James Review -Daredevil (2003) starring Ben Affleck

 

Before the DCEU and Batfleck, there was the 2003 Daredevil film.

In the 2000s, following the success of Blade and X-Men, superhero films were pretty much all the rage even though there were plenty of non-superhero projects. 2002 saw the release of Sam Rami's Spider-Man and the following year of 2003 saw the release of Ang Lee's Hulk along with the subject of today...

Daredevil.

The Man Without Fear.

The Devil of Hell's Kitchen.

Matt Murdock was blinded by an accident with chemicals when he was a boy, but he gained the extraordinary ability of echolocation, able to hear heartbeats to tell when someone is honest or is lying. After his father, a famous boxer, was killed by goons, Matt took up crime-fighting after years of training and became Daredevil. By day, he's a lawyer. By night, he's a vigilante. Created by Stan Lee, who also made Spider-Man, Daredevil is one of the many characters who is the Batman of Marvel comics. Daredevil stories were originally light-hearted, especially in an era where comics were aimed at younger readers, but, as times changed, Daredevil became darker and aimed at an older crowd and stopped pulling punches with Daredevil's enemies, such as Bullseye, becoming sadistic and murderous.

And this is where we get to the 2003 film. Beforehand, Daredevil had shown up in 1989's Trial of The Incredible Hulk, played by Rex Smith, and cropped up in the 1990s Spider-Man animated series with his voice provided by Edward Albert. Work on the film began in 1997, but due to the project passing to different studios, Daredevil more or less had a period of development hell until 20th Century Fox got the rights. Ben Affleck was cast as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, the role of Elektra went to Jennifer Garner, and the late Michael Clarke Duncan was cast as Kingpin Wilson Fisk. Fisk is usually a Spider-Man villain, but starting in the 80s, the Kingpin became a member of Daredevil's rogues gallery as well and, in his live-action appearances, has only faced the Daredevil but never Spider-Man. Long story, its due to rights stuff.

Bullseye, Daredevil's most iconic enemy, shows up in this film, played by the incredible Irish actor Collin Ferrel, who was perfectly cast in my opinion and is a heck of a scene-chewer. He's sadistic, cold-blooded and kills Elektra, even though she came back in the spin-off and 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. Bullseye mostly serves as the film's secondary antagonist, leaving the role of the main antagonist to Duncan's Kingpin, which is the only time in a live-action Marvel project where Wilson Fisk is Black, and, every moment he is on-screen, Duncan is intimidating as the Kingpin and doesn't hold back during the final battle with Affleck's Daredevil.

The soundtrack in this film is nicely-orchestrated, setting the tone for the film's story and the action scenes, delivering an energetic vibe often expected in 2000s action films, and the movie was filmed in Los Angeles even though Hell's Kitchen in New York is actually a real place. The action scenes in Daredevil are relatively thrilling, stylized and the battle in the church between Daredevil and Bullseye is pretty epic. Matt's fight with Kingpin at the end is suspenseful and the latter doesn't hold back, nearly beating The Man Without Fear. Daredevil 2003, the theatrical version, was a flop when it released, but it is actually a fun movie despite the tonal inconsistencies. However, there is an R-rated director's cut, which I have yet to see, where the film is more serious and some scenes in the PG-13 version are left out, such as Matt and Elektra making love at one point. 

If you love superhero films and are looking for an early 2000s Marvel film that is fun, watch Daredevil on Disney Plus. Its worth the watch, worth your time and energy. 9/10.

-James M 

James Review -Tron Ares (2025)

 

After the first Tron released, it only took 18 years for the world to see a sequel. After Tron Legacy, Disney began working on a threequel, which ended up in a period of development hell until it finally came to us in 2025...

This is Tron Ares.

Starring Jared Leto and Ralph Peters, the final entry in the Tron trilogy, instead of focusing on the Flynn family or the iconic program hero Tron, follows the program known as Ares (played by Jared Leto) as he goes from a soldier of the Dillinger Systems grid to someone learning to be human and fighting for human life. And yes, the Dillinger family, through Ralph Peters' character, is one of the central antagonists of this movie. While the Flynns aren't front and center, Sam Flynn is mentioned as having stepped down from running ENCOM (but he isn't dead) and Kevin Flynn (with Jeff Bridges reprising the role) shows up for a time as Ares explores a version of the original Grid from the 1982 movie. 

