Elektra (2005) User Reviews (441)

OK, I'll confess, this movie is definitely junk food for the mind, like eating a twinkie - but it is fun to watch

[charles000 · 6/10 · 20 November 2010]

OK, I'll confess, this movie is definitely junk food for the mind, like eating a twinkie - but it is fun to watch Well, what can I say. We can't always be discriminating and intellectual in our attempts to probe the artistic complexities engaged in the artform of film.

Sometimes, a film is just . . . fun, or quirky, or in some other way entertaining - and this is where Elektra comes in, complete with her trademark red assassin warrior outfit.

It is fun to watch Jennifer Gardner work her craft as she threads her way through the dialogue and scenes in this film.

All things considered, she is a good casting match for the Elektra character.

As for the story itself . . . well, we're not talking war and peace here.

Aside from the major plot theme, the film does take the viewer into some dark personal views into Elektra herself . . . who she really is (and is not), and various situations that led her into th e profession she has become so skilled But, if you happen to be an Elektra fan (from the comic / graphic novel realm), you'll appreciate the extent to which this character has been translated to film . . . not always an easy or successful process.

Not a block buster, or leading edge provocative film . . . no, but for just plain fun, and also a movie that kids can see without too much concern, I'll give this a thumbs up.

I thought it was decent

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 25 January 2012]

Elektra is not perfect, the dialogue is corny, the plot is rather slender and tries a little too hard to disguise that with childhood flashbacks and soul-searching complete with a rather pointless sub-plot and while impressively choreographed the final confrontation was somewhat anti-climatic. However, it is a visually stylish movie with great cinematography, fantastic locations cool costumes and fun special effects. I was impressed also with the choreography of the action sequences complete with some very clever stunt work, the surreal atmosphere Elektra created and the brooding soundtrack. There is effort to make the characters interesting, and the acting is decent enough. Jennifer Garner is attractive and does bring weight and charisma to the role, Goran Visjinc is surprisingly natural and Terrence Stamp is good and very commanding. The villains are subtle and have vitality, especially Stone, if underused. I didn't care for Kirsten Prout, too bland and annoying for my tastes. Overall, decent if nothing exceptional. 6/10 Bethany Cox

not the Electra I know...

[RenX99 · 4/10 · 17 January 2005]

Perhaps I'm out of date or just don't know what Electra is like in current publications... But the Electra that I read was far more manipulative and always seems to have a plan. She usually used others to do her dirty work and more often than not some sort of double cross was involved. Just when you think you have it all figured out she pull the wool over your eyes and gets her way.

This movie was fairly weak on the dialog, the acting wasn't particularly convincing, and the action was spotty. I was really looking for something more along the lines of Frank Miller's book "Electra Assassin." Which is much darker than anything in this movie.

Special effect where cool, action was interesting at times, but more often than not the story and plot was slow or illogical. Tha Hand was not menacing enough, and Electra was not..... bitchy enough. She's the girl you love to hate... but in this story, I just didn't care either way.

The star, Jennifer Garner, makes it worthwhile

[inkblot11 · 13 February 2005]

Elektra (Jennifer Garner) is a professional assassin par excellence. It seems she was told to leave a martial arts school for failing to follow direction, but she's a powerful force nonetheless. When she is sent to a remote island, however, she soon learns that her assignment is to kill a father and daughter who seem anything but dangerous. She can't do it. Instead, she befriends them and vows to protect them against all others. A group of very wicked martial arts experts are sent out to eliminate all three of them. Who will prevail? Does the man's daughter have a secret as well?

One would hope that a superhero movie that features a female heroine would be most welcome, and it is, with reservations. Garner is lithe and lovely as the tough as nails but compassionate heroine. When she is garbed in a tight red ensemble, she can turn heads in a major way. Love is a concept she rarely experiences, so watching her let herself give into feelings is a wonder, too. So, what's the problem with the film? It is probably a matter of style over substance. The design of the film is first rate but the script has some trouble keeping pace. Nevertheless, Garner makes it work through her extraordinary embodiment of the title character. Period.

Huh?

[iron_monkey_ · 3/10 · 13 January 2005]

This is absurd - aside from the fellow Australian who has reviewed this flick, I can't help but think that everyone else who has submitted a review so far was some way involved in the production of Elektra, considering how generous they were with their praise.

