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LAKER REVIEW
FRIDAY, April 17, 2015
‘Marvel’s Daredevil’ violent, gritty portrayal of superheroics Ronel Puello Laker Review Editor rpuello@oswegonian.com
Most people look visibly puzzled or just outright laugh when you mention Marvel Comics’ Daredevil as a character. He’s a blind lawyer by day who dresses like a crimson luchador and protects an ugly, irrelevant neighborhood by night. Hell, most people probably said, “You mean they made a sequel to that so-so Ben Affleck movie?” when it was announced that Netlflix would be co-producing a long-format television show based on the titular crimson crusader. “Marvel’s Daredevil” keeps a lot of the Catholic moral questions of right and wrong and light-hearted legal banter that the movie did so well, but this new adaptation of the mythos does away with campy costumes and absolutely cheesy dialogue (You’ve come a long way from Bullseye, haven’t you Colin Farrell?) for a much more realistic and true-to-life portrayal of an albeit above-average man trying to make a difference in his community. Our eponymous hero in red, Matt Murdock, is played by Charlie Cox,
Photo provided by independent.co.uk Charlie Cox plays the socially conscious ninja dealing out blind justice to the crime lords plaguing Hell’s Kitchen, New York.
who also recently played another doomed Irish romantic on the fantastic “Boardwalk Empire.” The main villain is played by Vincent D’Onofrio, who is most known for his “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” stint. He plays the entrancing and enigmatic crime lord and philanthropist Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin. The main thing that stands out about the protagonist/antagonist and, by extension, the rest of the cast, is how vulnerable and fragile they all are.
These characters all feel like real people; they bleed, they cry, they all pray for a better tomorrow. Although this takes place within the canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s difficult to see these grounded characters bump shoulders with the likes of the lofty, worldshattering exploits of “The Avengers” or “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Knowing that Murdock sees and deals with the harsh realities of urban life in and out of costume, Netflix held back nothing and shows the grue-
some effects that organized crime, poverty and violence can have on New York. The violence can be a bit much at times, especially for those with weak stomachs, but it stays true to the comic’s gritty, Frank Miller-helmed stint of the 1970s sans the misogyny or the cynicism. The fight choreography on this show is absolutely incredible and would make the likes of Tony Jaa look twice. The cinematographer is careful not to let the acrobatics rule the
camera’s movement, as you get clear and stark images of Daredevil laying a veritable smack down on armed thugs across rooftops and in dingy dockside warehouses. It seems that every henchman and goon in New York seems to be some sort of black belt, but nonetheless it makes for an exciting watch, as every fight for Murdock feels like it could be his last if he makes one slip-up. The show also strikes a delicate balance between legal maneuvers and martial arts ones. The idealistic and eminently likable law partner Foggy Nelson, played by Elden Henson (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1”), and anti-damsel-in-distress legal secretary Karen Page played, by True Blood’s Deborah Ann Woll, provided much of the plucky comedic effect that forms the backbone of the law firm of Nelson and Murdock. “Daredevil” proves that Marvel can do a premium-format, serious superhero television show and it certainly sets the stage for the other Netlfix-based adaptations of the street-level heroes it wants to put on the map. It’s not as cheesy or awkward as the CW’s teenage melodramas “Arrow” or “The Flash” and it has something artful to contribute to the superhero genre and the medium of television.
Fifth season of ‘Game of Thrones’ amps up intrigue, danger JoAnn DeLauter Asst. News Editor jdelauter@oswegonian.com
The fifth season of Game of Thrones premiered April 12 at 9 p.m. with viewers glued to their TVs and computers anticipating another heartbreaking thrill ride of a season. The first episode, titled “The Wars To Come,” sets the tone for what is expected to be a season that changes everything. Viewers thought they knew what would happen to the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros until this premiere. “Game of Thrones” not only has a talent for character development, but also for putting forth unanticipated events that make viewers beg for another episode. Watching this last episode, makes viewers think back to the beginning of the series. So much has changed since we left the show. Key characters have grown, family ties have bridged and new alliances have been formed. The recap in the beginning of
the episode captivated all of the high intense moments of the last season leaving many stories a clean slate for the director’s creativity. The season started off with a flashback to Cersei Lannister as a child, played by Nell Williams. This flashback was a genius transition into the new season. Not only did it reference what has happened, but it also revealed an unavoidable outcome. The parallel between child Cersei and adult Cersei was unmistakable. The mannerisms and the dialogue of child Cersei was almost identical to adult Cersei. We then jump forward as Cersei is mourning the death of her father Tywin Lannister, who was killed by Tyrion Lannister. The next scene jumps to Tyrion escaping the capital and his execution to across the Narrow Sea. Tyrion’s current rigid look contrasts to the high class, eloquent style Tyrion had in previous seasons, yet the wine glass in his hand shows that he did not lose his personality. This episode reveals the potential for Tyrion to cross paths with Daenerys Targaryen. The thought of two fan favorite characters meeting creates more anticipation for viewers eager to
know more. Daenerys Targaryen will experience her own challenges this season as queen of Meereen. Once returning to her locked away dragons, the audience gets a sense of a mistake that might affect her in the long run. If she completely loses control of the two dragons that she has, she doesn’t have much to defend her credibility to reach her goals of retaking the Iron Throne of Westeros. The timing of Brienne of Tarth played by Gwendoline Christie almost crossing paths with Arya Stark shows the writer’s use of plot and character placement that teases the audience. The character of Sansa Stark, played by Sophie Turner, has showed a slight change throughout the seasons yet the audience can only hope that her new position with Littlefinger, played by Aidan Gillen, will give her the power she needs to reaffirm her family’s place in power. Traveling north, after Stannis Baratheon and his army defeated the Wildlings, the conflict between these two groups highlights the ongoing political conflicts that exist throughout the whole sea-
Photo provided by hbo.com Sophie Turner and Aidan Gillen play a dangerous game for the Iron Throne of Westeros.
son. The Wildlings act as an outsider group to the more civilized Baratheon army. Yet this episode really captures the honor that still lies in the Wildlings despite the contrast in their uncivilized behavior. Jon Snow plays a major role in this episode, which leaves viewers predicting that he will become stronger and have more of a leadership role. This sense of
honor hits a peak with a proud and poignant ending. The premiere set a great layout for another emotional season, yet the episode left the audience still wondering about the stories untold. Such as the fate of the rest of the Stark children and other important families, which leaves the audience waiting for intrigue and danger in the next episodes.