This movie feels like a leftover from the '90's. You know, the type of slick looking and fast going movie, that doesn't feature any real action in it but instead is being a very talkative one. A cheap movie, disguised as a big one through its slick style and by featuring some big name actors in it. These type of movies can work out, when they are some well written and/or fun ones to watch. Neither of that is the case with this movie though.

No, this is not a totally horrible movie but it's a very forgettable one, that isn't doing anything special and is often lacking in the execution. It's never an interesting enough movie, never a tense enough one, never engaging and not a very surprising one either.

The problem is really with the story. It just isn't a very well written or tight one, that's lacking in every department. So all of the thriller, crime, drama and romantic elements are incredibly lacking in this, which turns the movie into a below average one. It's all a bit too simplistic, yet the movie still manages to feel very messy with both its story and storytelling as well. Because of all of this, it never becomes a pleasant movie to watch.

I also strongly feel that another problem with its story and the approach to it is that it never feels realistic and organic enough. The way persons make certain choices, the way people approach and talk to each other. Nothing feels real. It's hard to get behind any of the characters and the situations that they are in when none of it feels real. It besides gives the movie way too much room to constantly come up with new stuff, that's coming out of nowhere and it allows the movie to go overboard with certain developments and events, which ultimately also becomes quite annoying after a while.

Fair is fair; Justin Timberlake is a pretty good actor though. Always have been really and he's also a good and likable enough main character in this movie, though he clearly was struggling as well at times with the material. Ben Affleck on the other hand feels totally miscast. He's playing an almost invincible and tough crime boss, that's pulling a lot of strings. He however never comes across as anyone threatening in this, or as even someone powerful. Casting Ben Affleck as a bad guy seems like a pretty odd and unlikely choice in the first place and it's also a gamble that doesn't pay off. Not saying that he's a bad actor but he simply was miscast and feels horribly out of place in this.

It isn't the worst movie you can watch but it still is a very forgettable and mishandled one.

5/10

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When a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Brad Furman

Starring: Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton and others

Current release date: October 4, 2013

When a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur. From: IMDb.com

When a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur. From: IMDb.com

When a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Brad Furman

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and others

Current release date: September 27, 2013

A businessman who owns an offshore gambling operation finds his relationship with his protégé reaching a boiling point. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Brad Furman

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and others

Current release date: September 27, 2013

After visiting Mont Saint-Michel, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Marina meets a priest and fellow exile, who is struggling with his vocation, while Neil renews his ties with a childhood friend, Jane. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Terrence Malick

Starring: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem and others

Current release date: April 12, 2013

After visiting Mont Saint-Michel, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Marina meets a priest and fellow exile, who is struggling with his vocation, while Neil renews his ties with a childhood friend, Jane. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Terrence Malick

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Olga Kurylenko, Ben Affleck and others

Current release date: April 12, 2013

The craziest and wildest stories often are based on facts. This movie features a seemingly unlikely and also unconvincing concept, were it not for the fact that it got based on a true story.

Of course the movie is not being entirely truthful. You can pretty much tell the final 30 minutes, or so, of the movie are fictional, or at the very least heavily exaggerated and the same can be said for some of the other events and characters in this movie. That's fine however, since all of this contributes to the entertainment value of the movie and helps to keep things going and interesting to watch.

Despite the fact that it's all based on a true story, I can still see how someone dislikes this movie for its somewhat silly main premise. It seems like such an unlikely and needlessly complicated plan to get a bunch of people out of Iran but to quote a line from the movie 'out of all the bad ideas, this one was the best', or something along those lines. Just go along with it, like all of the characters in this movie did as well and you'll enjoy and appreciate the movie for what it's doing.

And luckily the movie itself also doesn't take things too seriously, or makes things unnecessarily heavy. I won't call the movie a comedy but it definitely has some comedy aspects to it, mostly with its writing. You could say this movie is well balanced with all of its dramatic and more entertaining aspects and also successfully blends the two different elements together, something not an awful lot of movies can successfully manage to do.

Thing I also really loved about the movie is that it's being a period piece and a very convincing and detailed looking one. The entire movie is set in 1979 and 1980 and the movie does a great job capturing the atmosphere of its time, complete with its makeup, costumes, hair styles and production design.