Admittedly I'm not really a fan of comic-book-to-movie conversions so I didn't go in with many expectations, yet still I found Elektra to be incredibly underwhelming. The thing that irked me the most was the fact that there was SO MUCH in this film which went by unexplained, that left you thinking "huh, what relevance does that have to the plot?" or "so how did that aspect of the character come about?" I can only hope that these are things which are perhaps explained somewhat in Daredevil, which I have no intention of seeing.

Furthermore, the behaviour of the characters in this film appear to do an about-face at random moments to suit the storyline, and don't even get me started about the utterly pointless romantic sub-plot. I'm also (still) scratching my head over the fate of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's character, which seems to have gone by unexplained.

If I can give kudos to this movie for anything it would have to be the fantastic locations in which it was shot, but otherwise I gained little enjoyment from Elektra. I know we're supposed to suspend our disbelief for fantasy/action films, but almost everything in this film was so improbable or confusing (even by action film standards) that it simply frustrated me.

Well, hell, at least Jennifer Garner looks damn good.

If vengeance is alive, I want mine... on the makers of this film

[tedwilliams · 1/10 · 15 January 2005]

*** THIS CONTAINS MANY, MANY SPOILERS, NOT THAT IT MATTERS, SINCE EVERYTHING IS SO PATENTLY OBVIOUS ***

Oh my God, where do I start? Well, here - this is the first time I have ever come home from a movie and said "I have to get on IMDb and write a review of this NOW. It is my civic duty." Such is the badness of this flick.

*begin digression* But let me just state one thing before I start. I'm not some Harvard-art-major-film-noir-weenie (in fact, I went to the college at the other end of Mass. Ave in Cambridge, the one where the actual smart people without rich daddies and trust funds go, which should put me squarely in the nerd-who-would-obsessively-love-comic-book-films census group, and still I hated this film...). My viewing preference is for the highbrow cinematic oeuvre that includes the Die Hards, Bond flicks, Clerks, and The Grail. I wish the Titanic had never sunk, not so much for the lives lost, but so we wouldn't have been subjected to that dung-heap of a film. And the single and only reason I will watch a snooty French art film is if there is a young and frequently disrobed Emmanuelle Beart in it. I even gave Maximum Overdrive one of its precious few 10s here on IMDb, for God's sake. So I'm as shallow as they come, therefore I'm not criticizing this film because I'm looking for some standard of cinematic excellence - it's because Elektra stinks like a three-week-old dead goat. *end digression*

OK, there's so much badness here that I have to try to categorize it. Here goes:

MS. GARNER: One of the compelling reasons a male would want to see this flick is to see lots of hot JGar (I have no idea why my wife wanted to). I think that between this and "Finding Nemo", the latter was the sexier film. You know the red outfit she's advertised wearing in every freaking ad you see? You see her in it TWICE - once at the beginning, once at the end. Bummer. In the rest, she basically looks like what Morrissey would look like if he were a female - lots of pouting and black clothes. Which brings me to the incredible range of expression JGar shows in her acting - ranging from "pouting" all the way to "pouting and crying". Oh my God, you'd think she was being forced to date Ben Affleck or something horrible like that. Um, wait...

THE BAD GUYS/GAL: They show about the same range of expression and acting ability that you'd expect from a slightly overripe grapefruit. At least next to JGar's performance, it doesn't stand out too badly. One guy's role is to stand there and be huge, another's is to stand there and have stuff come out of him, and the woman's role is to stand there and breathe on and/or kiss people. They manage to pull these incredible feats off. The main bad guy has the most difficult role of all - he has to SIMULTANEOUSLY a) appear angry and b) appear Asian. He does a fine job at this. I think there was a fifth bad guy/gal, but my brain is starting to block parts of this movie out in self-defense.

PLOT TWISTS! This movie has about as many surprises as a speech at the Democratic National Convention. Let's just put it this way - my wife, who has only been in the U.S. for half a year and speaks only a small amount of English - whispered this to me when the girl first appears in JG's pad, and I swear to God I am not making this up: "She go to house to kill girl. And father too." And this is BEFORE THE FATHER HAS EVEN APPEARED ON THE SCREEN. Now my wife isn't stupid, but she isn't being courted by Mensa for her gifts, either, and she's had zero exposure to Daredevil or the comic book genre. And she figured this out in .00015 seconds with no prodding and no prior information. Such is the blatant obviousness of this film.

