Yeah, I think it’s probably going to be hard going into Arrow right after Daredevil, because they’re both trying to do the same thing, and Daredevil does it so much better. I like Arrow well enough, but it just doesn’t compare.
The Flash is, in many ways, a much lighter, more comic-booky show, with a lot more super-powered individuals and goofy sci-fi accoutrements - freeze rays, weather control powers, time travel, things like that. It’s got its problems (the relationship between Barry and his love interest, Iris, is skeevy as hell) but in general, it’s a much more light hearted, upbeat series than the other two shows. I don’t know if you’ll like it, but you’ll be less likely to sit there comparing it unfavorably to Daredevil.
I watched the first season or two of *Arrow *but dropped it because I just got tired of the grimdark.
I do still enjoy the The Flash, but my work schedule screws up my following of a network show airing at a particular day and time because my shifts keep changing.
Yes, Arrow tries for that same feel but is handicapped by being on a family TV network. It does that irritating dance with language and gore that used to be a hallmark of UK programs.
On top of being pretty grimdark and having some annoying characters who won’t stay dead.
Bumping this because I just finished watching the series and it was so much fun! Everything was done so well and felt so authentic, it made the rest of the MCU media seem silly in comparison.
I loved Charlie Cox in the title role so much more than I had thought I would. I was initially put off by his casting because I had seen him in Boardwalk Empire and he just…uh…didn’t seem the Daredevil type, but he was fantastic. He totally brought the physicality and menace needed for the Daredevil persona, but he was also gentle, unassuming, yet incredibly charming as Matt Murdock. (And having now watched many interviews with him, he seems like an absolute sweetheart and his smile is like a ray of sunshine and I kinda have a crush on him, oops.)
I’ve read a lot of complaints about Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, but I really enjoyed how human he made Fisk. People have complained that he’s not intimidating enough, but I thought he was intimidating precisely because of how awkward and shy he is when his emotions are under control. He seems like someone you don’t have to fear, when you do. Kind of like people who stupidly get exotic animals for pets, then let their guards down and forget that, uhhh…it’s a tiger. It will eat you if and when it wants to.
All of the other major actors were great, too (Bob Gunton, especially, was hilarious as Owlsley). After thinking about the season, I was a little disappointed with the flatness of the character of Claire Temple, but Rosario Dawson being Rosario Dawson made her come to life. (Reminds me of Carey Mulligan as Irene in Drive – both Claire and Irene are pretty rote love interest parts, but Dawson and Mulligan themselves are so radiant and appealing in the roles that you don’t really notice that their characters are just props for the hero.)
But speaking of
[spoiler]I was unexpectedly devastated when Wesley died, so much so that I had to pause my binge watch for a couple of days to recover from the loss. I loved his character, and the actor who played him did such a great job at integrating the smarmy charm of his persuader role, the cold ruthless efficiency of his enforcer role, and the sincere care and devotion in his friendship with Fisk.
This is one of the very rare cases where I’d love for a character to be mysteriously brought back to life for the second season – maybe he could turn up looking out for Vanessa in her exile? Whatever, I don’t care! Or at the very least, let us get flashbacks with Wesley to explore how his friendship with Fisk started. That seems like an interesting story.[/spoiler]
I’m not quite sure when it came out on iTunes, but it has now and I’ve finally watched it, so I thought I’d give my review.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I see some people comparing it to Arrow or Batman. Personally, I find it to be more like an updated Zorro. Of course, I think Zorro (and The Shadow) inspired Batman, which then went on to inspire Daredevil (and Green Arrow), so that makes sense. But, importantly, it lacks the detective work that a Batman show would (should) have, as well as all of the technology. And Batman is really just concerned with fighting crime, whereas Daredevil (like Zorro) is fighting to protect the people of the city from the evil dictator of the town.
And if Arrow and Daredevil are alike, I couldn’t say. But the TV show Arrow was 10 pounds of stupid in a 2 pound bag. This isn’t. So, I wouldn’t really compare the two.
I liked Zorro as a kid. It’s sort of fun to see a modern, more adult version.
But, I wouldn’t say that I loved the show. Partly, that might be the fault of all the glowing praise I heard for it. I was expecting something more impressive. But, outside of the fight choreography, it didn’t have much going for it that isn’t done better elsewhere. Justified, in particular, has better bad guys, more interesting main characters, can be just as serious, and yet is able to be a little bit more fun. So if someone asked me for a show of this sort, I’d just tell them to watch Justified.
D’Onofrio plays a really interesting character and does his part well, but the writers failed him by never actually having him do anything. Through the whole thing, the man in the mask tears apart four separate crime organizations and, through all of that, the only time that Fisk actually tries to fight back, he asks for the Japanese to lone him one guy. Sure, they emphasize that he’s distracted by love continuously through the show, but I’m pretty sure that he’s not spending time with Vanessa 24/7 every single day. It only looks like they’re together a lot because they keep having things happen in the evening, when it’s date time. But what was he doing all day while she was at work? Just sitting there and doodling her name on note cards? That seems unlikely. So why is he not dealing with Daredevil?
In practical terms, Kelsey Grammar’s character in Boss was probably a better Kingpin.
So, I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I remember saying about Amazon’s Bosch that it was a show which simply had nothing new to bring to the table. This is better than that. There’s better shows, Banshee, Justified, Boss, etc. but Daredevil has created a different feel from those, hearkening back to older motifs, so it does have a solid place in the world. Maybe I’ll watch season 2, but probably not. Mostly, I’m just hoping that when Jessica Jones comes out, I’ll not be similarly disappointed by excess hype.
Given that the same chemical which gave him hyper-senses turned four turtles into mutant ninjas, it’s reasonable to think that there may be something more to it than we realize.
I’d vote Fisk and Wilson. None of the leads really stood out.
My brain flashed to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, personally.
We went from bloodied bandaged hands to having poorly done yellow flashes and sparks as Fisk struck the suit with a stick, deforming the cloth not-a-smidge.
I felt like they’d swapped out Daredevil with Arrow all of the sudden.
On the other hand, as soon as she realized that Fisk knew someone had gotten information from his mom, she started pressuring Urich to go public with that same information. It’s like she was actively trying to get him murdered. And, as everyone else pointed out, the story about him saving his mom from his abusive dad, isn’t a very good article to ruin Fisk anyways (even if the source was better). It’s a pretty easy spin to sound like a hero.
I feel like the writers plotted out the whole dad-murder thing without thinking about it too hard, then when it actually came time to write it, they realized that it didn’t work as well as they’d been thinking, but it was too late to change. So they just had to make Karen stupid all of a sudden.
Yeah, all this fighting over Hell’s Kitchen seemed rather…dated. As said above, that gives the show a bit of a lost charm, hearkening back to when that sort of plotline could actually make sense. But it seems like they might have done better to have set the show in the 70s or 80s, rather than in modern day.
Hell’s Kitchen isn’t Hell’s Kitchen any more, and people are aware of a larger world than just their home borough.
I loved his character, and the actor who played him did such a great job at integrating the smarmy charm of his persuader role, the cold ruthless efficiency of his enforcer role, and the sincere care and devotion in his friendship with Fisk.