SUPER LATE REVIEW: Marvel’s The Defenders

Howdy ladies and gents, it is time for a review and this is a review I should have done at the end of August. But it’s been chilling in my draft section for ages so I thought I’d finally finish it. I am of course talking about Marvel’s The Defenders. Now this was a show I was eagerly anticipating for ages up until Iron Fist came out and that brought down my hype by a considerable amount (review available here). But with some solid trailers I was ready to love the show. But now the show’s been out since August and before I review The Punisher (which I’ve already seen but will give another watch), I wanted to share my thoughts on this show. So if you’re still interested in my thoughts on this show read on and find out. 🙂

So the story can be described as the following: “Set a few months after the events of the second season of Daredevil, and a month after the events of the first season of Iron Fist, the vigilantes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist team up in New York City to fight a common enemy: the Hand.”

The Defenders primarily furthers the plot and characters of the Daredevil and Iron Fist shows, however you don’t have to have seen the previous shows in order to understand whats going on here as it is a self-contained like The Avengers, that being said watching the previous shows helps you care about the characters and the significance of the stakes involved. The story starts off a big slow re-establishing the characters and storylines from the previous shows, but by the latter half of episode 3 things really pick up and start to become fun and from there you feel like you’re getting the show you were promised with fun crossover character interactions and cool fight scenes. There’s also some good action, drama, mystery and revelations. However, by the time the show ends, I feel like things could have played out in a far more captivating manner. The plot takes time to set up certain elements that will have pay off later on, the only issue is that once everything is laid out on the table it feels rather lacklustre and unsurprising.

Episode highlights include:

• The H Word
• Worst Behavior
• Royal Dragon
• Take Shelter

When it comes to the cast, I think they did their best considering the material they were given and some actors/actresses were good while others didn’t fare as well. The Defenders themselves were quite good. Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil was one of the most effective characters besides Jessica Jones. He probably had most character development and it was cool to see how he evolved from the end of DD season 2 to this show and see how he interacted with the team. Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones was great, all of her wonderfully bad and good character traits were on display, she didn’t like to play with others and was very rude, but did do some investing and showed up when it counted. Mike Colter as Luke Cage was good, still the strong and smooth dude from his own show, he was good though I wasn’t keen on what they did with him and Claire’s relationship. Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist was weird, it was almost like they did a bit of a course correction for the character as he comes across smarter and more confident not only in his personality but his fighting skills too. Alas, it doesn’t take long for the character to fall back into his childish and foolish ways, he’s such a weak link it is painful. The Defenders have the same sort of group dynamic that makes team formations so much fun to watch like the Avengers of Guardians of the Galaxy, they have that different personalities and ideologies and seeing them but heads and team up was great especially with Matt and Jessica. Oh and Elodie Yung as Elektra, part of me likes her, but at the same time considering how her character was handled it was just messy, a tad confusing and annoying.

Sigourney Weaver as Alexandra Reid has some moments of interest but ultimately adds up to a forgettable/boring villain. She makes a lot of sinister speeches but rarely does anything that directly impacts the heroes and the way her story arc concludes is one I not only saw coming but also felt like a slap in the face to anyone who had invested time her character. As for Scott Glenn as Stick, e was one of the best parts of Daredevil, but here he was less compelling and a little more annoying, just talking about how bad the enemy was. Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple is still the same likeable character from before, she’s good. Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing was good too, she had some decent action scenes, nice interactions with some other characters and some story stuff that carried over from Iron Fist. Simone Missick as Misty Knight was cool, sassy and proactive and while she wasn’t always on the right side of the heroes, she had some solid moments in the show, though I wish she was utilized a little better. Seeing Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Eka Darville as Malcolm Ducasse, Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker and Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page was nice as they brought a nice bit of flavour from their respective shows

As for the presentation, it was good for the most part. Visually the show was solid. One of the things the show did well was the action, I feel like the fight choreographers brought back the flair and intensity that was sorely lacking from not only Iron Fist but also Luke Cage and Jessica Jones to a degree as well.The fight scenes here were faster, better in choreography, sometimes reaching that Daredevil quality. Alas, the action isn’t always consistently good with some fight scenes looking unrealistic, slow and silly, and it also doesn’t help that some of the sequences are shot and edited in a strange way to be stylised when in fact they’re less interesting than they should be. As for the soundtrack by John Paesano, it was good. I think it was a smart choice to bring him back considering the solid work he brought to Daredevil. In this show, Paesano brings a more bombastic, intense and dramatic sound that I think the show needed especially when it comes to the opening theme. There were points where it felt a little overly dramatic but for the most part, it was really nice.