RARELY-BEFORE-SEEN STUPIDITY! OK, so there's this big dude in the film. He can take a chestful of shotgun blast and brush off the shot like it's lint, and he can take a vicious Electra stab to the chest and just bend the metal (or melt it - or something - more defenses kicking in, thank God). But JG jumps on his head, and he explodes? An Achilles noggin? OK! Such is the mind-numbing stupidity of this film.

Ack. I'm starting to feel a cerebral hemorrhage coming on, so I have to stop. But you have been warned. If you have to intentionally slash your own tires to prevent yourself from going to see this movie, DO IT. And if Armageddon is going to come, please let it be >before< this comes out on DVD.

Above average film

[fj_cruz1 · 5/10 · 14 January 2005]

Watched this last night here in Sydney Australia, and what can i say? It's an alright movie, but the TV commercials makes it look as if there's gonna be A lot of action and fighting, when there really isn't much. Personally, Natassia Malthe looked so much better than Jennifer Garner, plus she actually looked more like the Elektra character from the comics. The directing was also alright. Some scenes just seemed dead, others just to fill up time, though funnily it seemed to go by quickly. The final fight just came like that. I was there thinking "dont tell me the climax is coming already", did the climax fight deliver? No, not really, but was still amusing to watch though. Overall this is an above average film except from those minor issues i addressed, and is a better movie than Catwoman, but, what isn't? 6/10

Small Movie with a Big Heart Highly Underrated

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 21 March 2016]

Not Every Comic-Book/Super-Hero Movie has to be Ultra-Produced with Maxed-Out CGI Explosions and Mayhem. Sometimes a Character Study is Simply Enough.

Jennifer Garner is Type-Cast here and it Works Just Fine. After Her stint on "Alias" she Morphed to "Elektra" without Any Effort. Her Brooding Fits the Character's Angst as She is Forced into a Situation that Requires Her Specific and "Treasured" Skills.

The Villains are a Fine Adaptation of Bad Guys with Supernatural Abilities that turn the Screen into Cinematic Recreations of Comic-Book Grandiosity with Cool Color Schemes and Outlandish Abilities.

The Movie is One of the Most Hated of the Super-Hero Genre, along with "Catwoman" (2004), and both are Knee-Jerk Reactions. The Fact that both are "Female" says Something. "Supergirl" anyone? Fanboys Never seem to Warm Up and Appreciate a "Girl" Kicking Ass. Except Maybe a "Little Girl" (less threatening) like in "Kick-Ass" (2010).

But that's too Deep a Psychological Subject to Tackle in a Review of this type. Suffice to Say that "Elektra" is an Underrated Movie that Looks and Feels Different than Most of the Movies in the Genre. The Supporting Cast all do OK and the Fight Scenes Acquire an Ethereal Feel Befitting the Mystical Subject Matter and are somewhat Stylish.

Overall, a Good Entry for the Character. The Film cannot be called Great but Certainly is Misunderstood and Trashed Undeservedly and seems to be Unfairly Compared to other more Bombastic and Popular Entries. This is not in the Same Category as the Big Names that Dominate the Box-Office and the Headlines.

This is a Small Movie, but has a Big Heart, and yes, a Female Touch.

Elektrafying?

[real_king_mark · 4/10 · 12 January 2005]

Well 2005's first big budget comic book movie has arrived and we are only 12 days into the year. Elektra follows the adventures of Elektra after her untimely demise is DareDevil, She is a gun for hire who starts to get a sense of morality when she is contracted to kill 2 people she has befriended, the movie is all about her finding a reason for living and kicking some ass on the side.

After the major disappointment of Daredevil i was not expecting much from this, and that is what i got. The movie looked nice the acting was good but it was just all together dull nothing much happened at the start and it pretty much finished the same way. Not much more can be said about this movie because it is nothing like it was advertised it seems that its main target audience is 14 to 25 males who like to see Ms Garner taking off and putting on different tops, but if that's what you want you will have a ball otherwise don't bother.

4 out of 10 save your money and go see the incredibles for the 4th or 5th time

The Luscious Lady In Red

[flickershows · 6/10 · 20 January 2005]

Well, it's not the worst superhero movie I've ever seen. 'Elektra' first, last, and most importantly, has Jennifer Garner. Not only is she an angular beauty, the star of TV's "Alias" is a terrific athlete (although I guess her stunt woman is even better) and she's not lacking for charisma either. And, luckily, a good friend with the power of God brought her back to life after that jerk Colin Farrell killed her in 'Daredevil'. Comic book fans might have been begging for a spin-off of her 'Daredevil' character, but was anyone else? I saw the movie because of who was playing Elektra and that's it. She may not be the next Hepburn (either one), but she sure is pretty.

