I just posted a review on IFDB and concur with the general acclaim your work has received.
And speaking of shelf-life and Evil Dead, don't write your edit off yet. Though I loved the remake Evil Dead 2 (not the 2013 atrocity), I still watch the original when I feel like seeing more old fashioned horror.
If the Netflix series doesn't quench people's thirst for Frank Miller's creations, I'd be curious to see what you could do with the film Elektra.
I apologize if my review meanders, but I didn't feel like editing it down.
Uncanny Antman said:
Thanks for the review, Workshed. (Evil Dead 2?)
I think you pretty much nailed my own view of the finished edit, both good and bad.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think the shelf-life of my edit is almost at an end. Once the Netflix series comes out, I can't imagine many people wanting to go visit this one again.
IFDB review:
Daredevil was a movie I wanted to like but couldnât. Sure it was occasionally fun, but the CGI silliness, OTT antics, and convoluted plot obscured what could have been a engaging and relatable origin story. There were enough worthwhile elements to make me hopeful for the spinoff Elektra, but I was sorely disappointed, and while Daredevil seemed good by comparison, a second viewing of it on DVD reminded me how bad it really was.
I originally couldnât find a different Uncanny Antman (UA) fanedit I was looking for, so I thought Iâd sample a portion of one of his other works just to see what he could do. I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the end of his âDaredevil: The Man Without Fearâ fanedit without dropping it or hitting fast play, and feeling eager for more.
The opening title sequence with the Marvel Knights logo was an auspicious beginning. The focused prologue with its simple human drama was satisfying but felt unfamiliar, almost as if I was watching a reboot, but using the same actors. Only when it came to Affleckâs initial outing as Daredevil (DD) did I start to feel anything was amiss. The transition almost directly into DDâs violent confrontation felt abrupt, though a first time viewer might not notice anything missing. However, that concern dissipated as the rapid pace of the story carried me along and I realized showing DDâs initial foray without preamble symbolized the rudderless state of his life at that point and makes his self-affirmation at the end all the more powerful.
My biggest gripe is the lack of buildup to DDâs romance with Elektra. While I agree with the artistic reasons for cutting Affleckâs initial athletic flirtation with Garner, I felt their romantic development was already underdeveloped in the theatrical cut. I like UAâs restructuring to eliminate flashbacks, but perhaps one or two flashbacks to that cut scene could have been used to lend credibility to their romance. Unfortunately the two leads have no other costarring roles to mine for new material and I doubt Pearl Harbor had anything useful given Garnerâs small role in it, but possibly scenes shot from the perspective of her love interest (implying itâs DDâs perspective) in some other role(s) sheâd played couldâve been inserted to support the romance. Still, sufficient chemistry shone through and I was satisfied with where things ended.
The soundtrack UA ended up with felt perfect and did not distract from the unfolding of the story like in the theatrical cut. The audio and visual transitions themselves felt seamless. I wouldâve like to have seen more contrast in some of the night scenes, especially since DD can âseeâ in the dark, but I understand the limitations of the source material and the symbolism of keeping things in the shadow.
By the end of this edit, I felt the right amount was told about Daredevil, but to expand the story in a satisfying way wouldâve required a whole nother feature film. The original can be put in storage and this fanedit can be put on the shelf as a worthy professional quality replacement.
Bonus points for the fantastic DVD menu and extras UA produced for his release. The âRemoved Materialâ while interesting examples of filmmaking technique certainly did not belong in the film proper. The fictitious âReturn of the Kingpinâ teaser makes for an interesting what-if. âLaw & Order: Hellâs Kitchenâ if actually produced could bring me back to watching police procedurals. Finally the âNelson & Murdockâ 80âs TV spoof almost makes me think Netflix should just skip their upcoming Daredevil series and go directly to a wacky retro procedural spinoff. I look forward to watching more features and shorts from this editor.