The first film adaptation of Daredevil get a lot of flack, but I enjoyed it for what it was in the era that it was released. That really was the golden era of what has now become a sub-genre of film and TV. I don’t usually do reviews of TV series, but I think this Daredevil one is important and will open up new avenues for the way we want to see these characters. So far I’ve binge watched the entire thirteen episode season and this seems like as good a time as any to process everything so far.
The first thing I notice about Netflix’s Daredevil series is that all of the sheen and special effects of the original film is gone. The way its shot it might as well be a crime drama with a comic book hero inserted for good measure.
The action is realistic and gritty. We see the bumps bruises and damage that Murdock takes in his battles. When he’s taking on a group of eight henchmen, you see his exhaustion and windedness as well as that of the people he’s fighting. The way everything is shot, you genuinely fear for the character’s life at certain moments.
Because of how long the series is, we get to see more of Murdock and his partner’s law practice than before. Through this we get to know what type of person this iteration of the character is. We also of course see more of Daredevil in action. More brawls, more interrogations. All great stuff! Charlie Cox has shown himself to be the perfect man for the role.
Vincent D’Onofrio as the Kingpin
We get to know the villains better and get to understand their motivations. Wilson Fisk in particular is a great and persistent presence in the series. Characters won’t even mention his name for the first couple episodes which makes him that much bigger of a deal when we finally do meet him. I loved Michael Clarke Duncan’s depiction of the character in the movie, but Vincent D’Oforino may have a least matched him with his performance.
Now for my gripes with the series. I actually have none! I love everything about what Marvel and Netflix delivered. The acting, the action and characters are all top-notch. If this were a movie, I might have it in my top 10 superhero movies of all time. It’s easily the best tv series in the genre. Great job Marvel! Keep em coming!
