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Daredevil (2003) Ben Affleck ........................... Matt Murdoch/Daredevil Jennifer Garner ..................... Elektra Natchios Colin Farrell ............................ Bullseye Michael Clark Duncan ............ The Kingpin/Wilson Fisk Leland Orser ....................... Wesley Owen Welch Synopsis Darker than its popular comic-book predecessor Spider-Man, the $80 million extravaganza Daredevil was packaged for maximum global appeal, its juvenile plot beginning when 12-year-old Matt Murdock is accidentally blinded shortly before his father is murdered. Later an adult attorney in New York's Hell's Kitchen, Murdock (Ben Affleck) uses his remaining, superenhanced senses to battle crime as Daredevil, the masked and vengeful "man without fear," pitted against dominant criminal Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and the psychotic Bullseye (Colin Farrell), who can turn almost anything into a deadly projectile. Daredevil is well matched with the dynamic Elektra (Jennifer Garner), but their teaming is as shallow as the movie itself, which is peppered with Marvel trivia and cameo appearances (creator Stan Lee, Clerks director and Daredevil devotee Kevin Smith) and enough computer-assisted stuntwork to give Spidey a run for his money. This is Hollywood product at its most lavishly vacuous; die-hard fans will argue its merits while its red-leathered hero swoops and zooms toward a sequel. From Amazon.com Availability Video and DVD. The Leland Factor The Theatrical Release: An extension of Michael Clarke Duncan's right hand. The Director's Cut: Has his own nifty subplot. Allison's Review Overall, not a bad film, though the theatrical release does have some gaping plot holes which the director's cut fixed to some degree. I liked all the performances (yes, even Ben Affleck's), and I thought the use of Evanescence's "My Immortal" for the funeral scene was beautiful ("Bring Me To Life" later in the film felt awkwardly placed, though). In the theatrical release, Leland, as Wesley, has very little to do except wear expensive suits and say "Yes, sir" to Wilson Fisk. He's basically the guy's chief flunky, so he usually shows up when Michael Clarke Duncan does. But per usual Leland makes the most of a small role. I loved watching him in the scene with Fisk and Nikolas Natchios; his eyes kept nervously wandering like he would rather have been anywhere but there. But slap Wesley in public and his entire demeanor changes. I thought Leland's smirk as he descended the stairs with Fisk at the ball was fabulous. That led to his one real line in the movie, getting snarky with Jon Favreau's Foggy Nelson. And I couldn't help but giggle when Fisk moved Wesley off to one side--Leland's expression was so put-out. His last scene is with Fisk towards the end of the movie, before the final showdown with Daredevil. Another expensive suit and Leland sputtering beautifully. His hair in the movie is apparently a topic of humor with the other Leland fans I've encountered, but personally it's been growing on me. :) In the director's cut, Wesley's presence in the film is expanded. He leads us into Fisk's office, where the man proceeds to murder his two bodyguards right in front of Wesley, who apparently doesn't like violence. Wesley got a twitch but kept his cool. I thought the added scene was a good introduction for his unease in the scene with Natchios. An extra scene at the ball has Foggy admiring Wesley's cufflinks, trying to schmooze, and Wesley basically smacked him back into place as the low-class lawyer that he was. Leland was wonderfully condescending--I loved it. There are also two new shots of him in the scene with Fisk at the end, adding more to the conversation. He also gets his own subplot which explains why the police were coming for Fisk at the end of the movie. Murdock and Nelson were representing a man accused of killing a prostitute, and the reporter Ben Urich was also following the case. Apparently the prostitute had been Urich's informant regarding the Kingpin. Murdock and Nelson discovered a clue in the prostitute's apartment which eventually led Nelson to suspect Wesley as her killer. He tipped off Urich, who informed the police. A detective went to visit Wesley at an after-hours bar, after Fisk had sent him and the guards home. I loved Leland in this scene--he was apparently a bit sloshed, and very dour and monotone. The detective offered Wesley a plea bargain when he wouldn't talk, and you could see something like a spark of hope in his eyes, like he thought he might be able to get away from the Kingpin alive. Or not--he appears once more at the very end of the movie, in the prison cell next to Fisk's, leaning on the bars and looking despondent. I felt pretty bad for him. Verdict If you must see it, rent the Director's Cut and get more Leland for your buck. /back |