Daredevil

Matt Murdock was in an accident when he was a child, and lost his sight. But the same accident improved his other senses to a superhuman level. He has a ‘radar’ sense that allows him to ‘see’ things normal people cannot. After his father’s death, Matt decided to dedicate his life to fighting crime. During the daytime, he is a lawyer helping poor people fight the injustices of the system. But at night he becomes Daredevil, ‘the Man without Fear’, fighting criminals where the law cannot reach them. While trying to deal with the moral issues of his vigilantism, Matt meets Elektra. She is a daughter of a wealthy businessman who gets into trouble with the Kingpin of New York.

Spider-man set the standard for comic book adaptations last year. Daredevil manages to better that standard with its well chosen cast and more creative storyline. Ben Affleck pulls a good performance as the ‘Man without Fear’. Affleck brings balance to the character of Daredevil with his light humour and touching humanity. Moreover, the chemistry between him and the female lead, Jennifer Garner, makes the romantic interest so much more than the normal Hollywood slush.

Colin Farrell gives one of the most memorable performances of the year as the villain Bullseye. An excellent combination of charm and madness makes Bullseye arguably one of the best bad guys of all time! Colin is surely on his way to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Michael Clark Duncan (The Green Mile) also makes a noteworthy appearance as the (literally) big and powerful Kingpin.

The visual effects are extremely impressive and creative. The seemingly impossible task of portraying a blind man’s world visually is accomplished with brilliant ingenuity. The action scenes, on the other hand, do not suffer from overloaded computer graphics, but the stunts make one gasp in admiration.

This film is suitable almost for anyone. The comic book realism and spectacular action scenes are complemented by quality acting and solid characters. The plot contains thought-provoking elements normally lacking in these types of films, but people expecting an easy night out need not worry! Although Daredevil represents the more ’serious’ side of the comic book world, the special effects rollercoaster ride will keep everyone entertained.

Tomi Kuusisto