Daredevil Blu-ray delivers great video and reference-quality audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
Attorney Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) is blind, but his other four senses function with
superhuman sharpness. By day, Murdock represents the downtrodden. At night, he is Daredevil,
a masked vigilante stalking the dark streets of the city, a relentless avenger of justice.
I think we can safely say that the superhero film has solidified itself as Hollywood's go-to genre of
the decade. Sure, the segment has been widely tapped before, from the most famous (Batman)
to the more obscure (The Shadow, Darkman) of superheroes. In this decade alone, however
(and with a couple more summers to go), audiences have flocked like never before to theaters to
see their favorite hero come alive. With 3 Spider-Man films, a
Batman franchise
reboot, 3 X-Men films, a Superman, two
different adaptations of Hulk, a pair of Fantastic Four films,
Iron Man, and plenty
more, there has been no shortage of choices for filmgoers, and definitely no empty coffers behind
the closed doors of studio bank vaults. Tossed in there somewhere amongst the deluge is
Daredevil, a Ben
Affleck vehicle that never really made a name for itself. Maligned upon its initial release, many
fans shunned the film, but some would later embrace a longer director's cut of the film, which is
what 20th Century Fox presents on this Blu-ray. At the end of the day, though, this take on
Daredevil, be it this cut or the shorter theatrical cut, makes for a particularly bad
example of the superhero genre.
This is what I do to critics who don't like my movie!
Daredevil features another hero without super strength, just the ability to use what he
has to maximum potential, making him a more accessible hero to the masses. Even Batman,
who plays by similar rules, comes from limitless wealth
to help him in his various endeavors. Ben Affleck (Pearl Harbor)
portrays Matt Murdock, a man blinded since childhood after accidental exposure to hazardous
materials. By day, Murdock is an honest attorney from Hell's Kitchen, New York. By night, he is
Daredevil, a superhero relying on an incredibly attuned sense of hearing (a "radar sense," as he
calls it) to fight criminals. Following the death of his father, Matt vows revenge on The Kingpin
(Michael Clarke Duncan, The Scorpion King),
who teams with the villainous Bullseye (Collin Farrell, Phone Booth) in a
move against Daredevil, Matt must not only fight two super-criminals, but deal with a burgeoning
relationship with the mysterious -- and deadly -- Elektra (Jennifer Garner, Juno).
Daredevil is nothing more than formula fleshed out on-screen with some glitzy visuals
and
a bombastic soundtrack to try and mask the film's many shortcomings. Unfortunately, the film is
so poor that nothing can keep us from noticing. Daredevil's every scene does nothing
but
further entrench the film as wholly unoriginal. It simply throws different actors and characters
into the same old plot line while relying on tired plot devices rather than creative writing to take
us through the story. In its defense, and in spite of all the problems, Daredevil is a
technically well-crafted film. Director Mark Steven Johnson knows what he is doing behind the
camera,
but the unoriginal plot and terrible acting lower the film's quality significantly. One scene does
shine through, one featuring Matt and Elektra at a funeral. Set to melancholy music, she denies
Matt's ability to "see" her amidst the rain, and the scene plays out with grace and emotion. Still,
the movie follows formula, leaving audiences disinterested and bored. In Daredevil,
audiences are treated to the main
character's backstory, which is all well and good, and is the best segment of the movie. Then, we
witness Matt's evolution to superhero status, followed by his first major confrontation with a
throwaway bad guy. The film predictably shows us the aftermath of that scene, one where we
see
Daredevil return home and tend to his wounds. Only now does the story introduce to us the
remainder of the primary cast, those who will ally themselves with Daredevil, and those who will
oppose him. We inevitably see montages where the bad guys strut their stuff, an initial
confrontation between hero and villain, setting up the inevitable final showdown.