In conclusion season 1 of Marvel’s The Defenders is a decent show that has some great moments but didn’t live up to its potential. I really did enjoy the character crossover not only from the main heroes but also the secondary cast, and when the action, dialogue and soundtrack were on-point it was a fun show to watch. However, this team up series didn’t give me the compelling story that I wanted, there were some bad decisions made with the use of the villains and Iron Fist, the action scenes weren’t consistently good and there was a lack of payoff/satisfaction that I felt once the show was over. The Defenders wasn’t terrible and was easily the best material Marvel and Netflix have done since the first half of Luke Cage, but as it stands, Marvel and Netflix are really gonna have to step up their game if they want to keep the fans coming back for more.

So have you seen Marvel’s The Defenders and is so what do you think of it? Did it live up to your expectations or were you disappointed? Also, how would you compare it to Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist? Please leave your comments below and I’ll see ya in the next review, laters. 🙂

 

Marvel’s Daredevil Season 2 Review (NO SPOILERS)

Howdy ladies and gents, after all the waiting and waiting and WAITING, we’re here in 2016 and Marvel’s Daredevil season 2 and I’m here to review it. I adored the first season and made mention of that in my review, and after an epic binge over the course of Saturday from midnight to nightfall, I binged the hell out of this show coz I’m crazy and I’m an addict. So how does the second season of Daredevil fared? Well read on and find out! (Oh and careful for spoilers from Daredevil season 1, though I can’t imagine why you’d be reading this if you weren’t aware of transpired last season)

So what’s the story for this season? Well Matt Murdock is still a blind lawyer by day and continues to fight crime at night as Daredevil and things seem to be going well after the incarnation of Wilson Fisk, however new challenges come in the form of the dangerous Frank Castle/ Punisher, and Matt’s ex-girlfriend Elektra Natchios, things get a lot more complicated as Hell’s Kitchen becomes home to all new levels of crime and chaos.

From the beginning things kick off pretty quickly as you’re filled in with what’s transpired since last season and then get introduced to the new plot elements and characters that will inhabit this world for the forseeable future. This season is all about morality, the value of life, relationships past and present, and when you take the law into your own hands, how far is too far? And with those themes comes new layers of darkness, psychological issues and sensuality through the storytelling and character moments that’s so incredibly dramatic, engaging and heart racing. This season also gets into some thought-provoking areas when covering the Punisher and Daredevil’s different ideologies and brings up questions like: Is the criminal justice system enough? Where does one draw line? Is it right to take a human life? And if one crime is worse than another does that person deserve death or a shot at redemption? We really get into the mind space of what it means to have rules and whether they should be abided by or not when they don’t work, and seeing both sides of the argument really adds some perspective not only to this part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also for superhero adaptations in general.

I would also say that this season is better with its pacing and storytelling resulting in more consistent and satisfying episodes than before which just made me want to jump on the next episode immediately. Another aspect of note would be legal material. More so than last season, the lawyering is at the forefront and there’s a lot more conversations dealing with the law and how it works, the research, evidence and how it can help and hinder certain cases, and court room drama too which is very good and full of suspense and tension. Nelson and Murdock are really put through their paces and have interesting new hurdles to overcome and it is really well written and captivating stuff. Oh and the references to the comics, last season and Jessica Jones were awesome, it was nice world building too. And that’s all the stuff I can tell you, believe me there’s so much I want to share about this show, but it’d be giving away too much good material, suffice to say that there are plenty of surprises and moments that’ll frigging blow your mind! XD

Episode highlights include:

• Bang
• New York’s Finest (personal favourite)
• Penny and Dime (personal favourite)
• Kinbaku (personal favourite)
  
• Semper Fidelis
• Guilty as Sin (personal favourite)
• Seven Minutes in Heaven (personal favourite)
• The Dark at the End of the Tunnel
• Cold Day in Hell’s Kitchen
  