It's too bad this flick is so bland and marginal because there are 2 or 3 cool villains, all members of The Hand (apparently, this is the Mob in Marvel comic land). The head of the black hats (Will Yun Lee) is nothing special, but his henchman include scary folks named Tattoo, Stone, and Typhoid. They seem to be an unstoppable combination, until they meet a lone (and lonely) woman who can stop them. Elektra doesn't have quite the same magical powers as her rivals, although she's able to disappear and reappear like Tony Hopkins in 'Dracula'. Come to think of it, the ground rules for her actual abilities are never made clear by director Rob Bowman. Oh well, she's good enough to be able beat up everybody.

So the Lady in Red is paid to assassinate a man (Goran Visnjic, who actually smiles for the first time in his career) and his teenage daughter, Abby (Kirsten Prout). Abby is quite a fightin' prodigy herself. The hired killer can't go through with it, then actually helps her new friends flee from The Hand. Terence Stamp works some Miyagi magic for Elektra as a blind mentor with mad skills. Stamp has panache, but nobody can class up this drab script. The whole plot is nothing we haven't seen before. Ah, but it would be wrong not to mention Garner's red outfit. I don't want to own the 'Elektra' DVD, but I might buy a gigantic poster of Garner in that sexy battle gear.

so bad...

[joits · 5/10 · 18 January 2005]

There's so many reasons why this movie is bad. Here's a few I can think of at the moment.

-It wastes the talents of the always amazing Jennifer Garner. She's been in quite a few stinkers now but somehow she still delivers a great performance. So the people behind Elektra have a great actress signed on... the least they could have done was put more effort into the story. Of course, if she read the script and THEN signed on... well...

-The story. The reluctant assassin thing again? C'mon. If they had to copy the story of other action movies, it should have at least been that she assassinated some dude's son and he goes after her and all hell breaks loose...

-The action/fighting scenes. Yet again, another movie that does a terrible job with the frantic camera work to go along with quick,close cuts so that we can't really see anything but are forced to believe that there's an intense fight scene in the progress... where the camera man seems to be involved in it. Jennifer Garner is a pro at movie martial arts. She does it week in and week out on the set of Alias, show us what she can do!! Pull the camera back, tell the editor to chill out, knock the camera man out and set that camera on a tripod, teach Jennifer Garner and her co-stars some moves, and the let the good times roll. Cos at least if the story sucks, we can be entertained by the action. Also, I wish there was more of it! -The love story. Umm... what? She's supposed to be this hard-ass assassin... but she falls for some guy on the second night she meets him, even tho according to the dialogue shown on screen gives her character no reason to like his character. Stupid.

-The villains. I know they want to maintain a PG-13 rating... but why all the poofing when the die. Kinda gives the impression that they are filled with some kind of stinky gas. Unless this is how it is in the comics, if it was, some kind of explanation would be helpful otherwise me and other non-comic book readers would think the bad guys are basically balloons filled with fart gas. I've seen other movies that have been able to maintain a PG-13 rating and still show actual deaths. And the villains were terrible!! That fool with them tattoos is useless... he's comatose while his animal tattoos are loose?? And the guy who can withstand a big ass shot gun from close range and dies, I mean poofs, when a tree falls on him. What's up with that? I'm not arguing about the various physics involved with a gun shot and a tree, but the gun shot was supposed to tell the audience that Stone... was built like one. It just seems like a stupid way to kill a character after showing us that he's bullet proof. The poison girl... useless... but hot... so at least we got more eye candy. The main bad guy... not bad but again, the fight scene was stupid.

Lots more... but those are the ones that really stand out for me.

Underrated

[wendifm-476-684006 · 8/10 · 24 May 2020]

I think this movie isn't liked because it takes liberties with all source material. I've come to realize all movies do this so I stopped judging movies because of changes. Plus I never read the comics so I can enjoy it for what it is instead of of be mad for what it isn't. If you you can enjoy it for what it is you will have fun.

Entertaining popcorn movie

[sandy506 · 7/10 · 30 January 2005]

I'm not a comic fan, so I know nothing about this character. However, I found the movie to be action-packed and very entertaining.

