Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

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Overall rating
 
9.4
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8.0
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10.0
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9.0
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10.0
I'm only knocking the A/V due to the unavailability of an HD version, but for a DVD release, it's a 10.

I'm not going to apologize, but Daredevil was always a guilty pleasure movie for me. It was one of the first of the golden age of comic book films that actually showed the main character make each day a physical struggle. You can see a lot of pieces that were used in better films like The Dark Knight with a protagonist that gets hurt but keeps pushing forward. That said, it's a guilty pleasure for a reason. The script is weak and the direction is a mess.

Thankfully, Uncanny Antman has delivered with an exceptional edit that rearranges the narrative in surprisingly effective ways. If you hate Daredevil, this may not turn the tide, but it's certainly far more interesting (especially if you have yet to see the Director's Cut).

Starting right from the beginning, losing the narration lets the images speak for themselves and expects a bit more from the audience. The story is there, but it doesn't spoon-feed what the characters are thinking, which is nice. Also, keeping the music period to the 80s in the origin story is key. The Theatrical Cut always felt messy because of the constant barrage of current music. This cut widens it, not worried about selling a soundtrack CD.

The opening title sequence is the biggest nail in the coffin of the theatrical version. Uncanny Antman's new sequence is amazing and does so much with such a little amount of time that brings the viewer into the present, while not short-changing Matt's training and his mission over a long period of time. Amazingly well-crafted and utterly professional that is miles above the insipid original titles.

Cutting down Quesada substantially is also a stroke of genius. We only see him in the biker bar and Daredevil beats him and his goons down without saying a word. No stupid lines about justice or giving the devil his due. Just a hard-hitting beatdown. Also, Uncanny Antman THANKFULLY removes the shot of Daredevil stopping mid-fight to "watch" bullets wizzing by through one of the worst uses of the CGI for super-hearing. Daredevil doesn't kill anybody this time around, but they're surely heading to the hospital.

The only weak link in the chain is in Elektra. Unfortunately, by removing the playground fight completely, it feels like there is a piece of the story missing. It truly sticks out that we don't see Matt use his charms at all on Elektra. We see her act coldly to Matt in the coffee shop. Then the next time we see her, she's on the rooftop in a romantic scene with Matt. It's an A to C moment that is a bit jarring. We also never see that she actually is a bit of a fighter. I would love to have seen just a tiny bit of the beginning of the playground fight, that ends the scene at Matt saying, "You sure you don't want to tell me your name?" and before all the crazy flipping around and terrible score kicks in. It's too bad that Elektra takes off her jacket because it creates a continuity error to use the bookend of the Director's Cut sequence when Elektra's bodyguards show up, which would have helped wrap the scene.

Despite my misgivings about Elektra's story, which is truly hindered by the original film that Uncanny Antman worked from, everybody else's story and performance is boosted by removing extraneous comedy and melodrama. It's a wonderful domino effect that leads into major moments of the ending being removed entirely. At first, it felt like it may have removed too much, but watching it a second time and unburdening myself from the original film's structure, I realized that the indeed the church fight and Ben Urich learning the truth about Daredevil are truly unneeded. Urich still has an arc because he's the tie to the truth in the Lisa Tazio case and Bullseye is just an assassin with no personal vendetta to Daredevil. He killed Elektra, job done.

Side bar: I loved the "Psycho Killer" bar darts sequence. Very creepy use of music and tone. Also, the new Kingpin introduction with a moody orchestral is definitely the way to go. N.E.R.D. is a welcome casualty of this cut.

The fight scenes are much shorter, but they have more brutality in its ferociousness. It just plays better without all the Crouch Tiger style flying about. Kudos on these cuts. There are many and they all work for the better, especially in the final fight with The Kingpin. There were numerous times in this version that I was wincing. Even what looked stupid in the original cut (Kingpin tossing Daredevil across the room into a wall) is expertly sped up and just on the right side of believable. Also, no "use the Force" moment with Daredevil remembering his water trick to see The Kingpin. Truly amazing.