When it comes to the cast, the returning members all do such great job as they’ve settled into their roles but have also gained additional layers too, while the new players do really well to change things up and yet stay relevant to the main plot. Firstly there’s Charlie Cox who is once again wonderful as Matt Murdock/Daredevil. He’s still very smart, courageous and cool, but he’s still flawed and has issues with his duality as a superhero and lawyer that make his life a lot more complicated and the way it unfolds is such a whirlwind of emotions, and Cox handles his material so well. I also believe this season also dives a little deeper into the mind of Matt; what drives him to do what he does as Daredevil and how it affects the people around him. Elden Henson also steps up his game as Franklin “Foggy” Nelson, this season he’s in a more interesting place not only because of the legal material he has to deal with but also the lies and complexities that come with being friends with Matt and hiding his secret. Deborah Ann Woll does a fantastic job as Karen Page too, unlike last season she had her uses but was primarily a background character, here she’s a lot more pro-active, has her own agendas and her efforts are quintessential to this season’s story and characters.

The newcomers are just as important, so let’s start with the man who nearly steals the whole show, Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher. This is how you do the Punisher justice. Prior to this series both Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson have portrayed this character in 2004 and 2008, and while both of them had elements of the character done right, neither of them had the full package, but Bernthal has it. Here we have a man on a warpath, who is calculated, strategic, driven and scary as hell, but behind all his exterior there’s a tragic story that almost justifies his actions and makes him human/relatable. Bernthal really has a good lock on what makes the Punisher so engaging to watch whether he’s fighting, shooting or giving speeches, this man is like a hurricane of different things, he moves like the T-800 and yet has a depth to him that’s beyond your average killer. And then there’s Élodie Yung who is so sexy and deadly as Elektra Natchios, Jesus Christ! This woman is perceptive, smart, vivacious, playful and all sorts of trouble, and the backstory she has with Matt is one of most intriguing, fun, destructive and sensual relationships I’ve seen in quite some time. Their relationship in one of passion and toxicity and just seeing how things unfolded in the past and present was incredibly satisfying thanks to some incredible chemistry from Cox and Yung. I also enjoyed the appearances from Michelle Hurd as Samantha Reyes and Stephen Rider as Blake Tower who added an intriguing new dynamic to legal side of things.

And finally there’s some of my favourite returning characters too. Rosario Dawson once again shines as Claire Temple offering her services both as a nurse and counsel for the good guys was great, Royce Johnson also returns as Brett Mahoney and it’s so awesome to see more of him in this season, and of course the cast wouldn’t be complete without Scott Glenn as Stick who is just as rude, sarcastic, funny and hardcore as ever. There are also some other returning faces but I’ll let you discover those on your own. 😀

As for the presentation, it is just as good as ever. Visually the show’s received a bit more of budget for new locations more intricate camera movements, better lighting, more digital and practical effects and more detailed make-up as I think the show’s a little more violent than before. Just like last year the action is badass with some beautiful fight choreography, gun fights, explosions and the introduction of ninjas just made everything better. Also John Paesano returns again to craft the soundtrack and it is fairly dramatic, emotionally gripping and awesome.

So are there any problems with this season, well yes there is. This will really depend on the individual, but for me there were certain storylines that didn’t pay off in the way that I’d hoped, and you could argue that Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk left such a major impression on fans last season, that this season definitely a little empty without him being the primary focus of Daredevil’s missions. Plus while most characters get moments to shine, certain people (me included) will be disappointed with the amount of screen time and specific character arcs that they’ve gotten.

In conclusion season 2 of Marvel’s Daredevil is absolutely fabulous, I cannot praise it enough. While it may sound like I’m just a biased fanboy, if you really looked at this season as a whole, it takes the foundation of first season and improves on it in every way with such incredible attention to detail with the story, character development, action sequences and expanding this world’s mythology. I think your appreciation for this show will depend on what you want from this season and whether you loved the first one or not, but in my mind this is easily the best TV-based superhero material available. I’m already hyped for season 3 and I’ll probably be sure to watch this season again very soon. 😀

Rating: 9/10 (Even more fun than the first season)

So have you seen season 2 of Marvel’s Daredevil and is so what do you think of it? Did it meet or exceed your expectations? And I’m also curious to know which did you prefer, season 1 or 2? Please leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters. 🙂

 

QUICK REVIEW: Daredevil Season 2 Trailer #1 (Part 1)

Howdy people of the internet, so yesterday the first official trailer for season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil dropped online and needless to say a lot of comic book fans lost their minds. With the recent release of Deadpool, the awesome final trailer for Batman v Superman and now this, it has been a great time for fans.

