Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Daredevil: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 2, 2017

The seemingly endless battle between comic book heroes and their respective villains has been ongoing since the format's inception, and the writers and animators have found a way to keep their fans coming back for more, issue after issue, year after year. What is it that prompts such a following, what creative secret formula have the authors discovered that not only keeps old fans, but continuously draws in new ones? Is it the nuts-and-bolts story mechanics of various clashes and revelations? Probably not, not exclusively, anyway, though the (mostly) linear A-B narrative is certainly a major part of the appeal. Never mind that some of the stories are immensely complex while others would make a literature professor or maybe even casual reader cringe, but any good writer knows there needs to be more than just action. Perhaps the draw is instead the struggle, not just between good and evil on the surface but between and within the characters themselves, characters who are often deeply flawed and, with the best of them, an understandable and maybe even sympathetic blend of good and evil. Every great character has a little Hulk in them. Daredevil certainly fits that mold, and even if it's only a single season's worth of television rather than decades of complex comic book characterizations and arcs, the televised format allows plenty of space to explore the driving concepts of good, evil, justice, fairness, and what it really means to protect and to serve.

Daredevil chronicles the life of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer by day and a masked vigilante by night. Murdock loses both his eyesight and his father at a young age and spends his life coming to terms with his new realities. As he does so, and as he begins to physically recover from the accident that took his eyesight, his other senses become heightened. But rather than simply regurgitate comic book and character basics and move forward, the show gradually and eloquently, in a series of beautifully realized flashbacks, explores his past and allows the viewer to become more absorbed in his world and understand the finer points, not simply the crude maneuvers, that created the Daredevil crimefighting persona, juxtaposed against the blind law-abiding attorney.

Daredevil doesn't simply stop with the in-depth exploration of its title character. The show devotes plenty of screen time and resources to its villain and secondary characters, too. The television format's breathing room is one the greatest assets at its disposal, and the show runners have made use of every second available to them in properly and enticingly, not generically or out of structural necessity, even, exploring a significant amount of depth for its supportive and secondary players, elevating them to integral cogs necessary to the show's inner workings, particularly through the season's second half. Villain Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) is arguably the season's best developed and most intimately realized character. D'Onofrio's performance is stellar, perhaps the best of his career, and as the actors' work and as the character's story comes into greater focus (partly through flashbacks, as was the case with Murdock), the inherent dichotomy of good and evil within him becomes more obvious, making for one of the most rewarding forays into the villainous mind ever depicted on the screen. The show never shies away from diving headfirst into that gray area that defines both Murdock and Fisk. Are Daredevil's actions justified in the name of stopping evil? Could Fisk's have found himself on a different path? Can one understand their justifications for their actions and their dueling, yet oddly similar, personas?

The show's good-evil, vigilantism-justice core concepts are magnified and more deeply explored considering the juxtaposition of Murdock's career of lawyer by day and career of vigilante by night. The inner conflict between his appreciation for legal justice and thirst for street justice offers one of the most compelling conflicts within the show and reinforces that sense of inner turmoil and drive that's at its heart, both Murdock's and Fisk's. But Daredevil makes sure the audience feels it, rather than simply see and hear it. The show intelligently, candidly, and complexly digs deep into inner turmoil and conflict as characters question their own values and beliefs about what constitutes "good," "bad," "hero," and "villain." Viewers may frequently find themselves sympathizing with, maybe even rooting for, Fisk. It's amazingly complex stuff, accessible but very smart and very methodical in approach. And that's the draw. Conflict is wonderfully realized, more internal than external, and characterization is as strong as any superhero-branded bit of entertainment that's come before it.