Tron hasn't been the most successful sci-fi franchise in the world. The first film was a moderate box-office success and didn't compete with other films such as Blade Runner or E.T., and it got mixed reviews from critics at the time, despite becoming a cult-classic as time passed. Tron Legacy made tons of money, but wasn't highly successful and got mixed reviews from critics like the first film did. Tron Ares was a box office bomb and wasn't highly received, but time will tell if a fourth movie will come out.

Despite its reception, Tron Ares is a fun movie full of incredible special effects work and the recreation of the original version of the Grid is impressive, not to mention that Kevin Bridges popping in is a wonderful treat for longtime Tron fans and I do not believe Mr. Leto is a bad actor. The fact that a film that got mixed reception and wasn't highly financially successful in the 1980s got a trilogy is undeniably fantastic, compare that to Blade Runner, released the same year as Tron, which was a box office bomb, but got a sequel in 2017 that ended up being a box-office bomb as well and the world has yet to see a third Blade Runner. Its amazing that we got Tron 3 before Blade Runner 3.

In all honesty, Tron Ares is one of those films deserving a 4.5 stars for its efforts, likely worth a rewatch in the future. Anyone out there wanting to give it a chance? Its on Disney Plus right now and, guess what, Tron Ares became number one on that service for a time. See ya later.

-James M

James Review -Tron Legacy (2010)

 

The Grid, a digital frontier created through the most revolutionary film technology created in the 80s. Try picturing clusters of information as they moved through the computer. Were the circuits like freeways and what would they look like? How different could it have been from when it was first created? Then, one day, the viewers got back in... and the world had evolved in ways one couldn't imagine.

In 1982, Disney released Tron, starting off a sci-fi franchise that would never be forgotten. In 2010, after years of waiting, the fans finally got to return to the Grid and not only got to see Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn again, but his son Sam (played by Garret Hedlund) and the rogue program CLU 2 (played by Jeff Bridges). Set decades after the Master Control Program's defeat, the story follows Sam as he is sucked into the Grid on a journey to find his missing father while teaming up with an ISO named Quora as they battle CLU and his forces, who are controlling the Grid. The prologue of the movie takes place in 1989 and shows a de-aged Jeff Bridges as a young Kevin Flynn talking to Sam and, during the later scenes, the de-aging technology is used during Bridges' scenes as CLU, making him a younger evil counterpart to the protagonist's father. Tron Legacy is one of the first Disney-released movies to use de-aging, which was starting to come about in the 2000s before the film entered development.

Moving past de-aging, Tron Legacy is a beautiful-looking sequel to the original movie and has many callbacks to it, such as the identity disk line originally used by Sark, and the special effects for the Grid are finely polished. Since the 1980s, CGI has evolved, allowing the digital world to look different from when it was last seen. While you often see characters with whiter faces, there are clearer colors and textures and the world of The Grid comes with streets and buildings, including a club named after the MCP's quote "End of Line". The two games Disk Wars and Light Cycle racing have received upgrades, now taking place in arenas with crowds watching the spectacles. The iconic title character Tron returns as well, however, he has been corrupted by Clu and assumes the identity of Rinzler. While Bruce Boxlietter returns to the role, he only has a few lines for the new Tron, it's better than nothing.

Tron Legacy gets a 9.9 and is a must-see film. It may have issues and may have bombed at the box office, but its still a fun ride like the original movie. Until next time, Programs.

-James M

James Review -Tron (1982)

 

The 1980s were quite the time. The Cold War was at its height until the Soviet Union began to fall. However, pop culture had never been more engaging as comics became more than just for kids and action-packed movies became more thrilling than ever as the world was introduced to Blade Runner and The Terminator. However, in the early half of the 1980s, the future of filmmaking was changing. In the past, films were made with practical effects with occasional crossovers of live-action and animation, but with the age of computers as we know them today, movie viewers were about to see something that would define films for later years; CGI. And one of the first movies to use it was Disney's Tron.