Another thing the movie gets uplifted by are its performances. Besides directing, Ben Affleck also starred in the movie and actually played the lead role. It's a very restrained role by him, so please don't expect him to do an awful lot of heroic stuff or to come across as a strong and perfect person. But it's still mostly the supporting cast that impresses in this movie, with actors such as John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and Alan Arkin. I wouldn't be surprised if Arkin gets nominated for an Oscar again, for his role in this movie.

It's a really fine and perfectly watchable movie, still mainly due to its successful and effective blend of entertainment and drama.

8/10

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(Review originally written at 23 April 2008)

Ehren Kruger has written some good things in his life but this movie really isn't one of them. It's an overwritten script, with completely unnecessary twists and turns that tries to make the movie look more clever than it in fact really is. Instead it makes the movie a completely implausible one and the movie would had worked out much better if it was just a brainless simple action flick.

Also sort of sad that director John Frankenheimer had to end his career with movies such as this. In the '60's he was a great director who made movies such as "Birdman of Alcatraz", "All Fall Down", "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Grand Prix" and in the '70's with movies such as "French Connection II" and "Black Sunday". Yet he remains best known to the general public for the movies he did in his later career, of which this movie is one of them.

Problem is really the movie its script. On the one hand it's a simple action movie script that's hanging together from its coincidence while on the other hand it tries to be a really clever one, involving around a 'criminal master plan', that however instead comes across as really stupid in the end.

The movie also suffers from some poor casting choices. It has a great cast but yet not everyone feels like he's at the right place. I'm no Ben Affleck hater but this just wasn't the right role for him to play. He felt miscast, also since he often approached his character more in a comical way than in a serious action movie way, it seemed to me. Gary Sinise is a great actor but he doesn't really play a good and strong enough villain in this movie, also because of his crazy look perhaps. Other actors such as Dennis Farina really aren't given enough room in his movie to shine, which is a real wasted opportunity.

It's not like this movie is the worst the genre currently has to offer but it's not exactly one of the best or most memorable movies either. It's still a movie that mildly entertains, or at least it's not a movie that ever really bores, so the movie still remains somewhat watchable when there really isn't anything better on TV or to rent for you.

5/10

(Review originally written at 4 April 2006)

I had seen the theatrical version of "Daredevil" a couple of months ago. I hated it. I thought it was dreadful and it was lacking in its story, characters and pace. The movie was incredibly weak and totally uninteresting to watch because it lacked substance. Still I decided to give the director's cut a chance. I'm glad I did, for the Director's cut is so much better to watch. The pace is better, the story makes more sense and the characters are more involving. The theatrical version was lame, the Director's cut is awesome!

The Director's cut takes its time to build up the story and its characters. The Director's cut is about 30 minutes longer than the original version and most of that time is spend on extended scene's with the characters. Suddenly because of that not only the characters but also the story became more understandable and interesting. Especially the villains became so much better. Colin Farrell as Bullseye gets more opportunity to show his coolness and his character became so much more cooler now. He also really seemed to be enjoying himself playing this villainous over-the-top role. Same goes for Michael Clarke Duncan. Main reason why his character didn't really worked in the original version was because his character had quite limited screen time. The only part of the movie in which he was prominent present was the ending. In the Director's cut he gets to show more evil and his character becomes so much more villainous. Also the Joe Pantoliano character no longer makes a pointless impression and he gets to play a way more important part in the movie. Same goes for the Leland Orser, Derrick O'Connor and Erick Avari characters. Because the movie takes its time to build up the characters suddenly everything in the movie just makes more sense and everything suddenly fits and feels right.

Because the story flows so much better I can now actually say that "Daredevil" is a really cool movie to watch. The action sequences also suddenly are way more exciting. They are nicely choreographed and edited together.

Sure, the movie still does have its flaws and it still is far from the best superhero comic-book movie ever made but its just the fact that the Director's cut is so incredibly much better than the original theatrical version that causes my sudden (late) enthusiasm for this movie.

Lets do the world a favor, lets all burn the theatrical versions and lets all embrace the Director's cut.

7/10

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