MOVIE REVIEW: Real heroism would be keeping ‘Daredevil’ off the streets–Grade: C-
It seems like everyone is jumping on the comic book movie bandwagon. “Daredevil” is only the first of many on the docket to be released this year.
If the rest of them turn out to be in the same shape as this Ben Affleck-driven drivel, then America had best find a new movie genre to love.
“Daredevil” is the story of a young man blinded by a radioactive dousing. The heightening of his remaining senses and the death of his father drive him to lead the life of a vigilante as he protects those unable to protect themselves.
One of the biggest problems with this flick is the actors don’t act. They just drone their way through emotionless dialogue and flashy fight sequences trying to pull together a movie worth the money that was spent on it.
The only actor who looks like he is having any fun at all is Colin Farrell. He plays the maniacal killer Bullseye with a psychotic thrill second only to Jack Nicholson in “The Shining.”
The rest of the actors are wasted. Jennifer Garner as the Devil’s love-interest, Elektra, does nothing more than pout with her full, beautiful lips and smile that knowing smile.
Hey, Garner may be hot stuff to look at, but she is no leading lady. And Michael Clarke Duncan does little more than make brief appearances to purr out his lines in his liquid velvet bass.
The biggest disappointment was Affleck himself, who plays the title character. About all he does throughout the entire movie is sit on a rooftop in front of a fake-looking backdrop of New York City and show us just how many different brooding, pensive faces he can make.
The only scene that halfway worked (besides the ones with Bullseye) was the love fight between Affleck and Garner on the teeter-totters. So there was one good sequence in the film.
“Daredevil” is a schizophrenic movie. It can’t decide if it is a remake of Tim Burton’s Batman films or if it is “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” in America, complete with flying ninja leaps up buildings and organ pipes. Well, Batman was a more sympathetic character, and Ang Lee’s Chinese flick had more substance. All in all, “Daredevil” is a devil of a waste of film, time, money and Garner’s looks.
I’m sure this movie will do well the first few weeks it is out, but as audiences start to realize this is no “Spider-man,” they will quit going to see it. For all our sakes, let’s hope they never try and make this a franchise. One devil in the world is more than enough.
Jared Sterzer is a senior majoring in business information systems. Comments may be sent to jwsterz@cc.usu.edu.