredevil"), Three Music Videos, five categories of Still Galleries (encompassing dozens upon dozens of photographs and concepts) and several Theatrical Trailers (including three for "Daredevil" and one for Fox’s summer movie "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"). Wow, Fox really shows its love for "Daredevil" by treating the movie (a minor box office hit despite its $100+ million dollar take) like a AAA blockbuster with a two-disc DVD release that rivals Special Edition packages from other interactive publishers.
bottom line:
The heir apparent to Tim Burton’s two "Batman" movies in the ‘noir’ superhero genre, "Daredevil" is "Spider-Man’s" edgier, grittier and less-polished cousin. Writer/Director Mark Steven Johnson hits as many home runs (Ch.13’s rain scene, casting Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin, etc.) as strikeouts (Elektra’s butchered backstory, Ben Affleck’s dopey performance, etc.) while bringing to the big screen one of Marvel’s lesser-known characters. "Daredevil" constantly shifts gears between compelling and dopey, dead-serious and melodramatic, action-packed and rushed, etc. Few viewers outside the hardcore "Daredevil" faithful will be completely satisfied with this mish-mash of styles. Fortunately the outstanding picture/sound quality and avalanche of bonus features in this two-disc DVD set help put the movie in its proper perspective.
By - J.M. Vargas