Although the film suffers from unoriginality, the true weakness in the film is in its characters, and
in the manner they are portrayed by their respective actors. Only Joe Pantoliano, David Keith,
and Kevin Smith, all in minor roles of varying degrees, lend any credence to the film in front of
the camera. Jennifer Garner and Michael Clarke
Duncan offer the
least offensive performances of the film's primary characters. I like Michael Clark Duncan quite a
bit, but his character here is northing more than a larger-than-life cartoon. He plays the role to
that effect, and his
performance is fine, but he cannot save the character that feels completely out of place in the
film. A villain with some humor can definitely work (for my money, Gene Hackman's portrayal of
Lex Luthor in Superman is the
epitome of superhero movie villainy, playing the role with the perfect blend of ruthlessness and
humor), but Duncan's character is so poorly scripted and integrated into the film that the
character flops. Garner's performance is uninspired at best, appearing lackadaisical and bored in
most of her scenes. Ben Affleck isn't all that good, either. He plays a blind person rather
unconvincingly, and definitely not as good as Rutger Hauer in a little-known film called
Blind Furry, and a far cry from Al Pacino's Oscar-winning performance in Scent of a
Woman.
That leads us to Colin Farrell, who not only turns in a terrible performance in this film, but he also
portrays one of the worst villains in any major superhero film. His character, Bullseye, comes off
as a cruel joke and a disgrace to cinematic villains everywhere. It's hard not to laugh when he is
on-screen, and for as generic as the film is, and as mediocre as the performances from the other
primaries are, he makes Duncan, Affleck, and Garner look like Oscar contenders in comparison.
Take, for example, a scene where he kills an old blabbermouth lady sitting next to him on a
plane. The scene is meant to show just how vile a man he is, but it's hard not to
laugh uncontrollably at how ridiculous the scene comes off. With terribly delivered lines like, "I
missed. I never miss!," and later pointing to the bullseye marking on his forehead as he says,
"bullseye!" after impaling a character, as if we needed it spelled out to us, and several other awful
one-liners and moments, Colin Farrell solidifies Bullseye as the cinematic equivalent of a hand
grenade exploding in your face. The character is clearly meant to be an over-the-top, psychotic
lunatic, but there is a fine line between "crazy" and "laughably ridiculous," and Farrell falls deeply
onto the wrong side.
Daredevil offers viewers an excellent 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The film features
an abundance of grain in many scenes. Colors are somewhat dull, as is to be expected in movies
that are filmed generally dark. The film features a myriad of different looks, including fairly
colorful
exteriors (though still somewhat reserved), many dark sequences, and some shots that appear
almost black and white, specifically those taking place in Daredevil's lair, where nothing but cold
gray and blue steel are present, the only color seemingly emanating from the dark red uniform
he wears. The image features great depth and background images remain sharp and detailed.
The leather Daredevil costume looks fantastic, as close-up shots reveal it in all its fine detail. It's
a rather cheap looking costume overall, but that doesn't mean it doesn't look very realistic.
Black levels are inky and deep, showing not even a glimpse of imperfection. Flesh tones, likewise,
appear accurate. Daredevil is another in a string of excellent transfers from Fox.
Daredevil's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is a mesmerizing experience. It had to
be, seeing as Daredevil's sense of hearing is precisely attuned in the film. The soundtrack wows
listeners from beginning to end. From the subtle to the, well, not so subtle, the track never
lacks in any area, excelling in fact, in every category. Music is immersive and full, pitch-perfect,
and lacking nothing in the way of clarity or power. Dialogue, too, is precise and clear. Surrounds
are used to magnificent effect, obvious from the opening when we hear a rat, of all things,
scurrying from the rear soundstage to the front. There are also plenty of powerful, hard-hitting
effects to be heard throughout the film. If you ask for a suggestion as to which disc best
demonstrates the pinnacle of surround activity, this is currently my pick. None of the distinct
surround effects come off as gimmicky or placed in
the mix simply for the sake of being there. They fit in perfectly with the mood and
atmosphere of the film. In an early scene where a young Matt first discovers his heightened
sense of hearing, sounds explode form every channel and flood the soundstage with a barrage of
effects, perfectly accompanying the on-screen action. The various fight scenes feature a parade
of impressive sounds, including some of the most incredible bass you're likely to hear. It's one of
the most hard-hitting tracks to be sure, one that literally shakes you to your core.
Daredevil, sonically, is as reference as they come, a crowning jewel of Blu-ray lossless
audio.
