Daredevil Season 1 Review

This is what we should’ve seen in the theatres over ten years ago!  First of all, I have to applaud whosever decision it was to stick to the original content.  As a retelling of the same story, this is a captivating adaptation.  With all of the reboots and recent writers adding their own variations (which isn’t always bad, like the Spider-Man movie serieses or hopefully the reports of the ape-shit story for the new Fantastic Four piece… we will see…).  Keeping most of the same stuff and undertones from the Ben Affleck Daredevil, the Netflix series is more than a departure from the notoriously tawdry version.  This turn is a stronger Daredevil universe on all levels.

The show gives off a "Batman: Year One" feeling, spanning from Matt Murdock’s first attempts at becoming an avenger of the night, forming the familiar stages of the man without fear.  I had imagined the show would reveal a little more of how they would fold it into the other factions of the MCU.  Unlike the popular DC shows (Arrow, Gotham and Flash [even contrasting the Marvel Films) Daredevil and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seems content on dropping very subtle hints, Easter eggs, or teases, connecting them to past and future projects.  Sometimes, while I watched DD, I yearned for more and in other instances I enjoyed the idea, catching an obscure or subdued reference that most wouldn’t.  Either way, I like how this show does it compared to the Arrow where it seems the whole entire DC Universe is introduced and revolves around Oliver the protagonist, better than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. who has a large pool of hero-star power potential and doesn’t use it…  If it fell short of any, it would be of Flash and Gotham, the shows make me crave, encouraging me to tune in every week, seeing which or how each character/callback will be brought to life.

For several, uncountable reasons the cast is superb.  Vincent D'onofrio performs the Kingpin role with gripping fortitude.  Around half way through the season, a lonely scared boy trapped inside a monster is brought to the forefront.  The viewer witnesses flashes of Wilson Fisk’s background, a tasteful, sophisticated darkness as he becomes the most prolific crime boss of Hell’s Kitchen.  His deliveries are sometimes choppy, like he’s still battling a weird nervousness, plus he gives some over the top super-villain lines (I assume most of it intentional, lending to the sociopath side of the character). His assistant James Welsey is an equally gravitating baddie.

The unpredicted, undeniable gem is Elden Henson, as Foggy Nelson.  His fabulous chemistry with what seems to be everybody.  He owns this clever, happy-go-lucky sidekick bit (making me at times wish he were the focus.  It is all you could ask for in a supporting, sidekick friend).  He executed brilliant comic relief, but it made his serious moments ever so slightly awkward (that, my friend, was a nitpick).  “Foggy Bear” has come a long way from skating for the Mighty Ducks.

Nelson & Murdock’s first client and obvious soon to become assistant/secretary Deborah Ann Woll kicks booty as Karen Page.  The ravishing damsel in distress, or glue that holds the whole home base together, she definitely doesn’t shy away from the action.  As per usual for these roles, she finds herself in an incredible amount of danger, handling it with surprisingly crafted grace.  Janine Melnitz would be proud. 

Oddly, if I had to choose a weakest major cast member (using this term lightly) it would be DD himself.  Charlie Cox certainly isn't bad, but a cynical, secret-keeping, morals twisting in the wind character… that is blind, is a hard road to tow.  He nails about 75% of it but I feel occasionally lacks in the emotional range.   Between the civilian/lawyer by day portions, the courageous hero portions or the defeated, pained, humble portions, the writing and the follow through need to be kicked up a notch.  I would even have to say that I connected more with the young Matt Murdock, Cox’s child counterpart.

Some time before the release on Netflix I saw a “leaked” picture (hail Hydra) of the newest DD suit.  Until then all the trailers and marketing only showed the old Frank Miller black one, giving no hint otherwise.  There were many comments questioning its source or validity… but during only the second episode, Matt mentions his costume is as a “work in progress.”  I knew that moment that by the end of the season they were either going to tease or reveal the iconic, horned devil version (the one that I had stumbled upon earlier) in action.  There’s no telling what reaction it would get making the original outfit permanent, but the black and red suit is a fresh live-action take on a classic.

In attempt to make this a “dark” extension of the cinematic universe, Nolan’s trilogy had established most of this same territory, and the “punch people in the face then interrogate them technique” is fluent through both.  (BTW, I often hear people reference Nolan’s as the darkest or pioneering in that area of comic book movie universes.  Ones that don’t get brought up enough and ones that I enjoyed a great deal [most specifically the first and second] are the Blade flicks.  Even the ooold school [1989] Punisher, I know they’re not as popular or current but I like to give credit where credit is due).

The fight scenes are well choreographed, especially the “one shot” scene with the Russians.  The rotating camera sequences along with slow-mo are utilized just the right amount.  This show better resembles a light “R” rating, which doesn’t affect my judgment, but makes me think of all the people yammering on about how they wouldn’t attend a “PG-13” tagged Deadpool movie.  Daredevil is the first of Netflix’s Marvel series with Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist on the way, then a mash up of the four in the Defenders crossover. This is a good start, keep it going.

I give this a six and a half out of a possible ten Shazams.

Those are my thoughts, feel free to comment below

C.J. Foxx 

Author of Super-Hero Bowl VI
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