Daniel J. Stasiewski, A&E Editor
The Behrend Beacon
‘Daredevil’ doesn't fly high
Review by Daniel J. Stasiewski
Daredevil owes much of its existence to the success of 2002’s
highest-grossing film, “Spider-Man.” After the web-crawler spun
his way to a $ll4 million opening weekend, 20th Century Fox upped
the budget of its superhero film more than 50 percent, from $5O
million to $BO million. The extra cash delivered an expanded visual
effects budget, as well as the legendary fight choreography Chang-
Yan Yuen.
With an additional $3O million of potential, the “Daredevil” film
makers decided it would be best to follow the formula that created
Spider-Man. From the opening credit sequence to the visual ef
fects to the music, the film is an aesthetic carbon copy of the block
buster. It only “Daredevil’ had the story and tone to back up the
uninspired visuals, maybe the film wouldn’t feel so overdone.
After a childhood accident left him blind, Matt Murdoch (Ben
Affleck) discovered his remaining senses were heightened to the
extreme. His biggest acquisition was radar, allowing him to see ob
jects by the sound they emit. Even after losing his sight, his primary
childhood nightmare was the murder of his father at the hands of an
unknown assailant. Filled with a terrible resolve, Murdoch became
Daredevil.
As a lawyer, Murdoch fights for justice in the courts, but knows
real justice can only be achieved by taking down New York’s mys
terious Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan). Murdoch, however,
doesn t know the Kingpin is actually the behemoth business tycoon
Wilson Fisk.
Fisk isn’t worried about his criminal ways until partner Nikolaos
Natchios attempts to leave the obviously corrupt company. Without
Natchios, the crime trail will lead only to him. Instead of letting
Natchios get away clean, Fisk guides the Kingpin investigation right
to Natchios and hires an assassin named Bullseye (Colin Farrell) to
kill his partner. But Natchios’ daughter Elecktra (Jennifer Gamer)
won’t let her father’s murderer go unpunished.
Elecktra, who is in a relationship with Murdoch, goes hunting for
the murderer, and Daredevil follows behind protecting her. When
Elecktra confronts her father’s killer. Daredevil is finally able to
find the evil Kingpin and the man who killed his father.
The problem isn’t that “Daredevil” isn’t fun; it’s that it’s way too
much fun. “Daredevil” takes everything that was remotely cool about
“Spider-Man” and turns it into two hours of big effects sequences
and ferocious fight scenes without churning out much of anything
else.
Like “The Fast and the Furious,” “Daredevil” puts all it’s got into
the extreme eye candy but nothing into the actual plot. It’s hard to
Spears, Madonna lead the race for
worst film performances
by Olivia Page
staff writer
Britney Spears and Madonna are compet
ing to receive the worst actress award from
the 23 ,d annual "Golden Raspberry” awards.
The two are not the only ones feuding for
the worst actress award. Jennifer Lopez and
Winona Ryder also received worst actress
nominations, along with Angelina Jolie.
Spears and her film "Crossroads” have a
leading eight nominations from the Golden
Raspberry awards. Both Spears and the move
are competing for worst actress, worst pic
ture, most flatulent teen targeted movie,
worst screen couple, worst director, worst
screenplay, worst original song, and is com
peting with Madonna for the worst movie
stinker of 2002.
Madonna has four nominations for the
movie “Swept Away” and her cameo in “Die
Another Day.” "Swept Away” leads with
seven nominations. She has a nomination for
worse supporting actress in “Die Another
Day.” Madonna was also nominated for worst
supporting actress and worst original song
nominations for “Swept Away.” Her “Swept
Away” co-star Adriano Giannini is compet
ing for worst actor.
Madonna has 15 nominations in the his
tory of the “Razzies.” She has already won
six awards as worst actress in the movies
“Shanghai Surprise,” “Who’s that Girl,”
“Madonna: Truth or Dare,” “Four Rooms,”
and “Body of Evidence.” She has also re
ceived the worst supporting actress award for
“The Next Best Thing.”
Lopez is a worst actress nominee for mov
ies “Enough” and “Maid In Manhattan.”
Ryder’s “Mr. Deeds” and Jolie’s “Life or
Something” are also in the running for the
worst actress award. Lopez was nominated
for two movies last year.
Contenders for the worst actor award in
clude Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Steven
Segal, Roberto Benigni, and Giannini.
Murphy’s “The Adventures of Pluto Nash”
earned five nominations.'Murphy s other
nominations are “I Spy” and “Showtime.”
Sandler’s “Mr. Deeds” has three nominations
along with his other worst actor award for
“Eight Crazy Nights.” Benigni’s version of
“Pinncchio” scored six nominations.
a&e editor
keep up with the droppings of a story', not because it’s complicated,
but the rest of the film moves so erratically the story gets left be
hind.
It should come as no surprise that a film about a blind superhero
lacks vision. Director Mark Steven Johnson, in only his sophomore
effort, couldn’t recognize the difference between Daredevil and Spi
der-Man, the characters, and foolishly recycled 'Spider-Man.'’ the
movie. The campy tone that worked in last year's hit didn't fit
“Daredevil’s” gothic hero.
For example, every time the villian Bullseye comes on screen
he's more laughable than terrifying, and not just because Farrell
uses his real accent. He’s supposed to make “the man without fear”
shake in his red-leather boots. Instead, he rides in on his motorcycle
like a circus clown. At least Johnson doesn't use “Bad to the Bone”
for his theme song.
Britney Spears’ “Crossroads’’ is a Razzie gem.