Released in 1982, Tron is the story of programmer Kevin Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges) trying to hack into the system of the computer company ENCOM, run by the sneaky Ed. Dillinger (played by the late David Warner). Flynn's efforts lead to him being digitized and brought into the world of the Grid, controlled by the ruthless Master Control Program and his loyal commander Sark (also played by David Warner), and he teams up with Tron, a program created by Alan Bradley to fight for the users, in order to stop the MCP, get out of the Grid, and expose Dillinger for his shady practices. During the 1980s, the video game genre was growing and Tron is a video game movie just as it is a sci-fi movie about computers, especially with the start of the film taking place in an arcade before we go into the Grid.

The real world scenes are primarily done with practical sets and locations while the scenes with the Grid were made with black-and-white footage, black sets and CGI animation. Initially, all of the characters in the Grid were going to be blue, but this was changed to have the bad guy programs such as Sark carry a red lighting scheme so they can be distinguished from Flynn, Tron and the other heroes. Looking at the CGI in the film, especially towards the end, Tron looks a bit like a video game, maybe a Playstation game in the 2000s, and it feels right with how much of a role video games play in the movie. In fact, Tron would get an Arcade game to go along with the film, consisting of a few sub games such as Light Cycle and Disk Wars.

Having seen it a couple times in 2011, rewatched it in 2013 and then rewatched it in 2025, Tron is an exceptionally beautiful 1980s family-friendly action-adventure film and one of Disney's best works in my opinion. However, when it came out, it was a moderate box office success and received mixed reviews. And before CGI was embraced, the use of it was slammed and Tron was disqualified from a visual effects award because the academy saw the use of computer-generated effects as cheating, which is pretty harsh. If only they knew how useful CGI would become in later years, even though there are times when the use of it can be criticized. Tron would get a sequel, but it would take 28 years for it to get off the ground and it would take fifteen more years after that for a threequel to come out.

Tron is one of those movies that deserves more appreciation and gets a 9.5. Jeff Bridges is the top highlight and this was before he starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first movie Iron Man as Obadiah Stane aka the Iron Monger, even David Warner deserves the respect for playing not only Dillinger, but Sark and the Master Control Program. This is not the last time we will talk Tron, soon, we will discuss the sequel from 2010.

See you later, fellas.

James Review -Blade (1998)

 

The years before the genesis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were not without comic book movies, especially Marvel films. The 80s saw the release of Howard The Duck, The Trial of The Incredible Hulk and a Punisher flick and the 90s had a Captain America film, even though there were some Marvel-related film projects in the 70s such Nicholas Hammond's Spider-Man movie despite the fact it was a pilot to a TV series. But, at the tail end of the 90s, after the failure of Warner's Batman & Robin, New Line Cinema released... Blade.

Vampires, alongside superheroes, have been pop culture staples for years and, in the early 70s, Marvel created the daywalking vampire hunter known as Blade. Blade aka Eric Brooks became a staple of Marvel mythology and, many years later, a movie would be produced with the title role going to Weasley Snipes. On release, Blade was a massive hit, revitalizing the comic book movie genre, paving the way for X-Men and Sam Rami's Spider Man trilogy and... eventually the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Blade is an R-rated action horror superhero flick, telling the story of Eric "Blade" Brooks and his crusade against the blood-sucking vampires who terrorize the innocent, leading to him coming into conflict with the man who bit his mother, leading to Eric becoming half-vampire. Fun fact, the people who worked on The Matrix actually worked on this movie, and I am not talking about the Wachowski Brothers. This film is full of story, visceral and engaging 90s action, wild CGI special effects, and remarkable acting from start-to-finish and some energetic music that kicks in during the movie's biggest moments such as the final battle. And the icing on top, every line delivered is powerful including the biggest quote of the ages: "Some motherf***ers are always trying to skate uphill." And delivered by Mr. Snipes himself.

I had the privilege of seeing this movie with my father on Disney Plus around Halloween season in 2025 and, as a vampire movie, it fits Halloween pretty well and I suggest to any brave movie-viewers to watch it during Halloween if you like. The score for Blade is a 9 and I will see the sequel when dad and I find the time. And if you didn't know, Weasley Snipes' Blade returned in the Marvel Cinematic Universe through Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, nearly two decades after the final entry in the Blade trilogy known as Blade Trinity. See you later, fellas.