Check out the trailer below:

This trailer, ah man it makes me so giddy!

Watching Daredevil last year was one of my favourite TV experiences of 2015 and waiting for season 2 has been so agonising especially after it was announced that Punisher and Elektra would be joining the show. So we had that teaser trailer back near the start of January which only showed snippets of new footage, but with this trailer we got a much better look at what to expect and I’m SO hyped!

Frank Castle aka Punisher looks like he’ll be so frigging badass. This trailer gives us introduction of Punisher into this world, how he functions and how he’ll be a difficult foe for Daredevil to take out. Punisher looks like a lethal assassin stepping into Hell’s Kitchen and leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, he’s clearly Daredevil except much hardcore and hearing some of his quotes highlights how dangerous he is, stuff like “You’re a half measure” “You know you’re one bad day from being me.” and my personal favourite “You hit them and they get back up, I hit them and they stay down!” Oh lord, scary words being spoken there. Jon Bernthal right now looks like he’s gonna kill it in this role and I hope that it leads to a Punisher TV show as we need some of this beautiful madness.

But this trailer isn’t just about Punisher, we get to see Matt Murdock again and this trailer highlights that he has challenges to deal with Karen and Foggy, but also with confronting Punisher and realising how lethal and relentless he is. Looks like Matt’s gonna get messed up fighting Punisher with these brief glimpses of mortal combat going on. I also enjoyed the brief shots of some of my favourite secondary characters Father Lantom and Brett Mahoney, seeing Claire Temple again is great, Karen and Foggy look good too. But the most interesting is the appearance of Elektra just at the end of the trailer, she looks very calm, cool and happy to see Matt even though he’s more surprised/aggressive towards her. I hope that in the second trailer we get to see more of her and her combat skills too.

In conclusion season 2 of Daredevil is looking so cool and I need this in my system possibly more than any of piece of comic book stuff coming out in the near future. It looks dark, tense, bloody and violent and I CAN’T WAIT. I need it now!

So are you hyped for Daredevil season 2? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

Marvel’s Daredevil Season 1 Review (NO SPOILERS)

Howdy ladies and gents, today I come to you with my review of Marvel’s Daredevil. You know the show’s only been out since Friday, but I just had to binge it as best I could while having to go to work on Friday and Saturday night haha. Since I already did an impressions blog post on the show, I don’t want to repeat myself for those who have read it, so I’ll try to focus on points that I didn’t mention before and abbreviate previous topics. So how has the first season of Daredevil fared? Well read on and find out!

So what this show about? Well, the show involved Matt Murdock, a man who at a young age was blinded by chemicals and because of that incident his other senses were raised to superhuman levels. So by day he is a lawyer but at night he fights crime and tries to improve the state of Hell’s Kitchen as costumed vigilante, Daredevil.

This show’s structure has been described by the actors and producers as a 13-hour movie and rightly so, this show has a sequence of episodes that all connect to each other, whether it is from episode to episode or if there are elements in earlier episodes that come to pass in the latter half of the season. Everything is connected and it gives off a great sense of continuity and cohesion. I also like how some episodes bleed into each other, like say how certain events that take place at the end of one episode will be picked up immediately in the next, it again makes things feel connected.

The show feels like a crime drama but also mixes it together with a lot of the cool superhero codes and conventions and references we’ve come to expect, there is an origin story but it is handled in a brief and smart way through flashbacks that relate to the action at hand (like Arrow). What this show does well with the stories is that there is a lot of mystery, intrigue, humour and drama, it is all mixed together in a very natural and fulfilling manner. The consistency for the most part is great, from the first episode you a given a very gripping near hour of TV and that quality continues as the season advances, and that in turn makes the show very addictive. I also like the pacing of the show, this show moves fairly quick, a lot of story and character elements are set up and established, but it never feels like things are moving too fast as there is enough time delegated for all of the events in the episodes.