My companions for this feature were a 12 year old girl and a 12 year old boy, as well as another mom. We all enjoyed the movie, and Garner's muscles and stunt work were impressive. This is a must-see for martial arts fans, in my opinion.

The visuals were stunning, as were the special effects. This movie is not deep drama, but was very well-made for its genre. Since I don't care for comic books or the movies about them, I expected this film to be a stinker. I was pleasantly surprised when it held my interest.

So Much Potential.....

[irisofdarkness · 1/10 · 17 April 2005]

Elektra is part of the era of comic book adaptations, and just like "The Hulk", it falls short. The plot was terribly carried out, and the acting wasn't so great. The characters sure were interesting but not much is known about them(unless you had read the comics). Still, Elektra brings nothing new to the comic book movie series and no wonder it flopped at the box office. Only hardcore fans of the Elektra comics will find this movie interesting. It truly had so much potential that unfortunately was not used to its greatest extent, Elektra suffers just like Catwoman did, so that goes to tell you that even if a popular and beautiful actress stars in a comic book adaptation , it won't necessarily be successful.

Good flick

[disgruntledmonk43613 · 24 January 2005]

Since I haven't read comics is quite a few years, and having never really followed Daredevil or Elektra, I don't really have any comments on how true to the books this movie was.I do believe it's definitely worth seeing. The effects are outstanding, the camera-work wonderful, and the acting quite good. Garner (almost always) moves like a trained fighter, and Prout looks at least well practiced. The plot was fairly fluid and interesting if not engrossing. Over all it was better than I expected. See it and enjoy it. Since concise opinions aren't allowed here, I may as well add that the costumes were quite well done. Also, the sound was peachy. Did I mention that Jennifer looked swell? Ciao.

Frustratingly......

[pobz100 · 5/10 · 21 January 2005]

...dissapointing

OK, Good things: Jennifer Garner She smiles twice, just twice... Jennifer Garner Some silly fun action Jennifer Garner Some silly fun effects Jennifer Garner Some occasional interesting cinematography Reasonable music

Unfortunate things: Appalling story Story barely moves Just when you think its gonna go somewhere.... Barely zero character building Many questionable story points (what there is) Bland acting Character relationships are unfounded JG is entirely depressed all the way through this movie...

PALEEEEEEEEEZ, she has so much more talent than acting like a miserable IL' sod. One of the most wonderful actors we have on our planet... however, I will let her get away with this no more. We are all allowed a couple of mistakes - and this is her second!!!

This is not a good movie; lacking in areas that are simple. Maybe some less money being spent on the FX, the screenplay writers would have been given a little more time to develop to movie to something that does something.

A poor man's DareDevil!

[the amorphousmachine · 4/10 · 1 March 2005]

Well, 'Elektra' being a spin-off from 'DareDevil', and starring the same actress in Jennifer Garner, one wouldn't have had high expectations for this film if you weren't a huge fan of the Affleck vehicle. I have to say, that half-way through the movie, I was hoping for a cameo from Ben Affleck! This movie just goes through the motions. It started off interestingly enough, as well as slightly contrived. Doomed character, who is her target, explains how Elektra works, and of course, she pretty much does the exact same thing to this character, which the character was explaining to his henchman! Wow. Huge surprise! But, it was kind of a decent enough introduction. Then the film gets boring, as we see Garner being mysteriously hired, and heads to some house on the beach. She has flashbacks of her mentor in Styx (Terence Stamp). A notorious group called The Hand, led by some nobody who is super-fast wants a certain someone dead, and Elektra decides to protect that certain someone!

The villains in general are lame! Typhoid Mary really wasn't utilised as the powerhouse she is, and not to mention, her exit was lame. The visual effects were okay in parts, but not that great, and the fight sequences were pretty stock-standard- nothing exceptional. I didn't expect much from 'Elektra', and pouting Garner didn't add much to this anti-hero at all. Makes me realise I was a little too harsh on 'DareDevil', as it is a much better film with better characters and villains. I guess, in 'Elektra's' defense, it's better than 'Catwoman'! I know that's not much of a defense.

** out of *****!

Worst. Movie. Ever.

[rockgrant · 4/10 · 26 January 2005]

I can't believe all of the positive comments on this movie! It's terrible! A complete betrayal of the character Frank Miller created, and here's how: 1) Elektra would never befriend anyone, and would certainly have no qualms over killing someone JUST BECAUSE HE GAVE HER DINNER.

