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Daredevil is a 2003 movie directed by Mark Steven Johnson, who also wrote the screenplay. It is based on the Marvel comics character, using predominantly the tone and stories written by Frank Miller.
A spin-off, involving Elektra Natchios, was released in 2005. See Elektra.
Tagline:
He is the man without fear.
Daredevil (film)
Plot
Critical reaction and box office
Directors Cut
Cast
Soundtrack
Trivia
| | Name | Daredevil | | image |  | | Caption | Promotional poster for Daredevil | | Writer | Comic Book:
Stan Lee
Bill Everett | | Starring | Ben Affleck
Jennifer Garner
Michael Cla... | | Director | Mark Steven Johnson | | Producer | Avi Arad
Gary Foster
Arnon Milchan | | Distributor | 20th Century Fox | | Released | February 9 2003 | | Runtime | 103 min.
133 min. (Directors Cut) | | Language | English language | | Amg Id | 1:273845 | | Imdb Id | 0287978 | | Budget | $75,000,000 (estimated) |
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Plot
The film begins with Daredevil, clutching a cross at the top of a church, bleeding. He begins to make his way inside the church, to escape from the police spotlights. He is too injured to continue and collapses. The priest of the church comes along, holds a candle to his face, calling his name. Matt Murdock, the man without fear lies there, telling the story of his life as it flashes before his eyes.
When he was a boy, Matt often got beat up by the local bullies. He would come home to talks from his father, a washed-up boxer who demanded he never fight back, for fear that his son wouldn't amount to anything. Together they live alone albeit happily. One day though, Matt sees his father beating up a stranger, operating as an enforcer for the local mob boss. As Matt runs away, he is trapped as a forklift smashes into radioactive biohazard chemicals that spill into Matt's eyes, blinding him. He cannot see but his other four senses adapt with superhuman sharpness. Now with a form of echolocation he is able to "see" through the soundwaves in a room. His father is later murdered by the mob boss for refusing to throw a fight. The hit is carried out by the future Kingpin. Matt decides to keep a promise to fight evil and avenge his father.
Years later, Murdock works as an attorney in Hell's Kitchen, becoming the vigilante known as Daredevil. He seeks out and punishes those that he cannot catch in the courtroom. He fights crime in solitude, until he meets Elektra (Garner). Murdock warms to Elektra, and they become acquainted with each other. After Elektra's father is killed by the Kingpin's assassin, Bullseye (Farrell), she believes the murderer to be Daredevil, and she seeks him out. Armed with two Sai, she locates him and attacks, beating the reluctant Daredevil. She realizes who Daredevil is behind the mask, and before explanations can be made, Bullseye attacks. A short battle ensues, ending when Bullseye kills Elektra. Daredevil sets out to avenge Elektra's death, fighting Bullseye in the church where he collapsed at the beginning of the film and by throwing him through the church window, where he lands on a cop car. He then brings the fight to the Kingpin, beating him in single combat. Daredevil spares the Kingpin after revealing his secret identity as Matt Murdock. The Kingpin promises him that he will be released from prison eventually and Daredevil's secret won't be safe. After a small bit of credits, Bullseye is shown in a hospital wing, slowly recovering.
Throughout the film, Murdock deals with the moral implications of being a vigilante, and tries to prove that he isn't the villain.
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Critical reaction and box office
The film was regarded as a modest success at the box office, although it did not make as much money as the X-Men and Spider-Man films. While opening strongly and eventually surpassing $100 million in ticket sales, poor word-of-mouth and negative reviews curtailed its momentum. Though the original production was geared towards a darker, more adult film, the success of the then just released Spider-Man prompted Fox to curb the more mature elements and re-envision the film as a summer action vehicle in mid-production.
Fan and critical reactions were mixed at best. Much disapproval was heaped upon Ben Affleck for his performance as Daredevil, whom many fans felt was not right for the role. Besides Ben Affleck, there was mixed fan reaction to the increased budget for CGI effects and retooling of the tone. There was also a small amount of controversy concerning the casting of African American actor Michael Clarke Duncan as the villainous Kingpin, whose traditional comic ethnicity was of Anglo-European descent. Jennifer Garner, who played Elektra, fared better, and gained positive feedback on her first major film role and even won her own spin off, Elektra, but it did poorly at the box office. The highest praise went to Colin Farrell, whose portrayal of the maniacal Bullseye was well received by fans and critics alike.
