Daredevil vs. The Hulk: Which movie do you like better?

[Kai Lord]

I recently watched Daredevil again and was once again reminded of how much I actually like this movie. Even with some extremely cringe inducing moments (the teeter totter sequence, some of Kingpin and Bulls-eye's dialogue with each other) and apparent internal inconsistencies I have a great affinity for the end result. A true case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

In fact, behind Spider-Man and the first Superman, Daredevil is my favorite super hero movie. I rank it above such high profile productions as the first two Batman films, the X-Men movies, and also The Hulk, and if DD had been more consistent it would be #1.

I find DD to be the most relatable, insofar that a character with super powers can be related to. He lives in a world more "real" than other comic book films, and its compelling that his handicap exists every second of every day, in normal life and fighting the bad guys. Even great sensitivity afforded by his handicap can also literally be his greatest weakness.

Sure he can performs all kinds of great moves in the dark, and gravity defying acrobatics to boot, but if a subway cruises by not only is he blind but now he's effectively deaf and crippled too. Nothing's ever just smooth straight across the board for him. What a great character.

As for the movie's presentation, I really like that our introduction to the character is a bruised and bloody man on the brink of death, so weakened that almost the entire film after is the story of his life as if flashes before his eyes. The most brilliant presentation of an "origin" story for a comic character in a movie, bar none.

I like the cinematography and the editing, beginning with the flashes of his fight with Elektra as the camera pans up the front of the church, to the deleting of Murdock's story reflected in Joe Pantoliono's glasses.

I like that after every fight Murdock nurses bloody wounds, spits out the occasional tooth, then hobbles into a sensory deprivation tank. Unlike any other super hero, the film presents him as a guy with a future shelf life of maybe five to seven years before he'll be permanently bound to a wheelchair.

I love Foggy Nelson's character as portrayed by Jon Favreau. A fantastic link between the audience and this fantasy world of DD and company.

I love all the little touches that bring these super characters into a world we're familiar with. All the "blind man" ticks of Affleck's character, having special containers for different dollar bills, being shy about showing his uncovered eyes. And when Bulls-eye is called, instead of a dramatic scene of an airplane landing on the runway and then a cut to him walking through the terminal in slow motion we instead get to see that, like everyone else, he dreads the confined irritations of riding in coach. With a homicidal twist appropriate for the character.

I love the mutual badassedness of the first DD/Bullseye encounter. The first moment in either of their lives they've truly met an equal adversary, with each of them permanently damaging something dear to the other (Bullseye's perfect accuracy ratio, and Murdock's beloved's hope.)

There are other things as well, but this was a heavily criticized film that I'm quite enamored with. I had originally ranked the Hulk much higher, but after several viewings no longer feel that it captures the essence of a Marvel comic. The characters aren't very charismatic and I don't detect a real love for the source material.

But as much as the Hulk was maligned by critics and many fans, perhaps some of you appreciate it as much as I do Daredevil.

What do you like about these two films, or one in particular? Or where did they go wrong?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I don't care what anyone says about Daredevil, I LOVED that movie. Not the best superhero movie(Spidey and X2 have that) but definatly a good one.

As for Hulk, I liked this one a lot too. Its Hulk, though...Hulk doesn't NEED plot. Just smashing.

 

[shilsen]

Another vote for Daredevil. Admittedly I've only seen The Hulk out of the two movies, but based on that viewing (which I made sure was for $1 so I couldn't complain about wasting too much money) I'm pretty sure I prefer Dardevil

 

[Kai Lord]

As for Hulk, I liked this one a lot too. Its Hulk, though...Hulk doesn't NEED plot. Just smashing.

I liked it too, but I think what might have actually turned a lot of people off was that it had too much plot, and not enough "smashing." I really liked Ang Lee's dramatic take, but it almost played like more of a King Kong remake than a cinematic adaptation of a Marvel comic. Cool, but not really the Hulk.

Consider Spider-Man's movie alterations to the origin of his powers. Instead of a radio-active spider its a genetically engineered spider. One line from the female scientist leading the tour and we know that and can move on. Ditto for the webshooters. Okay they're organic. On with the rest of the story.

Did The Hulk really need 45 minutes before the title character makes an appearance? Did it need scene after scene with extensive exposition about nanotechnology, genetic expirimentation, gamma radiation, and how they intertwine?

Did we need the father stories at all? Were they in any way beneficial to the "definitive" cinematic version of the Hulk? Why not have Bruce and Betty working in a lab, he gets blasted with whatever, Hulk's out and catches the attention of the military?

On one hand I appreciate what they were going for, and even the end result, but it also feels lacking in a way the other recent Marvel movies (X-Men, X2, Spider-Man, DD) weren't.

 

[Silver Moon]

When I saw the title I thought the discussion may have been about Daredevil, Volume #1, Issue #163 by Frank Miller, which was Daredevil vs. the Hulk. That issue started as a joke, as there had been a running joke around Marvel for years about that match up, the punch line being "But what do you do starting on page two?" Miller actually pulled it off (although Daredevil did spend the next issue in a hospital bed).

 

[Kai Lord]

I don't care what anyone says about Daredevil, I LOVED that movie.

Right on, so I guess that makes two of us who'll be picking up the R-rated Director's Cut DVD this April.

http://www.daredevil-movies.com/new...ine=Daredevil DVD — Almost a Whole New Movie?

 

[Chain Lightning]

I actually didn't like either movies. But, I thought "Daredevil" was the lesser of the two evils. "Hulk"...to me... was very bad. The editing gimmick style was so bad it ruined the whole movie. That and the stupid thing with his father at the end.

Daredevil I disliked as well. But it was loads more watchable than Hulk. I didn't like Jen Garner as Electra. I love her in Alias...but everytime I see her, I think southern California girl or mid-west girl. I don't see Greek. Picky? Maybe.....

The major thing is the fights. Especially the one in the bar with the strobing lights. Couldn't see anything. I hate that style of fight filming. And the showdown between him and Bullseye in the church was lame.

My favorite super hero movies are:

-Spiderman, Superman, X-Men 2, and Blade.

My favorite non-super, but comic book movies are:

-Rocketeer, From Hell, Road to Perdition, Men In Black

 

[Dark Jezter]

I'd say Daredevil, although neither movie ranks very high on my list of favorite superhero movies.

My reasons for being disappointed with the Hulk have already been stated in this thread: There was too much plot and not enough smashing.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I voted for The Hulk. I really enjoyed the movie and to me it captured what I feel is the spirit of the hulk. It really seemed like something Peter David would have wrote during his run on the Hulk, which is what I have always looked as the definitive Hulk.

Daredevile was good. Don't get me wrong, but the thing that put me off was the fight scenes felt to short. Especially the final battle between Daredevil and the Kingpin. Hell I think that fight should have waited until Daredevil 2. In general the movie just felt way to rushed to me.

 

[Tanager]

Well, I didn't vote since I haven't seen Daredevil. While it may be prejudiced of me, the idea of Aflek as Matt Murdock just repulses me.

On to the Hulk. I quite enjoyed it, up to the big fight at the end, which just seemed forced to provide a climax to the film. The thing is, you have to remember who the director is. It's an Ang Lee movie, of course it'll be mostly about a father/son conflict, it's the overriding theme of his body of work. As far as the multiple panel/comic book aesthetic goes, I thought it did a great job of compressing time. Allowing Lee to show us multiple less critical scenes without breaking the flow of the narrative.

But then again, I was never a fan of the Hulk in comics. And this seems to be the greatest divide I've seen in terms of this film. People who aren't fans of the comics seemed for the most part to like it, while those who are didn't.