I hate to say it, but "Spider-Man" spoiled me. It was smart, funny, and thrilling. "Daredevil" is smart, not as funny, and certainly not as thrilling. But I love Super Hero movies! So what if "Daredevil" is not as good - overall. It does have its moments and it will have its fans. It’s more somber and darker but it’s also a lot edgier.

In "Spider-Man", Peter Parker is a young kid bitten by a genetically altered arachnid (I love using that word instead of Spider!) who is learning to use his newfound powers. He loves them like kids love bikes and skates. They are confidence builders. Matt Murdock gets his powers through a fluke accident and bio hazard material to the face. His audio and olfactory senses are heightened. His motor skills are speeded up and he is blinded. Yet, he can see. Sort of. He can perceive the outline of images from the fluctuation of sound waves when two surfaces come in contact. This really works well when it rains. The city lights up in deep metallic-like images. Matt can also attest to the beauty of the woman he loves during a downpour.

As a kid he never has as much fun as Peter Parker. His reason for developing his abilities is not to have fun but to get even. He and Spidey, in each of their worlds, are after the bad guys. Spidey does it because he is a good guy - an A student looking for a career. The career found him and he hopes to make the most of it. He’s a super hero - and - a news photographer. But he will stay within the law. Not Daredevil. He is out for revenge. He will do anything to find the man who killed his father even if it means breaking the law to do it - but only in the interests of justice. He becomes an accomplished lawyer who has seen justice thwarted by the law. When the law fails, Daredevil takes over. He keeps telling himself he’s one of the good guys, but he hasn’t quite convinced himself. This gives "Daredevil" its moral center and sets it apart from "Spider-Man." "Daredevil" progressively begins to feel more like Tim Burton’s"Batman" (1989) in mood and temperament. The irony is that the Daredevil has traits of a bat.

Plot wise, "Daredevil" follows a strain similar to "Batman." Matt Murdock witnesses - if that’s the right word - the death of his father (Brian Keith) after he redeems himself in the fight ring. Matt’s only clue to the killer’s identity is the fragrance of a rose left near his father’s body. We find out who the bad guy is pretty fast but not Matt. Before he does, we meet his law partner, played with a sense of fun by John Favreau; Elektra Natchios - the woman with whom he falls in love who can match him blow for blow in a street fight; Ben Urich - the reporter who writes about the masked avenger and crime fighter who scales the roof tops and lurks in the alleys of New York’s Hell’s Kitchen; Bullseye - the arch villain played with gleeful abandon by Colin Farrell; and Kingpin - Michael Clarke Duncan with his bigger than life presence. I would be remiss not to mention the convincing Scott Terra as the young Matt Murdock who sets the tone for the adult Ben Affleck to emulate. Every super hero/crime fighter from Zorro to Batman has a trustworthy aide they can go to in their moment of need in the guise of a manservant - butler - or something-or-other. Daredevil has a Greek catholic priest (John Bakas) who is both confidante and confessor. It’s a heady mix that more often than not gets it right.

Copyright 2003

"Adventures of Captain Marvel" (1941) - All I have to say about this is "Shazam."

"Captain America" (1944)

"The Batman" (1943)

"Barman and Robin" (1949)

"The Adventures of Superman" (1948) - Kirk Allyn plays the Man of Steel, not George Reeves from the TV series