Daredevil's premise departed from what has been established in the long-running comic book series. In the film, Daredevil is a vigilante who has no problems executing criminals who escape justice (although he changes his ways by the end of the film). In the comic series, Daredevil is a principled individual who believes in upholding the rule of law above all else. His principles in the comics have led to conflicts with other superheroes such as Wolverine and The Punisher, and as his alter ego, lawyer Matt Murdock, he sometimes defends the criminals he catches in court.
A glaring error in the film is the nature of the courtroom trial shown at the beginning. Matt Murdock is a defense lawyer working in a private practice. The film depicts him prosecuting an alleged rapist. This would actually be done by a government prosecutor, not a private attorney, unless it was a civil trial, although this would be inconsistent with many other details in the film.
David Fear of MSN Movies ranks Daredevil as the second worst superhero movie to date, behind Batman & Robin.* Roger Ebert's review rated it favorably compared with other superhero films.*
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Directors Cut
In December 2004, a director's cut of the film was released on DVD. This version added 30 minutes of footage not seen in the original, including an entire subplot involving Murdock defending a murder suspect played by rapper Coolio. It won a large following that was disappointed with the initial theatrical release. Director Mark Steven Johnson has claimed the scenes were cut in favor of a PG-13 rating. When given the job directing Ghost Rider, Johnson has been stated saying, "He won't make the same mistake again."
The following scenes were deleted that were featured in the PG-13 cut of the film:
The confession booth scenes between Father Steven and Matt Murdock.
The love scene between Elektra and Matt Murdock (Ironically, some critics had praised the realism of this scene, in which Matt would follow his desire rather than vacuously fighting crime).
The scene where Elektra and Matt walk through New York and briefly discuss their origins
The look on Elektra's face when Bullseye stabs her.
The scene where Matt is told by Urich how Elektra is a target of the Kingpin, it is replaced with him learning this from a corrupt cop.
The following additions were made:
More scenes involving The Kingpin at his most vicious, at one point killing two of his own bodyguards by breaking their necks in his office.
The final confrontation between Daredevil and The Kingpin is longer and more brutal.
The fight between Elektra and Bullsye is longer and ends with Bullseye giving her a kiss before he throws her onto the roof of the adjacent building.
The first scene where Matt and Foggy talk in the coffee shop is longer.
After the murder of Elektra's father, there is a scene where Foggy is struggling to defend Dante Jackson in court without Matt's help. This scene leads into the reveal that he is at Nachios' funeral.
The fight scene in the playground with Matt and Elektra is longer, and ends with Elektra's bodyguard picking her up.
The scene in the bar where Daredevil takes out the bikers is longer and more violent.
The subplot involving the character of Daunte Jackson, played by Coolio, who is accused of a murder is reintroduced in its entirety with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson defending him.
Matt interrogating a corrupt police officer, played by Jude Ciccolella, by smashing his car in a parking lot.
Matt and Foggy break into the apartment of Lisa Tazio, the murder victim in the Daunte Jackson trial and finding a clue, "8-9 WOW" (initially read as "6-8 MOM").
A late night scene where Foggy is working at the office trying to figure out the clue found in Lisa Tazio's apartment in which Karen Page figures out by flipping the paper upside down and Foggy realizing that the WOW, are the intitals for The Kingpin's assistant, Wesley Owen Welch.
An exchange during the Nachios' party where Foggy and Wesley have a verbal exchange that ends by Foggy saying "What a dick!"
The scene where Bullseye demands his own costume is restored to "I want a fucking costume" as opposed to the theaterical version where he says "I want a bloody costume."
A flashback scene where young Matt is seen with his adopted mother that was featured in the comic books.
A scene where Matt is in church and his surrogate mother is watching him in the back of the church as he talks to Father Steven.
The introduction of Bullseye arriving at the airport and going through a metal detector.
The scene where Matt returns from his battle in the opening of the film, he is seen in his apartment pouring epsom salts into the water of his coffin. As he is about to lay down, he hears noises and sounds from the outside world as far as seeing a woman crawling on the floor and ends by him laying down inside the coffin and the top sealing.
The scene in the morgue with Ben Urich and Kirby is longer in which Foggy ends up calling him on his cell phone and telling him about who murdered his informant from the clue that Matt had found in the murder victim's apartment.
More scenes between Matt and Ben discussing some personal issues.
Near the closing of the film, both Fisk and Wesley are seen locked in their cells, while a badly injured Bullseye is rebuilt in the prison's hospital. It is obvious the character in question is Bullseye since there is a fly buzzing around the room annoying the man in the body cast. Using his good fingers, Bullseye throws a syringe at the fly, impailing it on the wall. The scene with Bullseye was in the original release, however, it played midway through the closing credits as opposed to before the film's end.
