6 APRIL 22-MAY 5, 2015 /THE WESTERN SUN

Marvel’s latestNetflix seriesredefines genre

CHARLIE COX stars as “The Daredevil” in the new Netflix series.

Television

He’s the ‘Devil’ you want to know

By Thom deMartinoWestern Sun entertainment editor

He’s “the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen” who fights on the side of the angels.

As a child, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) was blinded by chemicals in an traffic accident, after heroically push-ing a bystander out of the way: but in a strange twist, he developed dramati-cally heightened senses as a side effect. Orphaned in his youth by the murder of his father, a boxer who refused to throw a fight, Murdock grew up to be-come a lawyer to fight for the power-less through lawful channels, along with his partner “Foggy” Nelson (El-den Henson).

But at night, he dons a black mask and costume, doing whatever he can to help the helpless: hunting down crimi-nals, while both giving out as well as taking beatings as he hones his skills and methods to aid his city, New York’s “Hell’s Kitchen” neighborhood.

Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’onofrio), on the other hand, is a man so powerful and secretive that his name is only spo-ken in whispers. After the massive de-struction wrought in the Battle of New York (from the first “Avengers” film,) he’s taken the lead, through shell com-panies and subtlety, to try and rebuild his city himself, shaping it into his own vision of the future...regardless of the cost in dollars, or in blood.

Two men, two visions of a better city, two completely opposing modus operandi – and an inevitable, simmer-ing conflict, certain to come to a boil.

Marvel’s “Dare-devil,” an original Netflix series, has bowled over both critics and viewers alike. Darker, grittier and more violent than the yawn-fest that was the 2003 Ben Af-fleck movie version, this iteration of the popular comic book hero has been widely received as one of the best adaptations in recent memory, comparable to the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman genesis film, “Batman Begins.” See-ing heroes we know and love in their early days and struggles, finding their

paths through the darkness without los-ing their souls and humanity, are often some of the best aspects of the origin story, in whatever genre or medium.

One of the finest aspects of this se-ries is the intricate level of character development: every single character

seems human and re-latable on some level; the protagonists have flaws, the antagonists have their demons, and their reasons for what they do. When one of the players are killed, the viewer genuinely feels the loss, even when it’s a “bad guy” – you’re sad to see them go, you know you’ll miss the complexities and charm of that indi-vidual.

Speaking of sympathies, there’s not enough that can be said about Vincent D’onofrio’s superlative and multi-lay-ered portrayal of the criminal master-mind Fisk. In his own words, he’s “not

cruel for the sake of cruelty,” he just does what he has to – what he must – to make his city better, regardless of the body count... or the lonely isolation of his solitary existence.

You actually empathize with this man who is brutal and calculating, yet with a kind of gentle, awkward vul-nerability below the surface, particu-larly when he slowly lets the beautiful art gallery curator Vanessa Marianna (Ayelet Zurer) into his complicated world.

Some shout-outs to other actors in the series for their adept performances: Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, a woman set up for murder in order to shut her up about corporate misdeeds, exonerated by Nelson and Murdock, but still with some dark secrets of her own; Vondie Curtis-Hall for his por-trayal of reporter Ben Urich, a man coming to terms with the changing of the news media and his relevance in an increasingly digitally-driven world;

and particularly to Toby Leonard Moore as James Wesley, Fisk’s right-hand man and lieutenant, the man who gets things done – what could have been just a two-dimensional flunky, becomes a complex, loyal companion to his boss – his friend.

One last note – the fight scenes are remarkable. While often brutal and violent, the fight choreography is abso-lutely stunning, by all actors involved – frankly, better than in most mainstream action films. There’s a fight scene in the second episode that feels like it goes on for 15 minutes straight, and you’re on the edge of your seat with amazement for every second (some have suggested it may be a tribute to a scene from the original 2003 “Oldboy” action film.)

“Daredevil” is remarkable in it’s scope and depth, a treat to watch that redefines what a comic-based televi-sion show should aspire to. If any of the other upcoming Marvel Netflix se-ries, such as “Jessica Jones” or “Luke Cage” are even close to this good, we have an incredible year of binge-watching ahead of us. H H H H

Two men, two visions of a

better city and an inevitable

simmering conflict, certain to come

to a boil.