*** Official "DAREDEVIL" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Joshua_Y]

The only part I had a problem with was Affleck and Garner's little "dance" in the park.

Really? Thats one of my favorite scenes. Fun scene. Their both just havin a ball.

 

[Ryan_C]

That was my only grip with the movie as well. I was under the impression that DD and Elektra didn't have superpowers either (didn't read the comics), yet they are both jumping around the rooftops like they do.

 

[Brian]

Daredevil and Elektra can jump around on buildings because that's what they did in the comic books. There is no physical explanation. You either accept this, or you don't. I believe this is the point Ebert was trying to get across on his show.

I've recently finished reading Daredevel: Visionaries vol 2 and 3 (the Frank Miller volumes) and several of the scenes were straight from the book -- angle for angle, and line for line. The opening and last shots of the movie are straight from the Kevin Smith run (see the covers of #1 and #3). This movie tried very hard to stay authentic to the comic book.

As for my opinion on the movie, my initial reaction was that it was good, not great, but the movie version is never as good as the book. I didn't think it was too short, but I am anxiously awaiting an extended DVD cut.

The CGI was poor, but not as bad as Spider-man. I knew from the trailers that this was a wire-fu movie, so that didn't bug me. I do wish they had done more real fighting, and less CGI, especially during the organ fight. I've seen similar action done with real people in Hong Kong movies, so I wonder if it was a matter of skill, or time constraints.

As for Bullseye's costume, he wears a bright blue jumpsuit. Can you imagine how this would look on film? I would be hilarious.

-B

 

[Chris Moe]

Daredevil and Elektra can jump around on buildings because that's what they did in the comic books. There is no physical explanation. You either accept this, or you don't. I believe this is the point Ebert was trying to get across on his show.

Thats all fine and dandy and I don't fault the movie because of this. But my original question was concerning Daredevil. I can accept that Elektra and Bullseye can jump somewhat higher then a normal human but is it ever explained in the comic books how Daredevil can do some of the stuff that he does. Again I don't fault the movie because of his abilities I am just curious if there is an explanation (according to Eberts online review there is). I was a big comic book fan back in the day but Daredevil was one that I never read.

 

[Andy Sheets]

As for Bullseye's costume, he wears a bright blue jumpsuit. Can you imagine how this would look on film? I would be hilarious.

About as hilarious as Daredevil's bright red jumpsuit?

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Scott Weinberg said:

No disrespect to the guy, but he's got the 'visual' skills of a cactus.

I agree, although he's shown improvement in Dogman and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. If you'll take the time to listen to the commentary on Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith will even admit that he uses a lot of stationary shots.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Perhaps Stick (Daredevil's sensei from the comics) is from the clan from Wudan mountain of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and showed DD how to at least jump as well as the Michelle Yeoh character did in that film.

I did not like the added leaping ability for DD either, but it gives the audience that added level of super-heroics and athleticism. I'd rather them use a combination of swinging from his billy clubs and using "Jackie Chan"-like moves to scale buildings by bouncing off adjacent walls 90 degrees apart.

 

[Joshua_Y]

I agree, although he's shown improvement in Dogman and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. If you'll take the time to listen to the commentary on Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith will even admit that he uses a lot of stationary shots.

I think Kev's got it in him. He hasnt really had the chance yet to expand visually. His films are more dialogue driven, but I think if he wanted to, he could make a dandy of a visual film.

 

[Joshua_Y]

You guys wanna see somethin really cool?



Look in the background. Cool hunh? Someone said that thats not the angle in the actual film, but that Matt looks to his right and smiles, so....

I'm gonna see it for my 4th time today and check out if she's there.

 

[Ryan_C]

If that's a true image in the movie, then that is cool as hell. I don't remember exactly what angle was used in the movie, but I do remember Matt looking away (possibly to the right?) and smiling. I just took it as he knew she was alive from the braille necklace, and just did one of those "look away smiles/I can't believe it" things. But if she was on top of the building, that smile makes a WHOLE lot more sense.

 

[Chucky P]

I thought the movie great. It was a very dark, visually and metaphorically, but also a very fun film.

I have comments and questions.

1. I thought Colin Farrell stole the show with his cheesy performance as Bullseye. It reminded me of Benicio Del Toro’s show stealing performance in The Usual Suspects. I have a question about Bullseye. Is he Irish (love the House of Pain music for his introduction) in the comics or did they change that when they hired Farrell because I think it fits him nicely for obvious reasons.
2. What was the website Kevin Smith was looking at when we first see him with his back to the camera?
3. At the end of the fight with Kingpin, Affleck’s hair was wet and he looked like Paul Rudd.

Also I like to add that Smith himself said he wouldn’t try to direct a comic book movie because he thinks he lacks he visual flair.

 

[Joshua_Y]

Well, I just got back from my 4th showing and she's there! To the extreme left and maybe only for a second, but I saw her. Its cool how Matt looks over his shoulder and smiles at her.