“What inspired [the award] is I made a mis
take by going to a bad movie,” said John Wil
son, founder of the Raspberry Awards. He
wanted his money back but was not refunded.
About the attitude of the Razzies, Wilson
said, “It is insulting but it is not meant to be
offensive. It’s not a slap in the face. It’s a
banana peel on the floor. It is meant to be
funny.”
Although not many people actually accept
their awards, he said Bill Cosby asked for
his award. “Showgirl’s” Paul Verhoeven
came and accepted his worst director award,
as did last year’s winner Tom Green.
Don’t think that the Razzies is the only
group which rates the “bad” movies. E! En
tertainment Television features a worst movie
sequel list, which includes: “Star Wars: Epi
sode I—The1 —The Phantom Menace,” “Batman &
Robin,” “Speed 2: Cruise Control,”
“Caddyshack II,” “Book of Shadows: Blair
Witch 2,” “Jaws: The Revenge,” “Look
Who’s Talking Too,” “Trail of the Pink Pan
ther,” “Rocky IV” and “The Color of
Money.”
The Raspberry Awards will be held and an
nounced March 22, the night before the Os
cars in Santa Monica.
“Press love it, the industry doesn’t, TV net
works don’t like it and wish it would go
away,” said Wilson.
The awards were introduced in 1980. The
winners will receive a golf-ball sized rasp
berry atop a messed up reel of a super 8 film.
It is spray painted gold with a street value of
not even $5.
MIT 3 £
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Friday, February 21, 2003
'aves a pair
tming po<
50 Cent's much-hyped debut doesn't add
much to hip-hop genre
Review by Malcolm X Abram
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT)
During the first song on rapper 50 Cent's much
hyped full-length debut, "(let Rieli Or Die Try
ing," the listener will learn all he or she needs to
know about the 26-year-old, born Curtis Jaek-
He's a thug.
He's made a lot ot money selling drugs in his
neighborhood.
He has a very speeial personal relationship with
guns.
Women are primarily for passionless hump-
He's not to be trilled with beeause he will kill
you with one of the many, many guns he proudly
owns.
lie's been shot nine times, including once in
the face.
Marijuana is a constant companion.
Alcohol is a frequent companion.
He has no respect for Ja Rule.
Guns are very dangerous, and he'll be glad to
show you just how dangerous by mercilessly kill
ing you or someone you love.
Hyped by label owners Eminem (who guests
on two tracks) and Dr. Dre as some hybrid of
Tupac Shakur and Notorious 8.1. G., the Jamaica,
Queens, rapper has been making a name for him
self on the underground and mix tape circuit for
a couple of years with violent image-laden
freestyles, the humorous name-dropping "How
To Rob" and the Ja Rule diss "Wanksta."
Since 50 Cent's subject matter is straight out
of Gangster Rappin' 101, his biggest selling point
is his back story. According to his bio, he was
bom into a drug-dealing "dynasty" run by his
mother, who was eventually found murdered in
the streets before he hit his teens. The orphan
moved in with his grandparents, began selling
drugs and eventually found hip-hop.
With all that trauma early in his life, one might
hope for some of the perspective and introspec
tion that often turned up in the best work of his
idols Tupac and to a lesser degree Biggie, but
there is little of that to be found in the disc's 19
tracks. And, despite Eminem's boast on "Patiently
Waiting"-"Sprinkle some Big and some Pac and
you mix 'em up in a pot, sprinkle (another slain
underground favorite) Big L and what have you
got? You got the realest and illest killers tied up
I’ll give credit for easting Duncan as the Kingpin, but that doesn’t
make up for the waste of his talent. The same can be said for (iarner
and Farrell (am I missing someone'.’). Of course this isn’t a film
concerned with tremendous performances or sharp, insightful dia
logue. It’s all about people kicking ass and (iarner wearing that black
leather number. But that doesn't make it a good movie. Nope, not
even close.
out of
4 stars
Rapper 50 Cents is nothing new.
in a knot"—so C ent has neither MC's vivid flair
lor storytelling nor Big t.'s talent for searing
punch lines.
Consequently, "Get Rich or Die Trying" rides
on 50's smooth flow, his knack for catchy, lazily
delivered hooks and some sturdy beats provided
by Eminem, Dr. Dre, Roekwilder and others.
High points include (another) Ja Rule diss
"Back Down." where he manages to make using
Rule's given name of Jeffrey sound like an in
sult. The latest single, the very commercial "In
Da Club," is driven by Dre, who seems to have
become obsessed with the sound of staccato syn
thesized orchestra kicks.
On "Poor Til Rich," s()'s syrupy flow and too
seldom-tapped sense of humor are perfectly
matched with a circular synth line over a loping,
neck-snapping beat. The misogynistic "P.1.M.P."
uses contrasting melodies from steel drums and
Spanish-style acoustic guitar to take some of the
sting out of 50's standard claims of pimpdom.
"Get Rich or Die Trying" debuted in the top
spot on The Billboard 200, and it's guaranteed to
go multiplatinum quickly. But 50 Cent's hard
earned rise to the top isn't a harbinger of a new
voice in hip-hop. It's the sound of the same dead
horse being flogged from a few stylish new' angles
with a diamond-encrusted whip.
behrcolls@aol.com
'Daredevil, ' directed h\ Mark
Steven Johnson, starring Hen
Affleck. Jennifer (iarner,
Michael Clarke Duncan and
Colin Car nil i.s currently
shou ini; at / insletown.
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