Okay, so I am not a Marvel Studios guy. But, I enjoy certain characters. The original film of Daredevil didn't turn me off completely to the character as there were a lot of things I enjoyed about the film as a kid and even today (such as Micheal Clark Duncan's preformance as Kingpin). So, I watched the series over the weekend while studying for my next exam for some ambient noise. And, I enjoyed the series as a whole. Here are some thoughts on each of the aspects:
Matt Murdock/Daredevil:
So far I see a lot of praise for Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock aka Daredevil. And, I understand some of the love, and the at the same time find there to be a little too much, bordering over rated. The preformance was good, but I wouldn't go ahead to say "where the hell has Charlie Cox been all this time". Again, I enjoyed the preformance, but not to the same degree as some. The character is a different story. I like the character of Daredevil, and I love the concept. A blind man with super senses that fights crime. The problem: there were too many times where I forgot he was supposed to be blind. I understand all the senses and everything make up for it, but he dodges too many hits from people when fighting multiple guys (I'm not saying they make him invincible because it was apparent that he wasn't and could get hurt). Also, I remember he was once able to sense multiple items in a warehouse. He specifically called out two road flares. I can understand if he said "yeah, there are some road flares" but he specifically called out the exact amount there were). He is blind. It is okay for him to not be able to sense everything at once. Also, and this is more due to righting, the character didn't seem as fleshed out. They did a great job explaining his home life and such, but there were a few things I didn't like. Such as how Foggy says "you always get the hot girls" but we almost never see him with a girl or being a ladies man. We see him flirt with Karen and Claire, but other than those two, it seem's like Foggy is hyping him up. Again, it's a problem I have with the writing, where a few times they tell but don't show, so I won't hold the character accountable for that. Overall, liked but didn't love the preformance, and liked but didn't love the character. Oh, and the costume was fine, I liked the black one a lot more though.
Wilson Fisk/Kingpin:
FINALLY, MARVEL DOES A VILLAIN RIGHT! No, I am not talking about Kingpin, I am talking about Wesley, that guy was awesome, the real show stealer. As for Wilson Fisk, I enjoyed him. Vincent D'Onofrio did a great job potraying the character, I really enjoyed his performance. The character was actually well developed as well, with them showing his homelife and what caused him to turn into the man he is today. They humanized him, and made him a little bit childish at times. Such as when he would throw temper tantrums, he seemed weaker, and thus more relateable. I just wished that they would have shown his actual rise to power. They showed why he wants to save the city, but like Daredevil they left out some things, such as how he actually gained all of his influence on crime. They didn't even say it, which makes me think their saving it for a big reveal, but still, a criticism. And perhaps they made him a bit to entempered? I mean, this guy is a crime lord that can't take criticism without breaking a table, while at other times he seems calm about everything. I really don't know which he was supposed to be.
Supporting Cast:
Again, James Wesley is a BOSS! My favorite character on the show; Toby Moore did an amazing job. As for the rest, they were adequate. Foggy Nelson was basically this show's Tommy Merlyn, beat for beat, except without dying. I wasn't completely irritated by him. Karen Page was a good character, a bit of a tease, but still; she was well acted, and was actually a strong female character. The same goes for Claire Temple, who I felt was underused. She was a strong presence in three or four episodes, then disappeared completely, then came back for a cameo only to leave again. I didn't like that very much. Ben Urich pretty much fufilled his Marvel cliche. This show got away from a few, but couldn't detach itself from the "kill someone close to the main character to inspire him to take action" cliche, him and Elena Cardenas both went through their roles. Stick was cool, liked him a lot, and I can't wait for him to come back for Season 2; Jack Murdock was cool, fufilled his role as Daredevil's "daddy"; and finnally, the preist was okay. Overall, a decent supporting cast. Bonus points for no overly pretensious Stan Lee cameo (at least not a speaking/acting one).
Tone/Writing:
The tone was good, but perhaps a little too dark? Let me elaborate: I like things that are dark. I understand that Daredevil is a dark character. BUT, this is supposed to exist in the same world as the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and it seems completely different. So, when I say 'too dark' I mean confusing. I liked it, but seriously, if it weren't for the references to the Marvel Universe, I wouldn't have thought it was part of the Marvel Universe. The fight scenes were also good. A little too polished at times, but that wasn't as much of a problem for me as the writing was: too much telling, not enough showing. I remember the begining of Episode 2 with Daredevil in a dumpster about to die. We never saw the fight. I was a little lost admittedly, and I wish they had shown it. They did this a couple times, not a lot, but enough for me to notice. As well as them just saying what the characters are instead of showing them doing it. I know there has to be a little mystery, but Jesus, too much is not a good thing, and the show was on the verge of not saying enough.
Final Thoughts:
A good show, I really enjoyed watching it. There was a bit lacking, but not enough to make me say this show isn't worth the watch. Up there with my favorite installments of the MCU. Is it my favorite origin story? No, but Top 5. Overall, if I had to rate it formally, I'd say a 7.5 out of 10 as a whole TV series. Keep doing you Marvel.
So, what do you think? Agree, disagree, thoughts? Comment Bellow! And if you like what you read, show some love and hit the red thumb. Peace Out.