The Three Things I Liked Most About Netflix’s Daredevil: Season I

Just so you are clear, this blog is not just about superhero movies. If you know anything about me, anything fantasy, sci-fi or superhero-related will do, for purposes here.

And with that, I can’t help but share my thoughts on Netflix’s game-changing Daredevil. I rarely speak in hyperbole but as I finished up Season One’s finale in the wee hours last night, I could only sit in awe after what I had just witnessed.

For my money, the series is arguably the best production that has come from Marvel Entertainment, including the big screen. I put it right up there with the first Iron Man and Captain America: Winter Soldier in terms of having the overall package–excellent acting, story depth and emotion, and entertainment value.

Prior to this series, I had a pretty lukewarm interest in Daredevil as a comic or film adaptation–sorry, no cliche Ben Affleck cheapshots will be included here! But after being nudged into checking out this series by my buddy Miller, I have been won over big time! Bring on Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and the Defenders.

The top three things that I liked most about Netflix’s Daredevil television series are the:

#3 Creator. Marvel nailed it with its selection of small screen whiz Drew Goddard, who also has big screen sensibilities. His TV writing and producing credits include Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Lost. But his big screen resume, albeit smaller, is no joke either. Cloverfield is one of my favorite sci-fi thrillers in recent years and World World Z was pretty good fun–he wrote both.

#2 MA Rating. The only downside to this “like” is that I have been unable to watch the series with my little girls. I have been immersing them in a world of sci-fi and superhero movies but they had to sit this one out due to it’s graphic language and violence. But for their daddy, this has been a boon!

With all due respect to the “softer” Disney-influenced MCU, I have been longing for darker, grittier superhero stories that get down to the bone marrow (and yes, bones break on this show). From the crisp, on-location footage in the real Hell’s Kitchen to the abundance of nighttime scenes in back-alleys across New York City’s midtown, it feels real, and even haunting at times.

#1 Casting. I don’t know about you, but I knew nothing about Charlie Cox before this series. But I do now. The guy nailed it. His depiction of Matt Murdock (the lawyer) and Daredevil (the hero) are flawless, with the exception of him sounding eerily similar to Bale’s polarizing Dark Knight voice. But that’s splitting hairs.

As good as Cox is, Vincent D’Onofrio’s complex and disturbing depiction of Kingpin is magnificent. At times, he makes you empathetic to his cause based on his thoughtful, yet misguided view of saving the city as well as his troubled upbringing as a child, but then you remember how vicious and maniacal he can be when he literally rips a guy’s head off or chokes a perceived foe to death when he feels threatened.

The rest of the cast includes a collection of respected, veteran actors including Rosario Dawson, Deborah Ann Woll (of True Blood fame), Elden Henson, Vondie Curtis-Hall and Bob Gunton (who many remember for his brilliant, yet detestable depiction of Warden Norton in my favorite movie of all-time, The Shawshank Redemption).

If you haven’t watched the show, please watch it as soon as you have time. The beauty is that since it’s on Netflix, you can watch it conveniently at your own pace, on any device. If you don’t have Netflix, I strongly suggest that you consider forking over the few dollars per month in order to see this show.