Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

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9.9(27)
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(Updated: March 26, 2017)
Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
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10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
UA's Man without Fear is a minor miracle for DD fans. This film has been transformed into superhero-noir.
Noir/Crime elements are the highlight: main plot is now Matt fulfilling his self-proclaimed purpose in life as lawyer and vigilante to help an innocent man framed for murder, using his powers to decipher clues (that PI investigation scene was awesome) as through the course of the film he slowly amasses enough info to discover the Kingpin's identity. Subplot is his doomed love with Elektra (fitting too that Bullseye gets away).

Though many have mentioned a disjointed feel re development of the Elektra love story, I felt it right that his jobs (as lawyer and DD) took center stage, and had no problem having the love subplot run in the background. After the introduction of Elektra in the coffeeshop scene, she is alluded to only in dialogue before coming to the fore after Matt's talk w Foggy and his decision to seriously explore matters w her, after which we jump to Matt introducing Elektra to his favorite rooftop spot, the same one shown at the beginning of the film. Here both let each other into their respective lives, sharing a kiss before Matt chooses work once again and leaves Elektra alone as he attends to his DD duties.

One minor quibble re the opening credits: while brilliant to portray Stick and the training montage, I don't think the light brown color works with the overall aesthetic of the film as a whole. Regarding all the other aspects - music, edits, narrative choices - all are spot on. This is a film of its time, and is dated, and UA embraces those aspects, highlighting rather than downplaying them. The fight scenes are solid and bloody, and while some performances w clunky dialogue and delivery still exist (retained for their narrative functions), the film as a whole works, and works well.

Overall this is much more a character study on Matt Murdock, and, though by no means perfect (due to what UA had to work with), is a solid film that respects the character and portrays a gritty, grounded Daredevil that does justice to the source material.

Fantastic work UA!

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(Updated: March 02, 2015)
Overall rating
 
9.4
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
Daredevil was a movie I wanted to like but couldn’t. Sure it was occasionally fun, but the CGI silliness, OTT antics, and convoluted plot obscured what could have been a engaging and relatable origin story. There were enough worthwhile elements to make me hopeful for the spinoff Elektra, but I was sorely disappointed, and while Daredevil seemed good by comparison, a second viewing of it on DVD reminded me how bad it really was.

I originally couldn’t find a different Uncanny Antman (UA) fanedit I was looking for, so I thought I’d sample a portion of one of his other works just to see what he could do. I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the end of his “Daredevil: The Man Without Fear” fanedit without dropping it or hitting fast play, and feeling eager for more.

The opening title sequence with the Marvel Knights logo was an auspicious beginning. The focused prologue with its simple human drama was satisfying but felt unfamiliar, almost as if I was watching a reboot, but using the same actors. Only when it came to Affleck’s initial outing as Daredevil (DD) did I start to feel anything was amiss. The transition almost directly into DD’s violent confrontation felt abrupt, though a first time viewer might not notice anything missing. However, that concern dissipated as the rapid pace of the story carried me along and I realized showing DD’s initial foray without preamble symbolized the rudderless state of his life at that point and makes his self-affirmation at the end all the more powerful.

My biggest gripe is the lack of buildup to DD’s romance with Elektra. While I agree with the artistic reasons for cutting Affleck’s initial athletic flirtation with Garner, I felt their romantic development was already underdeveloped in the theatrical cut. I like UA’s restructuring to eliminate flashbacks, but perhaps one or two flashbacks to that cut scene could have been used to lend credibility to their romance. Unfortunately the two leads have no other costarring roles to mine for new material and I doubt Pearl Harbor had anything useful given Garner’s small role in it, but possibly scenes shot from the perspective of her love interest (implying it’s DD’s perspective) in some other role(s) she’d played could’ve been inserted to support the romance. Still, sufficient chemistry shone through and I was satisfied with where things ended.

The soundtrack UA ended up with felt perfect and did not distract from the unfolding of the story like in the theatrical cut. The audio and visual transitions themselves felt seamless. I would’ve like to have seen more contrast in some of the night scenes, especially since DD can “see” in the dark, but I understand the limitations of the source material and the symbolism of keeping things in the shadow.

By the end of this edit, I felt the right amount was told about Daredevil, but to expand the story in a satisfying way would’ve required a whole nother feature film. The original can be put in storage and this fanedit can be put on the shelf as a worthy professional quality replacement.

Bonus points for the fantastic DVD menu and extras UA produced for his release. The “Removed Material” while interesting examples of filmmaking technique certainly did not belong in the film proper. The fictitious “Return of the Kingpin” teaser makes for an interesting what-if. “Law & Order: Hell’s Kitchen” if actually produced could bring me back to watching police procedurals. Finally the “Nelson & Murdock” 80’s TV spoof almost makes me think Netflix should just skip their upcoming Daredevil series and go directly to a wacky retro procedural spinoff. I look forward to watching more features and shorts from this editor.

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Overall rating
 
8.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
8.0
Thank you Uncanny Antman! :]X

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Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
DVD
A
Top 500 Reviewer 20 reviews
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Overall rating
 
9.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
With this being my second exposure to the awesome works of Uncanny Antman, following on from T3 the Coming Storm, this edit is as slick as they come.

The origin/prologue sequence is beautifully done, as are the opening credits. The restructuring of the narrative is to dramatic effect and feels as though it should have always been this way. There are perhaps a few transitional scenes missing but this can't be helped and thankfully it doesn't leave the film feeling choppy. I love how the relationship between Matt and Foggy plays out. The directors cut did this well also but everything was too padded out. Action sequences are wonderfully edited to appear more realistic and thank goodness the worst of the CGI is gone.

Some reviewers have commentated that the removal of Daredevil's fight with Bull's Eye leaves the ending feeling a little hollow. I didn't have this problem as it puts all the focus on Matt's loss and him tracking down the Kingpin.

My only complaints and bear in mine these are minor. The film has a slightly depressing vibe. Possibly as a result of one too many humorous moments removed and some soundtrack choices. The Terrance Stamp cameos seem unnecessary and I'm not at all keen on the post end credits sequence. The subtle ending with Matt pondering over the charm was a nicer way to end things.

Overall though this is a fantastic fan edit and now replaces the Director's Cut as my go to version.

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Yes
Format Watched?
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Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
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!

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