-James M

James' Review -Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

 

Long ago, when his stories began, Batman was dark and serious with a tragic backstory. However, in the decades after first appearing, the Dark Knight became light-hearted and less serious due to real-world fears of comics being a bad influence on children. Eventually, in the 1970s and the 1980s, after the conclusion of the Adam West Batman show, DC began to steer their caped crusader back into his darker roots and comics became more than just for kids. In the late 80s, with Frank Miller, DC created Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

The story follows an older Batman as he emerges from retirement and takes on a gang of mutants before coming into conflict with The Joker one more time, then he battles Superman after The Joker dies. Oh, and there's a female Robin. I got this comic after signing up for a college class that involves graphic novels and manga, even though I planned to take a break from getting comics for a time early in 2026. And yet, this one is worth the read. Dramatic, intense, dark, The Dark Knight Returns is entertaining and pulls no punches with iconic moments such as Batman taking down the mutant gang leader as he says, "This isn't a mudhole. Its an operating table. And I'm the surgeon."

Frank Miller set out to make Batman serious and he succeeded, his writing is powerful and the imagery is so strong, you can't look away. I enjoyed reading it and I can't wait to read it again when I get the chance, Batman is one of DC's best characters to date, no matter what stories he has told in either the campy tone or the dark and serious edges of stories like this. I'd highly recommend this to Batman fans who have not touched it yet, but be warned, this isn't for the kiddies. This comic was an influence on future Batman stories for years to come, especially Zack Snyder's Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice in the DC Extended Universe, and it received a two-part animated movie adaptation along with a brief segment in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series season three aka The New Batman Adventures. 9/10. 

See you next time, crusaders of justice. And remember... He is vengeance, he is the night, HE IS BATMAN!!!

-James M

2025 Life in our household Wrap Up

 

2025 was an interesting year spent concentrating on our health with hubby recovering from his heart attack, and subsequent diabetes diagnosis and me working through gall bladder issues. We eliminated much of the foods we'd been overdosing on.  No more ice cream, candy, sodas,  pasta and bread, vast quantities of milk and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.  Hello Keto friendly foods, lots of water, and longer grocery trips perusing the shelves, reading ingredients, and finding low carb choices, which surprisingly resulted in some very tasty meals and salads, salads, salads.  LOL! All of which saved me from intestinal issues when I had my gall bladder removed in October and resulted in a smooth recovery.   Turns out my gall bladder was almost nonfunctioning, full of polyps and stones.  I feel so much better now.  Both hubby and I lost weight, his skin cleared up, no more acid reflux, and the tums consumption reduced to an all time low. 

We actually took a real vacation this year, drove up the coast to Eureka and spent time in the woods, then headed up to Lincoln City, Oregon, spent time on the beach and explored the Evergreen Museum in which we got to tour the Spruce Goose. A fun time for all of us.

Surprisingly we had a stellar year with the business, breaking all time records. Hubby and I worked as a tag team, me covering more while he worked less, then he in turning covering more when I worked less. Our employees pulled out all the stops and it didn't hurt that a couple of our competitors retired and sent their customers our way.  James helped out when he could, but his primary job was completing his college courses (all A's by the way)  all the while busily creating fan fiction and digital art. 

Which brings me to my other loves - journaling and reading.  I lost the impetus when it came to story writing, but I didn't let it stop me when it came to creativity.  I got into journaling big time this year with common place books, as well as junk journaling, book reviews, food diary, poetry, etc.  Discovered the joy and fun of decorating said journals pages from stickers to whole page designs.  I'll be feeding my muse more in 2026, filling the well, in anticipation of breaking through that proverbial writer's block to get back to my stories and characters. 

And reading which is as necessary to me as breathing.  I enjoy reading fiction along with a smattering of nonfiction and hubby's love is nonfiction, James is primarily comic books, along with required college reading.  I read 93 books, out of which 15 were rereads and only 7 were ebooks which meant I did a great job at clearing my shelves.  Only they had lots of babies so my TBR shelves in the kitchen are full again. LOL!   I'll talk more about my year in reading in a separate wrap up post.