2) Not enough people die. For a movie that's supposed to be about the greatest assassin in the world, this movie has a surprisingly low body count.

3) Elektra would never, EVER let her agent talk down to her. I kept waiting for her to gut that slimy little bitch and hang him up by his intestines, but she never did. This is all disregarding the fact that Elektra would probably never have an agent in the first place, but if she did, she'd be the boss, not him.

4) She cries like a little baby. Elektra does have feelings, yes, but they are buried under a skin so thick that practically nothing can cause them to surface, certainly not STICK BEING MEAN TO HER. What a wuss.

I'm sure there's more, but I could only stand to watch half of this awful movie.

And I can understand the need to tweak a character, and sometimes even change her completely, for the sake of the movie. Some things just don't work all that well on screen. But even disregarding all the changes made to Elektra's personality and watching the movie as a self-contained entity, it's still terrible. It's boring and insultingly stupid, and I can't help but think that sticking to the comic book could only have improved it.

A loner assassin faces off supernatural warriors with impressive fights and breathtaking action

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 1 August 2011]

This is a spin-off from ¨Daredevil¨ (2003 by Mark Steven Johnson with Ben Affleck who in real life married Jennifer Garner) going back as the title role killer . Although she died in the former movie she returns thanks to her mentor and Sensei (Terence Stamp) . Elektra is resurrected and turns into a fearless warrior who survives a near-death experience ,her slickness is the result of a childhood accident , which means through the ordinary back-tale where a bad guy dispatch her mummy . The heroine becomes an assassin-for-hire in red-leathers and using her magic daggers , she tries to protect her two latest targets, a single father and his troubled young daughter , a rebellious bratty fourteen years old named Abby (Kristen Prout), from a group of supernatural assassins. But gets to show her touchy-feeling side when she saves them and falls in love with the father , Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic). But Elektra battles her emotions and takes on and kick ass the ¨Hand corporation¨ (ruled by Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa) along with its hoodlums . At the end takes place an epic facing off between Elektra and nasty Kirigi ( Will Yun Lee) and partners , as demolishing the man mountain stone , bendy-guy Kinkou , the Animalistic Tattoo and decease-dealing typhoid (Natassia Malthe, subsequently Uwe boll's fetish actress playing Bloodrayne II and against 3º Reich) .

The flood of Hollywood superheroes goes on with Marvel Comics' lithely combative Elektra . Convincing in the physical demands of the titular character Elektra ,well performed by Jennifer Garner as nihilist loner , she persuades us of her slick and dexterity . This exciting movie displays unstopped action, thrills ride, spectacular fighting, violence and is pretty amusing . When Jennifer Garner romance strikes with Goran , the screenplay manoeuvres into the lethal orbit as she takes on of both , crime lord and crack-shot assassins. It's an entertaining movie with its notably tougher action and violence , but lacks sometimes the utter fun factor and writers fail in the scrappy construction . It packs a colorful cinematography by Bill Roe and appropriate musical score fitting to action by Christopher Beck . The motion picture well produced by Arnon Milchan and the Marvel's usual, Avi Arad and the genius Stan lee ; being professionally directed by Rob Bowman . Rob is a good expert on Sci-Fi as ¨X-files series , Day break , Night stalker , Reign of fire¨ and many others .

A weak vehicle

[rparham · 5/10 · 23 April 2005]

In the realm of recent comic book adaptation films, Elektra is one of the more lackluster to find it's way to the screen. Technically a competent film, Elektra is, however, without much excitement and energy; it's just sort of there.

Elektra is, essentially, a spin-off from the film Daredevil. Elektra (Jennifer Garner) was introduced there as the love interest of Ben Affleck's Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, who was killed by the assassin Bullseye (Colin Farrel). Here, she has been resurrected by a martial arts master named Stick (Terrence Stamp) and, after being trained by him for a time, is pushed into the outside world because she is unable to manage her aggressive nature. She takes up the only career she seems to be good at, assassination, and builds a strong reputation and even an agent (Colin Cunningham). She is offered a job at a small island, where she befriends a father, Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic) and his daughter, Abby (Kirsten Prout). It is shortly after getting to know them that she discovers that they are her targets, but she is unable to follow the job and instead decides to protect them from the forces pursuing them: an ancient organization of evil known as the Hand. Elektra quickly realizes that Abby is the "Treasure," a martial arts prodigy and the Hand, led by Kirigi (Will Yun Lee), want her for themselves.