Episode highlights include:

• Into the Ring (personal favourite)
• Cut Man (personal favourite)
• In the Blood (personal favourite)
• World on Fire
• Condemned (personal favourite)
• Stick (personal favourite)
• Shadow in the Glass
• Speak of the Devil (personal favourite)
• Nelson v. Murdock
• Daredevil (personal favourite)
  

When it comes to the cast, the cast do a really good job at establishing these characters and give such wonderful performances. Firstly there’s Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, he is great, he rides the line between good and evil very well, Murdock is as a person who wants to do the best for his city and protect the people he cares for, but goes to very extreme measures to get what he wants. Cox is very charming and convincing in this role and I love what he’s done with this character. Equally or more impressive is Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, wow, what a beast! This version of Fisk is a little socially awkward and is a little more vulnerable than what we’ve seen before, that being said, when he’s angry, he’s like a bloody force of nature and the stuff he does in this series is nothing short of insanely brutal. D’Onofrio was perfect for this role, he has the right level of subtly, mystery and anger and I loved his scenes when he was delivering the pain, but also when he learnt more about his backstory.

Elden Henson as Franklin “Foggy” Nelson is another strong character. He could have been a one-note character because of his comic relief nature, however he gets into the thick of the action, is a very charismatic and resourceful person who has an importance to the story. Together Henson and Cox have great chemistry and you really by the friendship that Foggy and Murdock have. Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page is great too, she is a valuable person in this show as she brings a lot of fun and emotion to this show, she’s surprisingly tenacious and stronger than she appears. She has some great chemistry with both Murdock and Nelson too. Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple is lovely, I appreciated that she approached her situations with a calm, yet firm and realistic manner, and Dawson acts with such care and beauty, whenever she was gone I wanted to see more of her. Toby Leonard Moore is awesome as James Wesley, he was Fisk’s right hand man and I liked how confident, suave and efficient he was. Moore was so good as being such a reserved man, but on occasions showed just how smart and dangerous he could be. Then there’s Vondie Curtis-Hall who did a great job as Ben Urich, Bob Gunton as Leland Owlsley offered a lot of interesting and tactical flair and Ayelet Zurer was very beautiful and impressive as Vanessa Marianna. And finally Scott Glenn as Stick, what a legend. The played the gruff, emotionless teacher that trained Matt in his early days and has a mysterious connection to other mysterious parties beyond America. Glenn was so slick, cool and funny in this role and his contribution to this show was one of my favourite parts.

 

As for the presentation, it is gorgeous! This show looks incredible, so much attention has gone into the visual style of the show with the great cinematography, use of colour and lighting and the crisp detail of the picture quality. Oh and the action, OH MY GOD! I love fight scenes in film and TV and this is some of the best work that’s been produced in the MCU, fights are ferocious, aggressive, rough and wonderfully choreographed. Beyond the cutscenes the stunt work is incredible, all of the running, jumping and flipping for Daredevil and some of the enemies he fights is SO good, the stunt work is lovely. Also the soundtrack by John Paesano is pretty good, at times it feels like he is tapping into The Dark Knight Trilogy style of music, but for the most part this music is dramatic, energetic and badass.

So are there any problems with the show, yes, unfortunately there is. I would say that there are moments where some of the characters and story elements aren’t quite as compelling as others and certain decisions made towards the end of the series I would not have agreed with. In addition to that, as I stated before the level of consistency for the quality of this show for the most part is excellent, however, the two episodes prior to the season finale were not nearly as compelling as the episodes that had come before.

In the end the first season of Marvel’s Daredevil is awesome, I had so much hope for this show and luckily it delivered the goods. This show is violent, action-packed, dramatic and just a lot of fun to watch especially if you are binge watching it. While it is not perfect, when it comes to TV-based superhero adaptations, it doesn’t get better than this and I cannot recommend it enough. This has given me much hope for Marvel’s other upcoming Netflix shows, and I can’t wait for season 2, I’m ready for more! Woo! 😀

Rating: 9/10 (Solid, exciting and brutal fun)

So have you seen Marvel’s Daredevil and is so what do you think of it? As a fan of the source material are you impressed with it or think that more could be done? Please leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters. 🙂

 

QUICK IMPRESSIONS: Marvel’s Daredevil (NO SPOILERS)

Howdy ladies and gents, today I wanted to come and do a quick impressions blog post on Marvel’s Daredevil, the new superhero TV show that hit Netflix yesterday. While I do have a review on the way, my thoughts honestly couldn’t be contained, so I just HAD to give you impressions on the show so far. The reason I say so far is because I’ve only seen 7 episodes so far. But I can easily say, without a doubt that this is easily the best comic book TV show right now and is one of the most awesome comic book adaptations that’s existed. Fact.

