On top of the dark New York skyline sits a cowled and costumed crime fighter. He can't fly, he doesn't turn back time by spinning the earth backwards on his pinky finger, he isn't a blue-skinned mutant, he bleeds like you and me, and he isn't Batman. His name is Daredevil and he's the main character in the latest comic-to-screen adaptation. While there's lots of interesting little things going on, the big picture - the story - is lost in it all.

By day, Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) is a blind defense lawyer working pro bono cases for the innocent. By night he dons his hot red leather costume and hits the streets to protect the innocents. Seeking vengeance for his father's murder, Murdock's alter ego comes to be a myth known as Daredevil, the man without fear.

Sounds a lot like Batman, doesn't it? In many ways it is, but in others Daredevil is very different from others in the superhero genre. One of the rules of heroes is that their true identity must remain secret at all costs. Well, within the first couple of shots Daredevil is exposed, thus throwing that rule out. And it wasn't even a girlfriend or arch nemeses that did the initial unmasking. By initial, I mean that the mask comes off two more times, revealing Murdock over and over again. The mask serves more as a practical purpose as it is essentially a stylized set of goggles meant to hide the blind lawyers eyes. Blinded by an a freak chemical accident when he was but a wee lad, Murdock was reimbursed with an increase in his other four senses.

A lot happens in Daredevil. Too much. Director Mark Steven Johnson (Simon Birch), who also co-wrote the screenplay with Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential), squeezes Murdock's back story, a present-day crime and a love story all into one neatly put together 100-minute package. Add to that five major supporting characters and you've got a film that tackles too much, especially for one that introduces a hero and his origins. Daredevil is mad, the King Pin (Michael Clarke Duncan) is trying to take over the city, a hitman named Bullseye (Colin Farrell) is brought in to take out Daredevil, Daredevil meets the girl of his dreams in Elektra (Jennifer Garner), and Ben Ulrich (Joe Pantoliano) is a snoopy reporter trying to put it all together.

While I admire Johnson's commitment to ensuring there's several well-rounded characters, it gets to the point where the little real plot that does exist is glossed over for the sake of yet another introduction. This is a franchise starter for goodness sake. There's many sequels to be had. It would've been okay to hold back a little material for the inevitable part two. A good movie should balance character and story, allowing both to evolve naturally.

I'm not a fan of romance for the sake of romance, but anyone with at least a small amount of Daredevil background knowledge like myself probably know that Daredevil and Elektra aren't just a part of the formula. The two share a genuine bond of romance that is complicated by a love/hate relationship towards each other's alter egos. It's complicated and makes for a great back story, even if their initial encounter involving an impromptu game of Martial Arts oneupsmanship is one of the biggest theatrical groaners I've experienced in a long while.

For those not drawn by the source material, it's hard not to miss the handful of marquee names in the cast. Affleck is adequate in the title role. He jumps about, says his lines, does a little action and that's about it. He doesn't show the enthusiasm one might expect from a comic fan such as Affleck has gone on the record as being. Much better is Garner as the sexy Elektra. Best known for her work on TV's Alias, Garner provides a good mix of charm, sex appeal and girl power to make Elektra work. But my favorite performance comes from Farrell as a flamboyant Irish marksman with a bullseye scarred into his forehead (hence the name, I guess). Farrell is over-the-top just enough to make the character interesting. You can also tell he's holding back a little to make sure he doesn't upstage the heroes too much.

I found the most interesting part of Daredevil to be the use of sound. Sound can enable Daredevil to sort of see. The vibrations form somewhat discernible shapes around things so that the otherwise blind hero can navigate through everyday life and into the skyline to fight crime. Rather than simply explain this power, Johnson uses some nifty effects to present it on screen, showing it from Murdock's point of view.

Although likely to go unnoticed by most, there are some subtle and not-so-subtle cameos and name drops that pay tribute to Daredevil's printed past. Stan Lee, the creator of most every classic character under the Marvel Comics imprint, shows up for a brief moment, as does Kevin Smith, director of Clerks and Dogma. A couple years back Smith also had an eight-issue run writing the comic. Several characters mentioned in the film share the same surname as many of the comic's other past writers. Hardcore fans will appreciate the mentions of Miller and Bendis as well as the name of a boxer: John Romita.

Daredevil has a lot going for it, but unfortunately story isn't one of them. As a result, the end product is stylized and filled with memorable characters, yet it's flat. Unable to secure a good balance of character and plot, director Johnson ends up providing something that is at times exhilarating but more often tedious. Although Daredevil had the potential to be a lot worse, it should have been a lot better.

©Movie Views; February 21, 2003