E-REVIEW: Daredevil

You may not know this but Teenage Ninja Mutant turtles originally started off as a sort of spoof on the Marvel comic Daredevil. So if you’re a fan of that franchise maybe you owe more to Daredevil than you realize …

Welcome to E-Review, where we take a critical look at Movies, Web and T.V shows, Videogames and other forms of electronic entertainment. This week’s review is Daredevil!

This show has currently released two seasons and is awaiting its third season set to air in 2018. Bear with me, as you are about to get a more in-depth review (a double review of sorts) that examines both seasons of the show.

Daredevil was a bit of a surprise hit and was the first of the Netflix based superhero shows spawning its own world within what is known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or MCU. Don’t worry you don’t need to know more than that for the purposes of this review but if you would like to know more about the MCU and the incredible industry changing movies and series they’ve produced, you can check out this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe.

Marvel Cinematic Universe – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared fictional universe that is centered on a series of superhero films independently…….

Matt Murdock is Daredevil!

The show doesn’t just start off our hero in full costumed glory. The first season of daredevil operates similarly to the “Batman Begins” movie where the hero develops into the role except spread out over the entire season. If you’re unfamiliar with the character that’s ok; this show does a great job of introducing the protagonist Matt Murdock, not just as a hero but as a character – a flawed, living, breathing person. The end result is a far more rewarding experience when he does become an established superhero.

Murdock started life in the appropriately named Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood in New York, born to a father who is a tough but somewhat down-on-his luck boxer. The younger Murdock is soon involved in an accident that robs him of his sight but potentially grants him far superior abilities. In Daredevil, these circumstances have a tremendous impact in shaping the main character and the world he lives in. In fact, it could be said that the setting of the show itself is a character that builds and interacts with the protagonist, his allies and enemies. The show seems to suggest at times, that “circumstances make you who you are” and yet also depicts the interplay of choice individuals face by fighting or embracing the pull of these circumstances. It is this struggle that is surprisingly well embodied in both the hero and the villain that makes this show so compelling; even more so than the action which is spectacular in its own right – just watch the hallway scene in the first episode to see what I mean.

Mood and Darkness and just Moodiness…

The mood of this show is decidedly dark and gritty, a decision partly made to set it apart from the MCU movies (Avengers, Iron Man etc which are pretty light-hearted and take place in the same world) and also to provide a more relatable and believable take on the superhero genre. Quite frankly, it works. You understand why both the hero and the villain of the show care so much about their neighbourhood and city, by extension. In fact, the villain believes he is acting the part of the saviour by his actions. This depiction is more realistic as virtually no one goes around thinking “hey I’m the bad guy of this story”…

More has to be said about the villain Wilson Fisk here (a.k.a Kingpin) as he is such an important part of the success of this show. His origin story is just as engaging as Daredevil’s and mirrors the hero’s in many ways. The actor playing Kingpin, Vincent D’Onofrio, is well known for his roles in the T.V show Law and Order: Criminal Intent and the movie Men in Black (where he played Edgar/villainous bug). He is one of those actors that so immerses himself into the individual he’s playing that he is sometimes unrecognizable between roles, and with this portrayal its completely effective. Kingpin’s temper tantrums and idiosyncrasies make him so much more than a one dimensional disposable baddy; it makes him human, a murderous twisted human that deserves to be locked way for sure….but human, none the less.

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen – If the first season was like Batman Begins…

The second season continues the story of the first in a very satisfying way by building on the established world. This means new locations, many new characters, shocking revelations and a better sense of where this show fits into the larger shared universe of the MCU. You also get build up for new spin-off shows and a planned team-up show “The Defenders” coming in 2017.  Already you can just tell there is a lot going on and it definitely shows.

The season is enjoyable and starts off with a bang and ends with a bang…. but also spends a lot of time on other major characters which makes it very clear that the creators are looking to establish new shows. This approach (while fairly well done) tends to side rail the main story a bit, as time is spent on these side characters rather than the main story line. Even with that said, perhaps the best parts of this season are still the appearances of the Punisher (Frank Castle) and Elektra Natchios. The Frank Castle character in particular did so well that they planned a new series just around him. The Punisher is an outright killer vigilante who obviously isn’t afraid of bloodshed while Daredevil seeks to preserve life while himself struggling with his own temptation towards delivering a more permanent type of justice.

The resulting clash is very entertaining to watch. Elektra – the ninja-like assassin – also serves as a great foil for Daredevil as she also kills freely but their relationship is more complicated and involved in that they share romantic history. Matt Murdock’s continued fight to redeem himself and those around him – friend and foe – are what truly establish him as the main hero of the story even while Elektra and the punisher also have their own arcs as protagonists.

Daredevil Rises… – see what I did there?

The show itself is incredibly well done and it is the best put together superhero web or T.V series I have ever seen. Plot twist – that’s not the same as saying its my favourite super hero show -if you want to know my favourite then you need to keep reading e-reviews and maybe you’ll find out…maybe. In any case, the story and setting while immersive and accolade worthy (its been nominated for over 20 awards) can be on the dark side and, for me at least, somewhat of a downer. This has to do with the choice of tone being more realistic and serious than the main MCU movies which are largely full of humourous moments and light-hearted references. At the end of a long day its just easier to unwind with something lighter in tone. Mind you, I’m a game of thrones veteran who hardly bats an eyelash when my favourite characters are killed off and immediately looks forward to the next episode like a fantasy-starved glutton for punishment. Perhaps, it’s the easy to relate to setting and the characters that has that lasting effect on me which is a big compliment to the writing, casting and execution of the show. It just feels so real! In the end it’s about personal preference. The violence by comparison is appropriate and not overdone and the choreography is just downright amazing so your individual mileage may vary.

Final Verdict: I dare you to watch!

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