So what makes this show so good? Well, how about EVERYTHING! Okay, so that’s not a proper answer, but it is hard to fault a show that’s done so much right so far. Daredevil from the trailers promised a lot, it was said to be a gritty, adult crime drama set in the roughest area in New York which would be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but would be a very different from what we’ve seen so far… And it is. This show is everything I hoped it would be and then some, it dark, violent, action-packed and full of drama and at the center of it all you have characters that you care about, that you are engaged with and you want to see what happens next.

I think the show’s biggest strength lies in its consistency, to keep giving you episodes that are engaging, fun, dramatic and add more layers to the stories, characters and overall world. From the start the kicks things off with and bang and it just keeps going, the episodes move at a swift pace, but not too quickly, there is plenty of time for character building, story and action. What it comes down to is pacing, it is good and it never feels too slow or fast, and with each episode things get more and more interesting. The first two episodes are especially impressive as it establishes the world, tone and characters and it does so in such a fantastic way, I was hooked after the first 15 or so minutes, that’s how good this show is.

It also helps that the visual presentation is excellent with such beautiful cinematography and wonderfully choreographed fight sequences that are cool, slick but not over-the-top for the characters involved. Oh and the violence it is delightfully vivid and on display in a wonderful way, there is blood, breaking bones and other gruesome stuff I cannot get into because of spoilers but suffice to say it is some of the most aggressive stuff you’ll ever see in the MCU. And then there’s the characters who are great too. Charlie Cox does a really good job as the title character, he’s very charming, funny and understandable, but also aggressive and badass. Oh and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin, bloody hell, I knew he’d be great, but this was much better than I had ever anticipated. D’Onofrio brings a level class, style, imposing menace to the proceedings, but he is also very different and human than what we’ve seen other adaptations, and D’Onofrio is such a beast! All I have to say is episode 4, those who have seen know what I’m talking about. Deborah Ann Woll brings a lot of fun and emotion as Karen Page, Rosario Dawson is also very good as Claire Temple, Elden Henson is also very funny and interesting as Foggy Nelson and Scott Glenn is such a badass and brutal man as Stick.

So is the show perfect? Well that remains to be seen, I haven’t really come across anything I didn’t like or hated so far. I will admit that episode 3 was not as interesting when compared to the first two episodes, but that isn’t because the episode was bad, it was still very good, it was just because some of the character and story elements weren’t as interesting for me personally. But that’s the only nitpick I have.

In the end Marvel’s Daredevil is pretty badass so far, it has surpassed so many of expectations and proves that when you have the right team together and want to make a badass TV show, dreams do come true. The show is just so fun, aggressive, violent and dramatic and I’m addicted, I just can’t wait to see the rest. The show has really shown me just how far we’ve come in the world of comic book adaptations and really makes me excited for where TV could take other superheroes that might not make it to the big screen. Oh and this show so far has proved that Punisher needs his own TV show, MARVEL, MAKE IT HAPPEN!

So have you seen Marvel’s Daredevil and is so what do you think of it? Please leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next blog post, laters. 🙂

 

Marvel’s Daredevil Trailer #2 Review

Howdy people of the internet, how are you all doing? With Marvel’s Daredevil bring around a month away now it seems like the advertising is definitely on the increase as we have a new trailer that dropped today. I really liked the first trailer so I was really interested in seeing more footage for sure. So is it good? Read on and find out!

Here’s the trailer:

So what do I think after seeing this teaser? I’m already down for this, give it to me now.

This show is looking better which each new image and video released. I’m not even the biggest Daredevil fan, however, I know enough about the character and it’s fan base to understand how much of a big deal this show is. The show seems a little darker, mature and edgier than what’s come before in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sure, those descriptive terms have been used for this show for AGES, but it is hard to describe the look and feel of this footage without using them.

Now this trailer shows us a fair amount of what we’ve seen before in terms of seeing Matt Murdock in and out of the suit, seeing him fight at night and look mashed up in the rain. However there is a greater emphasis on the characters (especially Kingpin) and story, there is also some additional footage that gives us a better look into the world and how certain events will play out.

