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Daredevil

I loved this movie! I want to get that very clear, and jump-start the review with high praise.

I didn't really know what to expect at first with Daredevil. I've watched the trailer and read some reviews about it, but because it was another comic book story turned into a movie, I didn't have much anticipation of seeing it. Also, I really liked Spiderman, and in my mind, I figured Daredevil would just be another copy cat image of that success, and not do it very well either. I was so wrong; Daredevil is pretty close to being just as good as Spiderman.

As a young boy growing up in Hell's Kitchen, Matt Murdock (Scott Terra/ Ben Affleck) was teased and bullied by his classmates and suffered a great loss when his mother was killed. His father Jack (David Keith), a former champion boxer, is now a lonely man who fills him time dealing with the darker side of the neighborhood during the day, and washing it away in booze at night. When Matt stumbles across his dad's unethical ways, he's hurt and scared. As he runs away, he gets into a horrible accident that splashes radioactive material into his eyes, leaving Matt permanently blind.

As Matt and his father work on changing and adapting to their lives after the accident, a father's love will prove at a cost, what his son truly means to him, and what Matt will do to survive and better the world in which he lives in.

Now a lawyer, Matt tries and rid the city of criminals and when that doesn't work, he puts his newfound powers as a superhero. His superhero name is Daredevil named by Ben (Joe Pantoliano), a reporter, out to find the truth on this nightly vigilante.

Daredevil will be up against Kingpin (Michael Clark Duncan), a powerful mob boss, and Bullseye (Colin Farrell), a truly dangerous individual with genius murderous tactics under his sleeve.

Daredevil also finds himself unwillingly battling another powerful being named Elektra (Jennifer Garner), a marital arts master who believes Daredevil killed her father. A big problem for both, other than the cold steel she dances with, is that she doesn't know that Daredevil is Matt and that they have fallen in love with each other.

I appreciated the look of the movie, how we saw what Daredevil was seeing. It was a very imaginative and interesting concept, especially during the rain sequences. Daredevil is also much darker and more intense with violence and death.

Ben Affleck did such an amazing job--he really nailed it! From beginning to end, it was a star performance, and it showed that he is extremely talented and capable of taking on diverse roles. Wow, he struck such a heart spin with me. So, what I don't understand is how I've seen other reviews trash his performance. To each is own, I suppose.

Jennifer Garner impressed me, and I found her to be a very engaging actress on the big screen, much more than I thought. She had presence, glamour, and sexiness. Her heart sung out in sadness, but her passion and determination made her so vulnerable and yet strong.

I loved the sensationally demented performance of Colin Farell. His character didn't need any fancy make-up, other than the burned bullseye on his forehead to show how disgustingly crazy his mind and evil breathing soul was. You saw him as a man, a disturbed human, with no sense of conscience towards the matter of life that he held and then squeezed in his hands. Just pure sickness ran in his veins. An intrusive personality of self-confidence and fearlessness.

Michael Clark Duncan was absolutely terrific! He had sharpness, style, and such a controlled image of himself. He knew how do get something done, and wasn't afraid of doing so. He was a barricade of power and continued to go after more.

Joe Pantoliano had this performance fed to him on a silver plate. He was awesome, and this role fit him so perfectly! A good guy, indeed!

David Keith mesmerized me. He was so good in his role as Matt's father. It was smooth, cool, and very touching.

Scott Terra who played Matt as a child was just a bright spot. He did such a marvelous job and gave a great performance that captured how Matt was as a child.

So, on a final note, I will not have to be dared to go and see the sequel. In fact, I can't wait!

Written by: Lynda Dale MacLean

Reviewers Rating: 8.5
Reader's Rating: 7.20
Reader's Votes: 10

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