Honestly, there's so much that's great here and the restructuring of scenes was surprising in a way that left me wondering why it wasn't done that way in theatrical cut! By giving Matt some time to grieve, it gives more weight to losing Elektra and ties in better to Uncanny Antman's subdued and hopeful ending. No "here's where all the characters are" type of ending montage, just a look of actual happiness for the first time on Matt's face. Cut to credits.

Finally, that swinging bit to kick Bullseye off the motorcycle. Genius.

Watch this version. You won't be disappointed. It's definitely my go-to in the future.

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Yes
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Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
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10.0
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10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
OK, how do I even start this review... I promise, I was not paid to write this :) This is an ASTONISHING edit!!! It's an amazing technical, visual and auditory accomplishment. The chronology has been majorly and meticulously restructured with great success. The cuts have been chosen carefully and with precise intent. New music have been added which really adds to the atmosphere. Even special effects have been revised and improved! Uncanny Antman had a crystal clear plan and it shows. I hope to be half as good one day for my next fan edits! SPOILERS will follow...

Right from the start, after the customary credits , the professionalism and quality of the edit reveal itself. The original introduction with Matt Murdock dying in the church has been removed and the movie begins instead with an important part of our hero, his relationship with his father as a kid. This is a great way to introduce our main character and prove that you don't have to use flashbacks to be interesting.

Judicious cuts have been made throughout the prologue to remove the cheese and create an interesting drama we're invested in. Those smart cuts continue all the way to the very end of the movie. The training montage was an highlight for me and the choice of music was excellent to set the period and the mood. The prologue ends with an interesting choice as the big baddy is not responsible for creating our hero. It's a really refreshing idea.

We now go to the movie titles. I'm telling you, I watched it two times in a row, it's that good! The music was superb, the titles were amazing, the imagery revealing Matt's fight training with a known mentor, it was awesome. And then, the main story begins with a bang and a few surprises. Bad CGI scenes have been removed without compromising the flow of the story and... there are no voiceovers! I liked Ben Affleck in the role, he has a passion for the character, but I thought his voiceover lines were pretty bad and his delivery was poor.

OK, I can go on and on with nearly every scenes of the edit but I should wrap-up this review. Uncanny Antman really shuffled a lot of scenes with great efficiency and the movie becomes much more interesting in the process. I only have two less positive comments. You tend to notice very little things when dealing with a nearly flawless edit such as this.

Firstly, when Daredevil kicks Bulleye from his motorcycle, the CGI is really, really bad. Maybe by cutting before the CGI character hits the ground and then switching to the character rolling on the road would have hidden the CGI a little bit more. Lastly, when Daredevil is looking for Bullseye on the roof, we have the cliché bird (or sometimes the classic cat) appearing on the other side of the sheet, surprising our hero just before being attacked by Elektra. I think the birds could have been removed entirely and it would have given the impression that Elektra surprised him.

All in all, I'm repeating myself but this is an ASTONISHING edit!!!

You can be very proud of your work Uncanny Antman!

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0
Overall rating
 
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
WARNING!!! This review WILL contain SPOILERS!!!!

First off, I am one of those few who actually LOVES the Director's Cut of DAREDEVIL. For me, while a bit uneven (playground scene, poor CGI) at times, it is a very engaging and entertaining movie that is respectful of its comic book origins. Maybe this is why I am so forgiving of this movie, as it's heart is in the right place. Yeah, the CGI action is crazy, physics defying, over the top but it is still tame to the regular ninja acrobatics of the monthly comic.... and for me, I guess that is the point, this is a comic book universe, not the real world, and this is what I want out of most comic book movies.

With that said, welcome to the Daredevil universe as envisioned by the Uncanny Antman! It is a dark, gritty, dangerous place filled with great character development, polished action scenes and tighter, smarter storytelling.

