Daredevil Director's Cut

[Water Bob]

Panned by most fans--and even its star--I quite liked Daredevil, and the Director's Cut is much better than the film that was orignally released.

I'm not a fan of Affleck's acting (he's a surprising good director, though), but this is one of the few roles where I thought he did a good job. I liked the gothic/noir-ish vibe of the film...the rain...Daredevil on a cross. I liked DD's costume--it's better than any of the comics versions I've seen. I liked Jon Favreau as Foggy. Good casting there. And, I think the chemistry between Matt and Elektra is explosive (and, since Affleck married Garner, I guess it really was). Joe Pantoliano made a good Ben Urich. There's a neat tip of the hat to Karen Page and her attraction to Matt.

I thought Colin Farrell's portrayal of Bullseye was awful, though. Super over acted. And, although he looked the part, I didn't think Michael Clarke Duncan was very convincing as Kingpin.

The story was just so-so. Nothing too surprising. It hit all the Daredevil numbers: gave us DD's backstory, showed his love and loss of Elektra, and his battles with Kingpin and Bullseye.

It could have been a much better movie. I'd like to see it rebooted (and, yes, I know DD is coming to Netflix as a new series in 2015) as a major film.

But, I also think that this movie is much better than the credit given to it. I like it better than many other superhero films.



So....I'm watching it again tonight, because I'm scratching this superhero itch lately, and I catch an Easter Egg I've never noticed before: The fighters that Jack Murdock beats are the writers most assiciated with Daredevil: Miller, Mack, and Bendis (as in Frank Miller, David Mack, and Brian Michael Bendis).

Neat.

 

[Water Bob]

Early in the film, DD arrives home after kicking the crap out of Quesada--DD kills him when he flips him to the tracks and the train runs over him.

Question 1: Murdock is a public defender, yes? Then why is he acting as proscutor at the Quesada trial? Was that supposed to be civil court?

Question 2: Once Matt gets back from his apartment after taking out Quesada, he strips off his costume (we see all the scars on his back), takes a shower, then jumps into a water filled sensory deprivation tub. There's a quick shot that I guess is supposed to be DD's memory showing someone holding a gun and then a woman, screaming, crawling on the floor. Then, Matt puts his head under water so that only his face is out...and that's the end of the scene.

Who's the girl? What did that flashback or memory refer to?

 

[Water Bob]

Looking around on the net, I may have answered Question 2, above.

From the IFC web site:

One of the most effective and interesting shots in the entire movie is only available in the Director’s Cut. The only way Matt Murdock can fall sleep at night is by using a sensory deprivation tank to shut out the sounds of the world. After another evening as Daredevil, Matt is about to lay down and go to sleep when he hears the sound of a woman crying out for help. Matt’s too far away to rescue her in time, but to him it sounds like she’s laying on the floor of his apartment. He sits and listens to her murder and then shuts the sensory deprivation tank’s lid. This beat, missing from the Theatrical Cut, reinforces just how much being Daredevil sucks. His powers don’t free him from his disability, they only make him feel more helpless.

I didn't quite get that from watching the show. The scene seemed out of place and made me ask, "Who's that?" But, reading this explanation makes a bit more sense.