It's really amazing how breathing room and understanding of the depth within the source can elevate material to the heights Daredevil enjoys. With more screen time in one season than most Superheroes earn in a series of films (even all of the Spider-Man variations), Marvel's TV program molds itself into a marvel of storytelling with the sort of depth the putrid Ben Affleck film couldn't even touch and that's usually reserved for high-point film series, like Christopher Nolan's Batman pictures. The show certainly begins slowly, methodically, taking time and taking care to introduce and develop its characters along that razor's edge. The show thrives on a dark and sometimes difficult tone, its momentum ever-increasing but incrementally so, its visually dark and often thematically bleak structure slowly taking shape as the episode count mounts. It takes a few episodes to become fully immersed, but once the show grabs the viewer, it's relentless in its drive to become the defying portrait of one of the most fascinating superheroes of his generation and, now, one of the most richly realized beyond the page.

Daredevil: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Daredevil: The Complete First Season was originally produced for Netflix, and it's hard to imagine the program looking this good on the streaming service. Disney's 1080p Blu-ray presentation is frequently stunning, revealing amazingly intimate and clear details while retaining a slightly (and deliberately) roughhewn look. The show was digitally photographed, but beyond some blasts of source noise in lower light shots (which is much of the show), it nearly passes for film, texturally. There a grittiness about the show that even the digital source captures quite authentically. Textural nuance is incredible. Faces are showcases for about the most extreme, razor-sharp details the Blu-ray format can yield at 1080p. Pores, scruff, bumps and other imperfections, even beads of sweat pose no challenge, presenting with immaculate up-close-and-personal, lifelike definition. Much the same can be said for any of the show's locations. Murdock's rather pedestrian, almost industrial apartment; closed-in and dingy police station interrogation rooms; offices; hospitals; restaurants; garages; city streets; alleyways...wherever the show happens to go, incredible textural depth and complexity follow.

Colors are very rich and pleasing, at least when the situation warrants. Much of the show is dark, and significantly so. Red and green pushes are not uncommon, particularly at night, but brighter daytime and evenly lit interiors favor a contrasting neutrality and vibrancy. No matter the condition, Daredevil's Blu-ray nails its colors. Blacks are inky deep, maybe on the edge and occasionally stepping a foot over the line into crush, but it's hard to argue with the textural and dramatic significance of the show's darker scenes and how the absorbing blacks benefit the show's cadence. Flesh tones are fine, falling in-line with any given moment's lighting and contrast demands. Beyond the aforementioned noise, there are no source or encode flaws of note. This is a terrific presentation from Disney.

Daredevil: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Daredevil: The Complete First Season's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack makes use of the entire stage, sometimes in a clearly elaborate manner and at others in a more subtle reflection of the title character's enhanced auditory capabilities. Emphasizing far-off dialogue, heartbeats, or other necessary tell-tale signs are fairly common, with fine full-on delivery and clarity, albeit sometimes a little muddled for effect if the sound is some distance away. At other times, sounds can effortlessly whirl around the listener. In fact, it only takes minutes into the show to appreciate the track's spaciousness and fluidity. Music moves along the 360-degree plane during Daredevil's first crimefighting encounter. The transition around the stage comes smoothly and seamlessly, a remarkable effect and particularly so considering the lack of additional rear-channel supports. More traditionally oriented music enjoys excellent width and detail. Action scenes feature plenty of impactful hits and crashes. Gunfire pops with excellent stage command and zip. Environmental qualities are effortlessly fulfilling, transporting the listener into bustling police precincts, city streets, or bars. Surrounds carry a healthy and balanced bit of the environmental load, and the track's sense of place comes seamlessly. Dialogue is clear and detailed with excellent front-center positioning and prioritization, even in louder environments or in hushed whispers.

Daredevil: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Daredevil: The Complete First Season contains no supplemental content.

Daredevil: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Daredevil is a fantastic show. Never mind simply praising it within the Superhero realm. It's fantastic television compared even to any of today's top programs. Characterization is off-the-charts levels of excellence, and the performances are equally stellar. Production design is fantastic, the show oozes dramatic complexity and thematic heft even in its technical execution. It's a wonderful show that absolutely nails the long-form superhero and villain dynamic. Daredevil: The Complete First Season's Blu-ray is only short of a good supplemental package from being remembered as one of 2016's best Blu-ray releases. Video and audio are certainly right up there. Very highly recommended.