20th Century Fox's release of Daredevil on Blu-ray provides fans with a wealth of
supplemental materials, headlined by a commentary track featuring writer/director Mark Steven
Johnson
and producer Avi Arad. These participants enjoy providing their insights, and are thrilled to have
their original idea for the film available through this director's cut. They spend quite a bit of time
discussing the process of
cutting and adding to the film, what worked and what did not, what is here and what is gone,
and they
delve a bit into the politics of the situation. They also discuss more of the mundane, things like
the
themes of the film, character development, and more. The track is always active and
informative,
and fans will enjoy it a great deal. Enhanced Viewing Mode is next. Narrated by visual
effects supervisor John Kilkenny, this feature allows viewers to click on an icon and view select
shots
in various stages of development. Fact and Fiction Feature is a pop-up trivia track,
coming
up as plain white text, almost like subtitles, and without the usual fancy box that accompanies
such
tracks.
Beyond Hell's Kitchen: Making 'Daredevil' (480p, 58:51) is a comprehensive
documentary that delves into a wide array of aspects that went into the making of the film.
Beginning with the history of the project as it shuffled from studio to studio, the feature moves
on to the making of Daredevil's costume, a look at the numerous takes required to get a scene
just right, the film's fight choreography, the actor's use of weapons in the film, a look at some of
the most difficult and dangerous stunts and shots in the film, and more. Jennifer Garner
Screen
Tests (480p, 2:31) is just as advertised -- a series of rehearsals featuring the famed actress.
Featured Villain: Kingpin (480p, 2:21) is a brief feature showcasing actor Michael Clarke
Duncan discussing his character. 'Daredevil: HBO First Look Special (480p, 24:50),
hosted by Jennifer Garner, is a bit more superficial than the previous, lengthy making-of feature.
Garner begins by offering a brief background on the world of Daredevil, and the feature
morphs into
a series of sound bites as the cast, crew, and Stan Winston provide insight into the film and the
world of Daredevil. Moving Through Space: A Day With Tom Sullivan (480p,
8:28) is a nice feature showcasing the life of this man who served as the "sight impaired
consultant" to Daredevil. Giving the Devil His Due (480p, 15:26) is a solid
feature examining the world of film editing and proved to be the best feature of the bunch.
Multi-Angle Dailes are next. This feature allows viewers to see varying takes on the
same sequence as they are filmed with no music, sound effects, or editing.
Three music videos -- Won't Back Down by Fuel (480p, 3:28), For You by The
Calling (480p, 3:42), Bring Me to Life by Evanescense (480p, 4:15) -- and a Music
Promotion Short (480p, 0:33) are included. Men Without Fear (480p, 59:15)
features a plethora of famed comic icons discussing the Daredevil comics, including Stan Lee,
John Romita, Gene Colan, Frank Miller, John Romita, Jr., Joe Quesada, David Mack, Brian Michael
Bendis, and Kevin Smith. Shadow World Tour (480p, 6:17) is a an examination of
Daredevil's abilities, comparing and contrasting the comic with the film. Modeling Sheets
is a
series of stills featuring character profiles. Next are a series of still galleries that focus on
storyboards, costumes, set design, production stills, and props. Concluding the special features is
the film's teaser trailer (480p, 0:47) and two theatrical trailers (480p, 1:44 and 2:25).
Daredevil is a not-so-good movie plagued by a stereotypical superhero plot line and some
mediocre to bad acting in the portrayal of a parade of misplaced and uninteresting characters. Colin
Farrell, and his character Bullseye, singlehandedly knocks the film down several notches, from
tolerable to nearly laughable. Make no mistake, there is a decent movie and better characters here,
somewhere,
waiting to be unleashed, but this 2003 adaptation of the film fails to do so. 20th Century Fox's
Blu-ray release of Daredevil is far more impressive than the film itself. Featuring a strong
video presentation, an amazing lossless soundtrack, and a jam-packed supplemental section, the
disc is a bona-fide winner. Fans of the film should have no reservations about adding
Daredevil to their Blu-ray collections, and those looking for sonic reference material will
want to pick it up, as well.
Fox Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring the Ben Affleck comic book film 'Daredevil: Director's Cut' to Blu-ray on September 30th. The director's cut adds an additional 30 minutes of footage to the film. Video will be presented in 1080p AVC accompanied ...
