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[IMAGE: 'Daredevil' DVD, Region 2] DAREDEVIL (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Hacktors: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell

Head Count: Rating: four out of five

Tag-line: Nothing D-finitive, but the street posters which preceded the release did proclaim that 'D-Day Is Coming'. Wooooo.

Death Toll: Six, but the reported demise of one of these may be greatly exaggerated.

Cutting Remarks: You just knew 'Daredevil' was coming at ya from a whole different angle from 'Spider-Man', 'X-Men' and 'Hulk', when the toy counter at your local Woolworth's wasn't stacked with all manner of garish pre-release DD merchandise. There was no hype to believe: Marvel Comics' 'second division Spiderman' just arrived with a quiet strength and dignity. And lots of shadows.
         For those of you who came in late, the hornheaded vigilante received his 'powers' when he was a child, following an accident where he got splattered with toxic chemicals. Typically. And, young Matt Murdock wakes, with eyes bandaged in a hospital room, only to disturbingly discover he is blind, yet, his other senses have been boosted to a phenomenal degree. Popularly known as, his 'radar sense'. After his boxer father is bumped off for not throwing a fight, Matt trains his body to its physical peak and vows to kick evilıs butt.
         'Daredevil' the movie, is, well, fantastic. From the pulse-pounding action sequences (thankfully limited in its whoring of CGI), to the ear-pounding and prominent rock soundtrack. And whatever your preconception of Ben 'Wooden' Affleck, he plays the gritty Hell's Kitchen stalking superhero with pure fanboy passion and conviction. Itıs the Batman film you always prayed for, while, its noir style is nearer to 'The Crow' than it is, say, the bombastic eye candy of 'Spider-Man'. A film with heart. A heart that gets ripped out, pummelled and unceremoniously stomped on; just watching Matt return home with a bruised and battered body, munching on painkillers and spitting out molars, while listening to his girlfriend break up with him on the answerphone, would verify this. This superhero knows pain.
         Go buy it. I dare ya.

Most Memorable Demise: DD's bird Elektra (Jennifer Garner) getting painfully perforated by assassin Bullseye (Colin Farrell), with her own fancy-schmancy Martial Arts blade.

Look Out For: An early scene where Daredevil mercilessly hurls a slimeball rapist into the path of an oncoming subway train, only to later be carried away by medics on two separate stretchers. Laugh? He was beside himself.

Killer Quote: "I want a bloody costume" - Bullseye suffering from comic book fashion-envy, as his own wardrobe is strictly sub-'Matrix'.

DVD Details: Ooh. Glorious. Everything and more. Featurettes. Trailers. Two audio commentaries. Two discs. Music vids. Kitchen sinks. But, most important, the scene infuriatingly cut from Brit cinemas, where Elektra has her own knife hurled back at her after Bullseye catches it. At the cinema, she gasps and turns away from us, and youıre like, what happened? Did she catch it? What the fuck? Cos, next thing sheıs back in full-on combat mode. But here, it reveals that the blade shot like a missile through the palm of her hand, to which, she agonisingly pulls it out. Nice. And. Slow.

UK Release Date: July 14, 2003.

Review by: Ray Zell

[Check it out at Amazon UK] [Check it out at Amazon US]

UPDATE May 2005: You can now buy the Daredevil Director's Cut at Amazon UK or Amazon US.

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