Daredevil (2003)

A man blinded by toxic waste which also enhanced his remaining senses fights crime as an acrobatic martial arts superhero.

Director:

Mark Steven Johnson

Writer:

Mark Steven Johnson (screenplay)

Stars:

Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell

5 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Affleck	...	Matt Murdock / Daredevil
Jennifer Garner	...	Elektra Natchios
Colin Farrell	...	Bullseye
Michael Clarke Duncan	...	Wilson Fisk / The Kingpin
Jon Favreau	...	Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson
Scott Terra	...	Young Matt
Ellen Pompeo	...	Karen Page
Joe Pantoliano	...	Ben Urich
Leland Orser	...	Wesley Owen Welch
Lennie Loftin	...	Nick Manolis
Erick Avari	...	Nikolas Natchios
Derrick O'Connor	...	Father Everett
Paul Ben-Victor	...	Jose Quesada
David Keith	...	Jack Murdock
Frankie J. Allison	...	Abusive Father (as Frankie Jay Allison)

Storyline

Fate deals young orphan Matt Murdock a strange hand when he is doused with hazardous waste. The accident leaves Matt blind but also gives him a heightened "radar sense" that allows him to "see" far better than any man. Years later Murdock has grown into a man and becomes a respected criminal attorney. But after he's done his "day job" Matt takes on a secret identity as "The Man Without Fear," Daredevil, the masked avenger that patrols the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen and New York City to combat the injustice that he cannot tackle in the courtroom.

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Plot Keywords:

marvel comics | daredevil the marvel comics character | matt murdock character | elektra natchios character | wilson fisk a.k.a. kingpin character | 

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Taglines:

A Guardian Devil.

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Genres:

Action | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for action/violence and some sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

In their big fight scene, Jennifer Garner accidentally kicked Ben Affleck so hard in the head that he briefly blacked out.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 1 min) After Bullseye throws a shuriken (throwing star) at Daredevil, as he is saying, "I missed," he is sitting straight up on his motorcycle. When he says, "I never miss," he is leaning forward on the motorcycle.

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Quotes

Elektra: [tries to remove Matt's shades] Do you mind?
Matt Murdock: Uh, no, I just... sometimes it makes people uncomfortable, that's all.
Elektra: Not me. But you should know that the only reason I got dressed up for this thing was that I wanted to look beautiful for you. I wish you could see me tonight.
Matt Murdock: Me, too.

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Crazy Credits

There is a scene in the closing credits: Bullseye is in a hospital ward with a full-body cast, but is able to use a syringe to take out a fly.

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Alternate Versions

German theatrical version was edited for violence (ca. 1 min.) to secure a more commercial "Not under 12" rating. Shortened were the scenes where Bullseye kills the man in the pub, the lady on the plane and Elektras father. Also shortened was the stabbing of Elektra. The cut version was released on VHS and DVD (single-disc version), the uncut version was released only on DVD (two-disc special edition and re-release of the single-disc version).

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Connections

Referenced in Dinner for Five: Episode #2.5 (2003)

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Soundtracks

Hang On
Written by Shaun Welgemued, Dale Stewart
Performed by Seether
Produced by Jay Baumgardner
Seether performs courtesy of Wind-up Entertainment, Inc.

User Reviews

It's True About The 'Director's Cut'

First off, this was a more complete version of the DVD which came out earlier. In this edition, about a half-hour of new material was added to the disc (and what was shown at the theaters.) All reviews I read said it elevated this film from "fair at best" to "good." I agree. It made the movie much, much better.

Yeah, it's more far-fetched than the other superhero movies because here, the hero is a blind guy who, because of his blindness, has extraordinary hearing powers along with the rest of the usual Batman/Spiderman-type athletic skills.

As in most of the Batman films, this is a dark film. I think it would have been better had it lightened up a bit with a few jokes and a more wholesome female lead. Jennifer Garner is another one of these latter-day skinny chicks who is made to be tough-looking, tough-talking and tough-fighting. In other words: ridiculous. However, I will say she comes across a little more likable on the extended version. One more negative: the fight scenes go on a tad too long and are outlandish.

On the positive side, this may be the best-sounding DVD I own, at least up to ones I had heard up until this came out in January of 2005. Since the hero (Ben Affleck) has super hearing, this is emphasized in this movie and so you, if you have a 5.1 surround system, hear sounds from all speakers at almost times. It's awesome!

Affleck, meanwhile, is likable as the superhero and I liked the message he gives at the end about shunning revenge. Wow, you don't hear that much in movies. Kudos, too, to villains' Colin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan. They are fun to watch, especially Farrell.

So, if this superhero film interests you, make sure you get the "Director's Cut" edition. It's far better than the original, and, I believe, the same price.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA Switzerland

Language:

English Greek Italian

Release Date:

14 February 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Daredevil: A Daring New Vision

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$78,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$40,310,419, 16 February 2003

Gross USA:

$102,543,518

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$179,179,718

Company Credits

Production Co:

Marvel Enterprises, New Regency Productions, Horseshoe Bay Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 133 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1