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| Courtesy: Marvel/Netflix |
Starring Charlie Cox,
Rosario Dawson, and Vincent Don'ofrio
Created by Drew Goddard
(Based on the graphic novel series by Marvel Comics)
Rated TVMA
Available on Netflix
(Basic subscription $7.99 a month)
My Rating: *****/5
The first part of Marvel's
“Defenders” series for Netflix has arrived in the form of
“Daredevil.” While
Marvel has already crafted high-quality TV series with “Agents of
SHIELD”
and “Agent Carter;”
Drew Goddard has reimagined the famed superhero in a manner that is
being
You know the story: young
Matthew Murdoch is blinded by an industrial accident in
Hell's Kitchen in New York
City; but his remaining four senses heighten to levels that are far
more
powerful than that of a
normal person. He grows into a fledgling lawyer by day (Cox); but by
night,
he fights the scum of
Hell's Kitchen as Daredevil. While he may start out wearing an
all-black
ensemble (a move well-known
for the “Batman” and “X-Men” movies); he does get to
eventually wear
the iconic blood-red
costume from the comics (which is teased in the opening sequence,
which looks
reminiscent of “Dexter.”).
This attracts the attention
of many organized crime outfits; most notably Wilson Fisk,
better known as the Kingpin
(Don'ofrio). His portrayal is a stark contrast to the late Michael
Clarke
Duncan in the 2003 film; as
he has very little tolerance of failure, to the point where he'll
kill members
of his mob legal team with
his bare hands.
While the 2003 film was an
early attempt to craft a darker superhero story before other
franchises dabbled with the
concept; it ended up being critically-panned and highly divisive
among
fans to this day. Stan Lee
himself even hated it for being “devoid of optimism.” Now that
darker
stories are more
commonplace; this, along with the growing popularity of alternative
entertainment
through online streaming
are the ideal way to bring the character back.
In essence, the series is
probably the most grounded and realistic work Marvel has
made as their own studio.
The fight choreography is incredibly fluid (there is notably a fight
scene
filmed in one continuous
shot; and the series is touted as the “most stunt-heavy series
ever”); and the
writing and tone are in
line with Frank Miller's run on the comic. In addition to Kingpin,
there is
involvement with the
Russian mafia; Japanese Yakuza, and Chinese Triad gangs (as I
continue my
binge-watch; I'll keep an
eye out for others.). Even so, there are some great Easter eggs for
fans of the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
(a line in the pilot mentions that an event caused real estate values
in New
York to drop dramatically;
referencing the climax of “The Avengers”); so keep all your
senses open.
Even though I have not
seen the director's cut of the 2003 film (which adds 20 minutes
of new footage and bumps up
the rating from a PG-13 to an R); I can say that “Daredevil” has
not
only managed to create a
superb superhero series that makes a wonderful take on the comics,
but also
an engaging crime drama in
the vein of “The Dark Knight Saga.” With the promise of further
series
in the coming months; this
13-episode first season is more than a satisfactory take on “the
man without
fear.”
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