Where to begin? So much good stuff, so foregive me if this review is very random....

The SHIELD Briefing Menu design is inspired! LOVED it!!!
Great bonus materials!

The new opening credits that hint as Matt Murdock's training to become Daredevil (something the original movie never explained) was brilliant. I love the use of Stick from the Elektra movie and clever use of footage from the Forbidden Kingdom.

The post-end credit scene was spot on and fits nicely with the other Marvel movies.

What struck me most about this fan edit is it does not just try to fix things, it actually subtly and cleverly changes the tone and dynamic of many key scenes and thus creating a very different story from the original or director's cut. The relationships Matt has with characters like Urich, Fisk and Bullseye are all very different. Urich is no longer trying to unmask the vigilante or even suspects Matt. Bullseye, while still psychotic, is more professional and has no vendetta against Daredevil (no "you made me miss") and Kingpin is no longer the killer of Matt's father (or is he?). And it all works wonderfully. The tone and mood it creates is completely unique and adds a freshness to the story where I was actually uncertain what was going to happen next.

I really liked how Antman has sculpted the story to be truer to the comic source material from the cutting of Subway killing scene to the keeping of Matt's mom the nun. For me, in terms of character, this felt much closer to the Daredevil I used to read. Thank you for that Antman.

The biggest change is the removal of the final confrontation between Daredevil and Bullseye and I gotta admit it, this one shocked me. But in the new context of the story, it makes sense. Bullseye is just a paid hitman who has vanished into the darkness. How is Daredevil going to find him? Besides he knows who is ultimately responsible for Elektra's death -- Kingpin. And being the most powerful man in New York, he is easy to find. So yes, it works and makes sense but I must admit it left me feeling a bit unsatisfied that justice had not been fully done. I kept hoping there would be a post credit scene with Daredevil confronting Bullseye... alas... no....

There is so much amazing editing going on in this edit! I loved the recut of Daredevil jumping off the roof and kicking Bullseye off the motorcycle!!! In fact, Antman has made the best possible use out of the many poorly rendered CGI fx -- he uses just enough to suggest the action without it seeming to be laughable. Great stuff!

The new audio work is exceptional! All the new music worked very well for me, it never felt injected or forced. Bon Jovi, eh?

The only scene that felt a bit too awkward, is the last one of Matt returning to his apartment after defeating Kingpin and touching his Dad's boxing gloves. I love the idea of it, but I wish the scene could have held and lingered somehow a few moments longer... it just felt almost too brief to be a proper scene thus the emotional impact does not quite have time to register.... but maybe that is just me.

Overall, this edit is MARVELOUS! It is an exceptional achievement both technically and artistically. Antman proves himself to be a master storyteller. Stan the Man would be proud!

I could go and go and praise this edit, but honestly, no words I have will do it justice. One just has to sit back with a bowl of popcorn and hit play on the remote and let this movie entertain you as all great movies do.

Again, thank you Antman for an absolutely FANTASTIC FAN EDIT!


User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
DVD
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
i was never a big fan of daredevil as the only thing i liked about the movie was bulls eye.
i never thought this could be a better film......but i was wrong.
this is one awesome fanedit. this is the cut people have to see, all the sloggy fat is gone,
the movie didn't feel bogged down at all and ran at a good pace the editing is seamless.
this is a daredevil movie everyone has to see.

all the stuff that was cut was ll the excess crap that needed to go.

i highly recommend this cut.

P.S if only the produces and director could have released this cut the movie would have done a lot better

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
DVD
R
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
This is the best version of this movie you can get! The only thing was I had wish a specific scene was moved to a different spot and I actually talked with the editor about it and we figured out that it was changed from the theatrical to the directors versions of the movie. So I was just used to it being in the other place.

This is fantastic and if the released version was this one, the movie would never have been as panned as it was and made such a joke.

Excellent job!

User Review

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Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
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