It was back in 2003 when a petty Kingpin thug looked up to the crimson masked Ben Affleck asking what he wanted. His response was a simple word; “justice”. Something all fans unanimously agreed the Daredevil character did not get in his big screen outing. Ben Affleck actually made a decent effort and a good Matt Murdock but the story, the overly CG effects, the needless character shove ins were an unfortunate product of that more misguided Marvel film era. Maybe those behind it were blind too? They could only hear the cash register ringing as they attempted to bleed success from Sami Sami’s Spiderman films. Either way, that’s the last we would see of everybody’s favourite visually impaired crime fighter for quite some time. An ongoing Fox reboot project and even the subject of reported back ally deals for character rights for some time before eventually the contract clause deadline timed out; and like his more recent web slinging pal, Hell’s Kitchen’s finest found his way back into the loving and respectful arms of Marvel. Not only did they welcome his return but they’ve even made him the flagship character in their new potentially game changing venture with Netflix; Marvel’s first outsourcing within the MCU. Jessica Jones, Like Cage and Iron First will later be following suit (before all forming together as The Defenders) but for now it’s time to step into the ring and dance with the devil.
Into The Ring – The Blind lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen New York, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox – Stardust, The Theory of Everything), is starting up his own law practice with close friend Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson – Idle Hands, The Butterfly Effect) by day, while starting a new life as masked vigilante prowling the streets by night.
Right from the start, developer Drew Goddard makes it clear he knows what the hell he’s doing as Daredevil completely dodges the origins story bullet. A great opening scene shows the young Matty suffering his chemical induced blinding from the perspective of his father rushing into the scene and that’s it. Save a brief knockout memory, this opening episode does not spent all its run time explaining Matt’s powers. Instead, implications are made simply and effectively to his heightened senses; thankfully with no over the top CG holographic required. Soft touches like hearing a gun cock behind him or bringing a heartbeat into the audio when human lie detector mode are in effect. There’s even very little pandering to justify his heroic motivation or overplay his relationship with his now deceased boxer-father. An early confessional monologue gives a few details but in great context to establishing Matt himself, sourcing his relentless attitude, “letting the devil out fighting” from his old man. Instead it’s implied this will be built up slowly over flashbacks throughout the series. While the episode does not expand on Matt’s desire to mask up for justice, it does effectively sell the need for him in his criminal flourishing neighbourhood, and does so with one of the best MCU links ever! This is the idea that many criminals have financially profited from 2012s' battle of New York in the Avengers by securing lucrative contracts for rebuilding the city. One boss even welcomes the idea of Matt on the streets; “Heroes and their consequences are why we have our current opportunities”. The wider examination of heroic actions becomes a fascinating subtle theme to the episode brilliantly showcased in the concluding montage. Although Matt saved one life, we see clips of several others having “convenient accidents” following the aftermath cleanup by The Kingpin’s right hand man Wesley. This is a fantastic opening statement form a show willing to delve into deeper themes than just good VS evil.
Then there’s the action. In the run up interviews, those involved were calling the show on of the most stunt-heavy of all time and they may well have a point. This episode alone has several great close and gritty fights as a black-masked Matt takes on various goons. It’s a fast flurry and frequently carried out in lengthy exchange combos from wide angles imply some rigorous choreography. This even puts the skilful likes of Arrow in its place for high quality close combat. The locations are utilised well from the claustrophobia of shipping containers to a rain soaked showdown. It uses its 15-rating to let these exchanges be bloody where appropriate and we even get some good old fashioned eye gauging action.
Though Daredevil is not all grit and hit, it’s got a lot of great humour and lighter material in it too. Most of this comes courtesy of Henson’s Foggy Nelson on comic relief duties, and he doesn’t disappoint. From his state the obvious descriptions of events to his blind partner or his more financially motivated ethics, he balances out the heavier material perfectly by taking the edge of many situations. He’s at his best being a little too cocky in the face of stern opposition. The episode’s main story also centers on introducing the series leading lady in Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page by being Matt & Foggy’s first ever client. The True Blood fan-favorite makes a great edition and in her more central role gets to really show what she can do dramatically from her traumatised murder scene intro to more tender moments with Matt in his apartment. Though the real star here is Charlie Cox; from the start he takes the dramatic material by the horns and carves the screen up with it as he balances to composure of Matt Murdock with the aggressive of Daredevil. He’s instantly likeable whether playing the blind card or not ,and feels like a character we want to journey with through this year one like series (Based Frank Miller’s “The Man Without Fear” story run). Going from his black “Dread Pirate Roberts” getup to the full blown man in red.
If this episode was a mission statement for the entire Marvel/Netflix venture, it’s a surefire success. A show the offers appeal for comics/genre fans and newcomers alike (though some may need a little explanation) that will finally give a great character the on screen portrayal he deserves. While we still need to see what direction the series will take, it’s stepped out fearlessly. Watch it all in one go..... I dare you!