This trailer seems to confirm what we’ve come to learn about this series from the producers and actors behind the show like:

• Matt Murdock will not be invincible, he will get better as a superhero but will get beaten up a lot along the way
• The black suit will be the primary suit until the classic red costume comes along later on
• Hell’s Kitchen is full of crime and danger
• Kingpin will be a force to be reckoned with

What I appreciated about this trailer is how much emphasis there was on Daredevil and Kingpin when it comes to their ideals, how they take the law into their own hands and how they plan to change New York into a better place. Matt Murdock becomes a hero because he believes with his abilities that he’ll be able to save the place he grew up in, whereas Kingpin seems like a straight up criminal but perceives his actions as moral. I’m loving what I’m seeing from Charlie Cox as the main character, he’s really cool, aggressive and has a good screen presence. But then there’s Vincent D’Onofrio who is looking more and more like he’ll be the most badass version of Kingpin ever. D’Onofrio has this menacing aura and looks rough as heck from the way he speaks and beats the crap out of people. It looks like Daredevil and Kingpin are two sides of the same coin and it looks like they will work their way to up in popularity until they have to fight each other. Seeing more of Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and Scott Glenn as Stick is nice too.

I also really like the way this show looks. I am  person who appreciates good visual presentation in film and television and in the last five years shows have really stepped up. I have to say that the cinematography in this show looks very strong, it is sharp and detailed, striking with its colour and looks especially good at night with lovely lighting. And you can’t talk about the visual presentation without talking about the action and it looks pretty slick so far. The action looks great with varying degrees of violence ranging from people jumping through windows, explosions, firefights and of course hand-to-hand combat with people being punched, kicked and knocked to ground. And of course there’s blood which may not sound like a big deal but with the MCU being the way that it is these days, a bit of extra violence is welcomed.

But of the best parts of the trailer was at the end with the one guy who says “Maybe if he had an iron suit or a magic hammer, that would explain why you keep having your asses handed to you.” Some could see that as referencing that’s unnecessary or too on-the-nose, but I think it is nice that with one sentence, hardcore and casual fans get a confirmation that this is linked to the films and is part of the MCU as a whole. As a fan you can’t help but smile or get a little giddy to know all of these characters inhabit the same world.

In the end the second trailer for Marvel’s Daredevil is looking very promising. The more footage I see of this show, the more I’m starting to fall in love with it. It looks rough, adult-oriented, action-heavy and character driven. I honestly think this is the most hype I’ve felt for a comic book TV show for a while, and if it delivers then I can see this show making some big waves for not only other Marvel shows but the films as well.

So have you seen the second trailer for Marvel’s Daredevil and is so what do you think of it? Please leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next blog post, laters. 🙂

 

LATE NEWS: Daredevil TV Series Information & Media Released!

Howdy people of the internet and welcome to another blog post relating to news in the world of comic books, now recently there was some news from the New York Comic-Con that I feel was worth mentioning. Now let’s talk about Daredevil!

So I’ve been following this series for a while now and the more I’ve seen and heard about it, the more excited I’ve become. While there hasn’t been much in the way of images and footage, the early pieces of media that have been released on the internet gives me hope for the future for sure. And then we had New York Comic Con recent and Marvel Studios released a whole chunk of information and media on it. Firstly, let’s talk about the first photos released which you can see below:

These images look pretty cool. The first one gives us a look at DD’s suit, probably a prototype before donning the classic red outfit later on possibly. What is nice about the outfit is the fact that 1) It looks practical and realistic and 2) It is taken from Daredevil: The Man Without Fear comic, which loads of people regard as one of the best runs of DD ever. As for the second image, it is Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock and I think he looks pretty good, I didn’t really see Cox in the role prior to filming being done, but I believe he is looking nice.

In addition to the images there was a good deal of information released especially when it comes to the panel itself, including some footage, which unfortunately none of us will ever get to see until a trailer is released later on. You can see the full New York Comic-Con Daredevil Panel below for additional information:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xO7wW8ODOo%5D

All in all I’m down with this adaptation of Daredevil, all I need is a trailer so I can get a feel for what it will be like. So what do you think of all the news relating to the upcoming Daredevil TV series and how do you feel it will compare to the old 2003 film? Be sure to comment below and give me your thoughts yo! 😀