During the finale, Daunte Jackson celebrates his acquittal by hugging Foggy on the steps of the courthoust as Matt looks on and the scene shifts with Matt walking by the church where he sees Father Steven after the afternoon mass had ended.
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Cast
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Soundtrack
This list comprises both tracks on the soundtrack CD as well as those that were not included on it.
Performed by Hoobastank (performs courtesy of Island Records)
Written by Shaun Welgemued, Dale Stewart
Performed by Seether (performs courtesy of Wind-up Entertainment, Inc.)
Produced by Jay Baumgardner
Written by Chad Kroeger, Michael Kroeger, Ryan Anthony Peake, Ryan Vikedal
Courtesy of Roadrunner Records
Written by Moby & James Talley
Courtesy of V2 Records, Inc./Mute Ltd.
Written by Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, Gene Elliot Thornton
Performed by N.E.R.D. featuring Lee Harvey and Vita
Courtesy of Virgin Records America, Inc.
Under license from EMI Film & TV Music
Written by Ali Theodore and Vincent Alfieri
Performed by Dara Shindler
Courtesy of Deetown Entertainment
"Top o' the Morning to Ya"
Written by Leor Olmant, Willie Dixon, Erik Schrody, Danny O'Conner
Courtesy of Rhino Entertainment Company, by arrangement with Warner Special Products
Contains a sample of "I Ain't Superstitious"
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Written by Nathan Gray, Chad Istvan, Josh Latshow, Matt Krupanski, Rob Avery
Courtesy of Wind-Up Entertainment, Inc.
Written by Ali Theodore & Lordikim Allah
Courtesy of Deetown Entertainment
Written by Aaron Kamin and Alex Band
Produced by Marc Tanner, Aaron Kamin and Alex Band
The Calling performs courtesy of The RCA Records Label
Courtesy of FirstCom Music, Inc.
Written by John Parricelli
Courtesy of FirstCom Music, Inc.
Written by John Parricelli
Courtesy of FirstCom Music, Inc.
Written by Rob Zombie, C.J. Pierce, Stevie Benton and Mike Luce
Performed by Drowning Pool (performs courtesy of Wind-up Entertainment, Inc.) featuring Rob Zombie (performs courtesy of Geffen Records)
Produced by Scott Humphrey
Written by Amy Lee and Ben Moody
String Arrangement by Graeme Revell
Courtesy of Wind-up Entertainment, Inc.
Written by Marcos, William Hughes, Vito Tisdale, Ron Wilson, Melvin Adams, Brian Scott
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody and David Hodges
Courtesy of Wind-up Entertainment, Inc.
Written by Josey Scott, Chris D'Abaldo, Wayne Swinney, David Novotny, Paul Crosby and Bob Marlette
Courtesy of Island Records
Performed by Fuel (performs courtesy of Epic Records)
Produced by Michael Beinhorn
Written by Robert Davis, Nathaniel Cox, Justin Holman and Robert Thielman
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
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Trivia
Due to the regularity of the film's excessive violent scenes, Daredevil was banned in Malaysia. 20th Century Fox had appealed to Malaysia's censorship board to change its decision, hoping that Daredevil would be due for release in Malaysia on 27 February.
Stan Lee, Daredevil's co-creator, makes a cameo appearance in the movie when he is stopped by young and blind Matt Murdock from walking in front of a speeding car.
In the scene with Matt Murdock's father, Jack Murdock, fighting, the sign outside the arena reads "Jack 'the Devil' Murdock vs. John Romita." John Romita was an artist in the 1960s who worked on the Daredevil comic books.
Also in the boxing sequence, Jack Murdock is talking to Fallon, who orders Jack to lose. During the conversation, Fallon lists all of his fighters, whose names are "Miller...Mack...Bendis". This is a reference to some of the Daredevil comics writers: Frank Miller, David Mack and Brian Michael Bendis.
The character Jose Quesada's name is a reference to Marvel's editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada, who also did the artwork for a Daredevil storyline written by famous director Kevin Smith, who makes a cameo in the movie as the morgue worker Kirby, which is a reference to comic book legend Jack Kirby. Also referred to only in dialogue is Mr. Lee, another reference to Stan Lee.
The character Father Everett's name is a reference to co-creator Bill Everett
Colin Farrell was originally considered for the role of Daredevil/Matt Murdock, while Ben Affleck was originally considered for the role of Bullseye.
When Bullseye is first introduced in the film in a pub, the Irish-American hip hop group House of Pain's song "Top o' the mornin' to ya" is playing.
Frank Miller appears in the movie as a man with a pen through his head, from whom Bullseye steals a motorcycle. He is listed in the credits as "Man with pen through head".
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