 

[ThomasC]

Well, I just got back from my 4th showing and she's there! To the extreme left and maybe only for a second, but I saw her. Its cool how Matt looks over his shoulder and smiles at her.

GAA!!! I have to see this again to see Elektra. But only the 2nd time for me...

 

[Joshua_Y]

A word of advice: Ya gotta be really quick, it goes by fast. I'm pretty sure it was her, or maybe a couple of poles crossed, but I coulda swore it was her. Damn it! I need the DVD!

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Its cool how Matt looks over his shoulder and smiles at her.

Um...

Matt's blind.

Unless of course the braille on the pendant reads "turn your head to the right and smile"...

... or if she was yelling at him from the rooftop.

Seriously though, the image of Elektra in the backgroud is pretty interesting, although it would have been nicer if the producers/writers/directors/actors/caterers/pizza guy had given us a more definitive answer as to her fate.

Moe.

 

[Joshua_Y]

Unless of course the braille on the pendant reads "turn your head to the right and smile"...

Uhhh....opps....

The braile on the pendant reading Turn right makes sense.

 

[Vlad D]

While I enjoyed the movie, I was a bit dissapointed overall. I had a probelm with the pace of the movie and felt it dragged in many places. Also, the Kingpin is a great character and I felt that they didn't showcase him enough.

putting up a bigger fight with Daredevil. I mean, c'mon, two kicks to the knee? I don't get it. If we can make concessions to the existence of superheros, why not supervillains? Kingpin's not a fighter, but he's at least supposed to be superstrong.

Regarding the Kingpin's strength and abilities, I got the following off a Marvel fan site.

Strength Level: The Kingpin possesses the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise. The Kingpin is virtually as strong as it is possible for a man of his age, height, and weight to be without having superhuman powers. His great bulk does not consist of fat but of muscles that have been developed to enormous size, as in a sumo wrestler. The Kingpin can lift (press) approximately 650 pounds.

Known Superhuman Powers: None

Abilities: The Kingpin has extraordinary skill in hand-to-hand combat. His fighting skills and unusual agility for a man of his size compensate for the great difference between his human level of strength and Spider-Man's superhuman strength when the two engage in unarmed combat, (Spider-Man also has inhibitions about using his full strength against an opponent without superhuman powers for fear of killing him or her.)

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Nevermind. :b

 

[Joshua_Y]

2. What was the website Kevin Smith was looking at when we first see him with his back to the camera?

It was something like Morgue...somethin. And Smith is typing something to the effect of: "I will slap you around like a three year old corpse...."

 

[Joshua_Y]

The folks behind "Daredevil" were thinking of sequels long before it topped the box office.

The "Daredevil" Marvel Comics series is rich with material about the Hell's Kitchen hero and his love/hate relationship with Elektra, who has spun off into stories of her own and may do the same on the big screen.

"Elektra and Wolverine is so interesting, [as well as] Elektra and the Order of the Hand, when she became a ninja," said Jennifer Garner, who plays the ninja assassin opposite Ben Affleck in the current hit flick.

"Daredevil" writer/director Mark Stephen Johnson said he may ask filmmaker Kevin Smith ("Clerks") to adapt his own brief run as a writer for the "Daredevil" comic into a screenplay, or Johnson may work from comic legend Frank Miller's gritty Elektra "Resurrection" story.

"Elektra is such a dark character," Garner observed. "If you read especially the [Frank Miller] comic books and even after that, she is dark. She just gets darker and darker. I mean, the chick visits her own grave — it's not normal. [In the current movie], this is the time where she is falling in love, so there is kind of this romantic overtone, and there is kind of a sweetness and tenderness that you wouldn't normally associate with Elektra. I love that about her. I love that in this movie you get to see kind of the duality of her."

Another thing Garner enjoys about playing Elektra is exploring a different set of fighting skills than the ones she regularly employs as Sydney Bristow on TV's "Alias" — like using Elektra's two small swords. "It's definitely different to fight with a weapon. It immediately takes it up a notch, because if you screw up [it's more serious]. In 'Alias,' if I'm about to throw a punch, it's much easier to stop that than a weapon that's already halfway through the air, or halfway down your body.

"And also, Elektra is out for blood," she continued. "Sydney fights because she has to. She's either defending herself or she's getting rid of someone in order to go and get what she needs. And that's a huge difference in the way you approach a fight. I mean, Elektra, other than that playground fight, which is a flirtation and a courtship, Elektra is just ready to take anybody down. She's looking for it. I felt that the fights on the rooftop with Ben and with Colin [Farrell] were much grittier. They had much more kind of vengeance in them and looking for the end result to be death."

As big of a fan of Elektra's comic book exploits as Garner has become, there are still a few things she would rather not explore in an "Elektra" solo movie — namely, Elektra's stint as a prostitute.

"When she's an assassin for hire, that's one thing," the actress joked. "When she's, like, an assassin for hire, that's another!"

Cool! Utter sweetness! It would be awesome for Smith to write a script for DD. Its great to see actors who are so passionate about their characters. I'm so happy that DD is doing so well and that we're gonna get these two movies. So cool...