By Sarah Weller
This Valentine’s Day was a time for some of us girls to spendwith our men. Luckily for me, I also got to spend it with “The Manwithout Fear”: Daredevil, that is. Though Ben Affleck has played arange of both likable and unlikable characters, with his title rolein Daredevil he convinces even his biggest critics that hewas meant for this character. This movie is dark, funny,action-filled, and emotional, all in a little over two hours.
The movie begins well into the story, with Matt Murdock lyingwounded in a church, wearing the maroon attire of a superhero,telling us that your entire life flashes before your eyes when youdie. We then flash back to his childhood, when his father isinvolved with a crime lord, much to the surprise of little Matt,who is sprayed by hazardous chemicals, causing him to go blind.Later, his father is killed, and Matt Murdock swears to get justicefor everyone, and he grows up to become Matt Murdock, blind lawyer,by day, and Daredevil, the fearless masked man who patrols thestreets of Hell’s Kitchen by night.
Enter Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner) who meets Murdock in adiner while having coffee with his business partner. Elektra is thedaughter of the extremely wealthy Nicholas Natchios, one of themany followers of the Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan). Though sheis hesistant at first, the two fall in love and seem to be livinghappily ever after; that is, until Elektra’s father is murdered byhired assassin Bullseye, whom she wrongly identifies as Daredevil.This can only mean trouble for the who lovebirds.
This movie is gloomier and more character-centric thanSpider-Man. The characters in Daredevil experiencemore loss and trauma, and Daredevil seems more human, especiallyafter one fight where he goes home to shower and chew on somemuch-needed Vicodin. The fact that this man is blind and is able tofunction at all is outstanding, but to be a superhero at the sametime is something that no other comic book character can match. Itwill be up to the people who’ve read this comic to judge theaccuracy of this movie, but it is a movie worth going to seewhether you are a fan of the comics or not.
I really enjoyed the opening photography, which included flashesof upcoming frames of the movie. The action scenes in this movieare great, and the actors, especially Colin Farrell, are a joy towatch. As Bullseye, the man with deadly aim, Farrell not onlyscares people but annoys everyone and makes us laugh at hischaracter’s sheer madness. He’s the sort of character that you aresupposed to hate; however, he’s so unique and entertaining that youcan’t help but like the bastard.
The ending screams for a sequel, as if we didn’t already knowthat was going to happen anyway. But just when you think the actionis over and you are ready to leave, don’t. There’s a surprisewaiting for you right after the credits begin to roll.
Cardinal Grade: A
