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Cards on the table:T.V. Superheroes have been treated as the red headed step-brothers to their silver screen siblings for a while now, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”, “Arrow” and “Gotham” all fell woefully short of their potential, almost seeming apologetic about their source material. What we have here is a different kind of beast, one that sings it from the rooftops.
Drew Goddard and Steven S.Deknight have lovingly crafted a show that, without fear of contradiction can easily stand toe-to-toe with any of Marvel’s cinematic outings thus far. Taking place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe but opting for a different colour palate, mostly consisting of Black, Blue and tons of the Red stuff. Concerning itself with the question: While gods and Billionaires battle intergalactic Despots, who is there for the street level threat? The answer not being as simple as you’d think.Not so much dipping a toe as diving head first into Frank Miller’s work on the title pays dividends.
Plenty of catholic guilt playing as a backdrop to a chorus of broken bones and bloodshed. Gorgeous cinematography working to make their Hell’s Kitchen truly hellish but at the same time, one worth saving. On-the-nose dialogue that shows levity through the bleakness ( one character pondering on escalating estate premiums in the area “Every time one of them punches someone through a building.” Being a personal favourite.) and a feeling of what a Paul Schrader scripted Superhero would work out as is all well and good but You need solid casting to sell it.
Charlie Cox is an understated Matt Murdock, brooding but not overly so, a blind lawyer by day and masked vigilante by night’s fall, trying to clean up a sordid city but not too averse to getting blood on his hands at the same time. Elden Henson’s Foggy is spot-on as the beating heart amongst all the dead eyed retribution and then there’s Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin………I’m first to admit, I couldn’t see him (no pun intended) in the role but Christ, he’s delivered and then some.
Layered, tragic, dark, a Keyser Soze type Boogeyman, how the best villains are portrayed, when they are certain their actions are of the morally righteous variety. Some stand out moments have been hark backs to early Scorsese and “OldBoy” but it’s definitely it’s own beast. I’m 6 episodes through and it could all go the way of the pear, but cards on the table? I’m all in.
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