Daredevil (2003)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Mark Steven Johnson

Writer (WGA):

Mark Steven Johnson (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 February 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

A Guardian Devil.

Plot:

A man blinded by toxic waste which also enhanced his remaining senses fights crime as an acrobatic martial arts superhero.

Plot Keywords:

Daredevil | New York City | Lawyer | Justice | Vigilante

Awards:

4 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Ben Affleck	...	Matt Murdock / Daredevil
Jennifer Garner	...	Elektra Natchios
Colin Farrell	...	Bullseye
Michael Clarke Duncan	...	Wilson Fisk / The Kingpin
Jon Favreau	...	Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson
Scott Terra	...	Young Matt
Ellen Pompeo	...	Karen Page
Joe Pantoliano	...	Ben Urich
Leland Orser	...	Wesley Owen Welch
Lennie Loftin	...	Nick Manolis
Erick Avari	...	Nikolas Natchios
Derrick O'Connor	...	Father Everett
Paul Ben-Victor	...	Jose Quesada
David Keith	...	Jack Murdock
Frankie J. Allison	...	Abusive Father (as Frankie Jay Allison)

Also Known As:

Daredevil: A Daring New Vision (USA) (director's cut (DVD title))

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for action/violence and some sensuality.

Runtime:

103 min | USA:133 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Greek | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #39586) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (theatrical rating) | Netherlands:12 | India:UA | USA:R (director's cut) | Germany:16 (also director's cut) | Brazil:12 | USA:TV-14 (edited tv version) | Malaysia:U (2008 director's cut DVD release) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (director's cut) | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:12 (cut) | Hong Kong:IIB | Malaysia:(Banned) | Mexico:B | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 (director's cut) | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Greece:K-13

Filming Locations:

Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Marvel Enterprises

Trivia:

Ben Affleck was virtually blind as he had to wear heavy-duty contact lenses which blocked out most of his vision.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Daredevil is chasing Jose Quesada into the subway a shot from the stairway shows that the digital clock hanging from the ceiling which shows when the next train will be arriving reads 1:58 then 1:57 then 1:56. Then in the quick next shot from the tunnel zooming in on Jose hiding behind a pillar, the display reads 1:37 then 1:36 then 1:35 and 1:34. The clock skips 19 seconds.

Quotes:

Jose Quesada: What do *you* want?
Daredevil: Justice.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Annually Retentive: (#1.5)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Tears After Midnight

It's True About The 'Director's Cut'

First off, this was a more complete version of the DVD which came out earlier. In this edition, about a half-hour of new material was added to the disc (and what was shown at the theaters.) All reviews I read said it elevated this film from "fair at best" to "good." I agree. It made the movie much, much better.

Yeah, it's more far-fetched than the other superhero movies because here, the hero is a blind guy who, because of his blindness, has extraordinary hearing powers along with the rest of the usual Batman/Spiderman-type athletic skills.

As in most of the Batman films, this is a dark film. I think it would have been better had it lightened up a bit with a few jokes and a more wholesome female lead. Jennifer Garner is another one of these latter-day skinny chicks who is made to be tough-looking, tough-talking and tough-fighting. In other words: ridiculous. However, I will say she comes across a little more likable on the extended version. One more negative: the fight scenes go on a tad too long and are outlandish.

On the positive side, this may be the best-sounding DVD I own, at least up to ones I had heard up until this came out in January of 2005. Since the hero (Ben Affleck) has super hearing, this is emphasized in this movie and so you, if you have a 5.1 surround system, hear sounds from all speakers at almost times. It's awesome!

Affleck, meanwhile, is likable as the superhero and I liked the message he gives at the end about shunning revenge. Wow, you don't hear that much in movies. Kudos, too, to villains' Colin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan. They are fun to watch, especially Farrell.

So, if this superhero film interests you, make sure you get the "Director's Cut" edition. It's far better than the original, and, I believe, the same price.