clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

The punch-by-punch narrator for Daredevil's fight scenes is crushing it

You may have recently seen the news that Netflix has added audio descriptions of on-screen action to Daredevil (with more shows to come) for visually impaired users. If you haven't activated this feature, it's worth momentarily checking out just to see how well-executed it is.

The writing of the voice-over isn't mechanical; it's infused with hints of personality that nicely complement the tone of the series. It's also got a dynamite narrator with a gravelly tone that feels perfectly at home echoing through Hell's Kitchen.

But when the the narrator really earns his paycheck is when he describes the show's elaborate fight scenes. The lines come as fast as the punches, and the narrator seems to be enjoying himself almost as much as Daredevil. You can listen for yourself in the above clip from the infamous hallway fight. The punching starts at 1:30.

Also, since it makes a surprisingly good read by itself, below is a transcription of the narration.

At the end of a long industrial hallway, a fluorescent light colors the walls and floor sickly green. One of the Russians carries a plate of food and an apple. He unbolts the outside lock of the door beneath the light. The man comes back out, eating the apple himself, looking bored. He goes into another room off the hall where four men play poker around a round table. One man leaves the game and the man with the apple takes his seat. The other exits and goes to the room across the hall, a dreary office with a desk and files and a guy eating a sandwich.

The hallway is empty, its other end lit from the adjoining hall. A red lit exit sign is at the ceiling line above two circuit boxes. A shadow appears first as Matt, head lowered and mask down, moves slowly around a corner. The ropes from the rooftop are strapped around his hands and up his forearms. He looks ferocious ... and calm, taking an iconic stance. He listens intently then starts to come down the hall.

He comes to the first door and lays his hand on it, focused. He raises his head and batters open the door. Four startled Russians leap to the fight. Matt kicks and punches his way through them and the door shuts behind him. The hallway is empty again. The Russian from the card table is thrown through the door, collapsing it against the opposite wall. The other door opens and the apple-eating man rushes up, only to be hit by a flying microwave oven. Matt sends another one flying and steps out to take on the men from the other room. He disarms one of them and beats the other two with a shotgun. Matt's on his back, clutching his abdomen. He stands with some effort, using the wall for support, then swings back to the fight.

Dispatching three more, he depends on the wall to stand now. The apple eater takes a swing and Matt beats him furiously back, knocking him into the destroyed room. Another Russian rises and throws a solid punch, sending Matt reeling. He ducks a stocky guy who swings wildly but another comes up from behind, then another. Matt's holding them off. He keeps knocking them down but they keep getting up again. Finally they're down but not quite out. Matt staggers, resting against the door jamb. When the apple eater charges again, Matt demolishes him with some hard face punches and a swinging kick. Then two more are at it. One pins him against the wall, but Matt pushes back and they both fall into the card game room. Another man rushes in, then they fly out into the hall. Matt takes them down again. Swaying on their feet, he and the last guy standing now throw weary punches, with Matt getting in the majority of the hits.

The guy finally goes down and Matt falls into the card game room. He totters out and limps toward the door where the child is being kept. He pauses for a moment, then raises his mask to show his face before going into the room. All that's visible is the open door. Matt walks out carrying the tousle-haired boy; the child's arms are wrapped around his neck. Matt's mask is down again. He traipses unsteadily as the boy looks around at the trashed hallway and battered men. Then they disappear around the corner, a wake of devastation behind. The screen cuts to black.

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.