Last week I was handed a copyof the upcoming DaredevilDirector's Cut (or 1.5 if you prefer) DVD, which is due to hit the shelvesin early November.
Anyone who read myreview of the theatrical release knows that we would have to invent newwords in the English language to really illustrate just how much I hated it.Many people felt that my review was unfair and didn't comment enough on thefilm. It was decided by the masses that I spent too much time dwelling on thechanges from the comic to the film.
Isn't this Comics2Film.com,where we trace the adaptation from comics to film?
That is what I did, much to thechagrin of drooling fanboys and girls everywhere that enjoyed the celluloidlobotomy that was presented to them on that big screen.
Well, this time Mark StevenJohnson (or MSJ as I'll refer to him) cuts some things and adds nearly 30minutes. Is this enough?
Let me remind you all that myassessment the last time was that I had gone to the theatre and watched anhour and forty-five minute trailer for what could have been a really good'Daredevil' movie, but was later informed that it was the 'Daredevil'movie. Show was over. I had to go home.
So, I went home, wrote a reviewand made people mad. I don't think they were nearly as mad as I was.
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Now, I come to find out that itwas in fact an hour and forty-five minute teaser because let me tell yousomething: adding 30 minutes of, what would you call that? Oh ... substance andplot ... yeah ... when you put that stuff in a movie it can be entertaining. Andso, I sit before my keyboard and find myself in the midst of writing a goodreview for 'Daredevil.'
Now, before I do that let mereiterate that I have major problems with the movie. I still think that thefirst duel between Elektra and Matt in a playground in front of children is verylame. This version of the film didn't need that (neither did the other, but workwith me), it takes what is now a rather serious film with some great comic bookelements and makes it too over-the-top. A refined woman would not fight a blindman in public.
It could also be that thisscene fails because there is no chemistry between Affleck and Garner and thatfact makes the entire relationship between Matt and Elektra seem to move tooquickly and also seem unbelievable.
I still don't like the Kingpinusing Richard Fisk's rose gimmick.
I don't like that Matt's originis changed to have him chasing the shadow of his Father's anger. This is fed byignoring Matt's Daredevil nickname and changing his dad's name from Battlin'Jack to Jack "The Devil."
I don't like that Matt letssomeone die because he couldn't put them away in court. I like the fight scenein Josie's, but I felt that the character was allowed to cross a line that hewouldn't cross in that subway scene. This version of Daredevil has to ride theline between what he wants to be and what he fights against.
However, these subtle changeswork when given more plot and character development. I see no reason to make thechanges, but MSJ makes them work. I didn't feel as unfulfilled and darn rightcheated. The character is given these obstacles so that he may find resolution.
I mentioned in the first reviewthat the whole movie was so bad that I didn't even mind Affleck, whom I thoughtwas a terrible choice for the role. This time around, I contend that he is adecent Murdock, but a bad Daredevil. I just don't feel it in his acting. He isslow and unconvincing, but we see enough of Matt being Matt, working as thelawyer with a secret that I didn't mind it. I felt evolution in the characterand really felt that I got to know and understand the character as portrayed onscreen. Again, I disagree with some choices, but they work.
The reason these things workthis time around is due to plot development as I mentioned earlier. There is anentire plot thread that was cut from the previous film that has Matt and BenUrich crossing paths in a more logical fashion and even gives presence to theKingpin that I felt was missing in the theatrical release.
Matt finds himself defending aman for murder that he knows is innocent. However, the case is stacked againsthim because of the Kingpin's death grip on the city. Michael Clarke Duncan'sKingpin has slightly more screen time but it's the story that makes youunderstand why people would fear him. We are given a trail of corruption thatmakes us understand why he is a presence and needs to be taken out.
Bullseye is still great and hasmore of an impact in the new context of the film. I didn't necessarily seeanything new, but his arrival and subsequent fights with Matt make more sense.There is a story here that makes this fight leave more of an impact. In thetheatrical release, I felt that the fight scenes were the only ones in whichthings happened. Now, they work together.
And as I mentioned earlier, theBen Urich character makes more sense and becomes more compassionate not becausehe decides not to reveal Matt's identity, but because he knows why he shouldn'treveal it. There's a bit of history between the characters that makes it moredifficult for him to write the story and that's all I was asking for the firsttime around. Depth.
And depth is exactly what thisfilm is given with that extra half hour.
I was able to enjoy thecharacters and see that MSJ directed a pretty decent film. I just think it's atragedy that this wasn't shown on the big screen. I think it would have receivedbetter reviews and would have been enjoyed more by both comic geeks andnon-comic geeks.
There are some great shots andI even enjoyed Matt's heightened senses sequences better. They make you feel forthe character. I didn't like them last time because I felt they only served toexplain things that weren't given in the character in other ways. Now, they addto the character. Bravo Mr. Johnson.
In fact, I just might buy thisversion of the film, but am disappointed with the overall treatment. Thetheatrical hunk of crap gets a2-disc treatment while the people who waited to see if the promiseddirector's cut had any substance, only get the movie and a featurette. Thegreat extras from the first DVD release are nowhere to be found here.
In the end, I have to separatethe new from the old, put aside some petty differences, accept the weak, fastpaced depiction of Elektra and just look at it as a movie.
As a movie, this is a decentdepiction of Daredevil that I can give 7 out of 10 stars.
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