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DAREDEVIL: MARVEL’S DARKNIGHT COUNTERPART?
by: Edwin Bartolome
 If the colorful and cheerful “Spider Man” movie was seen as Marvel’s
answer to DC’s “Superman”, then the dark and somewhat foreboding
atmosphere of “Daredevil” can be comparable to that of the “Batman” movies.
Like the movies that feature DC’s dark knight, most of the action in
this movie takes place in the dimly lit skyline of a metropolitan city. “Daredevil” thus
drops very obvious hints that the protagonist’s physical and inner struggles
are guided not by the clear glimmer of reason, but rather by the vague shades
of ambiguity and uncertainty.
Attorney Matt Murdock is blind. He lives in perpetual darkness and relies
heavily on a cane to guide his movements. This physical disability, however,
is compensated by the unbelievable sharpness of his other senses. He uses these
powerful senses to fight for the cause of good in a manner that is quite a
departure from his daytime job as a defender of the law. He becomes an “extra-legal” defender
at night, garbed in a flaming crimson suit and accentuated by a nifty horned
mask.
He is smitten one day by the charms of a seemingly fragile girl in the person
of a wealthy heiress named Elektra Natchios. Elektra turns out to be a specialist
in the martial arts and is especially adept at wielding and fighting with the “si”,
an elegant bladed weapon. When her father is killed by the assassin known as
Bullseye, Elektra completely reverts to her fighting form, and vows to eliminate
the killer. At first mistaken for the assassin, Daredevil eventually joins
Elektra’s cause to fight Bullseye and his patron, the crime lord Kingpin.
All the fighting is done by hand or bladed weapon and the audience gets a
heaping dose of the action. As most comic book movies go, the climactic duel
takes place atop the buildings’ roofs. Of course, good triumphs over
evil in the end but not without a terrible price paid (or so we thought).
“Daredevil” is a moderately satisfying fare. The writers attempted
to stack the movie with the philosophical musings of Daredevil and Elektra
but in the end, it came down to a slambang fest. To be fair, the action scenes
were fast-paced and entertaining. The Daredevil-Bullseye matchup in church,
as well as the Bullseye-Elektra duel, were truly the film’s action crown
jewels.
Colin Farrell, who played Bullseye, delivered the best performance among the
major cast members. He was both threatening and playful at the same time, somewhat
akin to the personality of his comic book counterpart. The beauteous Jennifer
Garner who played Elektra, likewise delivered the goods. She combined feminine
charm with steely resolve and this brought forth the true essence of the comic
book heroine. Michael Clark Duncan’s Kingpin was big and a bit lovable,
a slight departure from the intimidating presence of the comic book Kingpin
who was a lot more feared by his friends and foes alike. Ben Affleck’s
Daredevil was a bit tepid and somewhat lacked presence. Still, I must admit
he looked like Atty. Matt Murdock, especially with that hair piece he wore.
All-in-all, a movie that satisfies everyone’s craving for raging violence
and nothing more.
All characters are © and ™ of their respective
companies.
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