Daredevil (2003)
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A blind lawyer by day becomes a masked vigilante by night to fight crime in the streets of New York.
The story
In the gritty streets of New York, Matt Murdock is a blind lawyer who provides pro bono legal representation to those he believes are innocent. However, by night, he dons a mask and becomes the vigilante Daredevil, fighting crime in the city's underworld. While working alongside his friend Foggy Nelson, Matt becomes aware of the existence of the Kingpin, a shadowy figure who controls the city's organized crime. As he navigates the dangerous world of the mob, Matt must balance his public life as a man of law with his secret life as a hero, all while trying to uncover the truth behind the city's most powerful criminal.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being blinded by radioactive waste as a youth, Matt Murdock developed heightened senses, allowing him to lead a double life as a lawyer and the vigilante Daredevil. He operates in Hell's Kitchen, where he encounters the Kingpin, a ruthless mobster named Wilson Fisk. Matt falls in love with Elektra Natchios, unaware of her ties to Fisk's organization. When a hitman named Bullseye is hired to kill her father, he frames Daredevil for the crime. Following a series of violent encounters where Bullseye targets both Elektra and Matt, the truth of the Kingpin's identity is revealed. After a brutal confrontation in a church and a final showdown in Fisk's office, Matt defeats the Kingpin. Though the Kingpin threatens to reveal Matt's identity, he realizes the public would never believe a blind man is a superhero. The film ends with Matt finding a clue that Elektra might still be alive, while the reporter Ben Urich decides to keep Daredevil's secret.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mark Steven Johnson
- Writers
- Mark Steven Johnson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ben Affleck · Matt Murdock / Daredevil; Jennifer Garner · Elektra Natchios; Michael Clarke Duncan · Wilson Fisk / Kingpin; Colin Farrell · Bullseye; Joe Pantoliano · Ben Urich; Jon Favreau · Franklin "Foggy" Nelson; David Keith · Jack Murdock
- Genres
- superhero; action
- Themes
- justice; identity; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- dark; gritty
- Premise and plot tags
- superhero; vigilante; crime-fighting
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics
- Franchise connections
- Marvel
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the performances and atmosphere while others criticized the narrative as a dull origin story. It was a box-office success, and the 2004 director's cut was generally better received by critics and fans.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 35; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Actor · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was shot primarily in Downtown Los Angeles despite the New York setting.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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