Elektra has a number of problems, but it starts with a rather blank and emotionless lead. Jennifer Garner is certainly a capable actress, but she isn't given much of an opportunity to shine here. Her Elektra is supposed to be going through an awakening to her emotions again, but the film doesn't really give us much of an opportunity to care about her. It also tries to create a relationship between Elektra and Mark, but this is just thrown in for good measure, and there is the slightest spark between them. Visnjic is here for the ride, and that is it.

Elektra also has an enormously weak slate of villains. Kirigi is nothing special, and his henchmen, each with a different power, are okay, but most of them don't last long enough to make an impression. They aren't terribly menacing and therefore we can't be too worried about what they are going to do. Action wise, Elektra is also nothing to write home about. There are a few fights, and the visual effects utilized are well integrated into the film, but there is nothing much impressive on display here. The script is also rather undefined as to what the "treasure" exactly means. Why is everyone so interested in her? What will she provide to them? Lacking a strong hero, a strong villain or a coherent plot, there isn't much to recommend Elektra. My advice: rent Spider-Man 2 instead if you are looking for a good comic book adaptation.

Better than I thought

[walt-48 · 6/10 · 19 January 2005]

As a fan of Marvel Universe I found that I liked this movie. I suggest people not familiar with Elektra, The hand, or other aspects of the Marvel plot lines stay away from this movie. Having the knowledge from the comics I was able to fill in the plot holes and just enjoy the movie. I liked the visual aspects of the movie which includes the special effects, settings, and Jennifer Garner. I thought that some of the bad guys were unnecessary. They should have just stuck with one or two bad guys and spent more time defining them. What was the point of the big bullet proof guy? All in all I didn't feel ripped off after seeing the movie. I got my $6.50 worth.

Not terrible, but pretty bad

[npowers · 3/10 · 14 April 2005]

Marvel's _Elektra_ has some good things going for it: the art direction and action direction in particular are high caliber. It's the way the characters are handled that drags the movie down. The characters aren't exactly poorly drawn; it's more that they aren't fleshed out enough to be either well or poorly drawn. Garner (for example) does a great job at the beginning of making Elektra interesting--tense, reserved, and afflicted by guilt and neuroses. The problem is that we don't get any closer to the character by the end of the film. It's not even clear what her "superpowers" are supposed to be. She can see 10 seconds into the future, and she's handy with a knife--yet she seems to kill the final enemy, a moves-faster-than-the-wind swordsman (a conceit used a bit too much in this movie), with a lucky random strike (demonstrating her ... indomitable spirit?). Similar things could be said about the other characters, who are left mysterious without rising to the level of being intriguing. Leaden and occasionally hackneyed writing doesn't help ("You speak in riddles, old man.") The other big problem is in the overall setup: there are two sides, both groups of vaguely far-eastern occultists who strive to attain Tao-ish calm and balance in the world. One group is, we are told, good, and the other evil. You can see the problem: how do we tell them apart? Apparently, it suffices that the "good" guys wear white robes and live in a woodsy commune, while the "bad" guys look sort of sinister. It's weak; we need to see some modicum of plausible motivation among these people in order to enter the movie's (admittedly enticing) atmosphere of fantasy.

Flawed but fun

[FiendishDramaturgy · 8/10 · 30 January 2005]

I can see why comic book purists aren't happy with Elektra, but they are missing out on a fun 90+ minutes!

Firstly, let me congratulate Ms. Garner on a hard-fought and dedicated embodiment of Elektra. Her performance alone, would have been enough to make this an enjoyable endeavor, had it needed to carry the movie. She worked very hard with the choreographer, trained long days, and did her own stunts! And while this was a flawed presentation, I found it was still enjoyable.

Fortunately, it was not necessary for Garner to support this work alone. Kirsten Prout's portrayal as Abby was beautiful. She exhibited a wide range of emotions and abilities with which my hometown audience was spellbound. Terence Stamp demonstrated a lovely versatile acting style which I had never before seen from him. His portrayal was honest and utterly realistic.

I do not agree with the common hatred for Daredevil (the first movie of this vein, and to which Elektra is a sequel), but in spite of the Affleck bashers out there, I enjoyed the appetencial spirit exhibited in Daredevil, and the intellectual and physical rapport between Affleck and Garner's characters. The characters and action were steeped in Japanese mysticism, combined with some impressive free-wheeling martial arts, and a few over the top wire flights which did nothing to detract from the action. I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful level of suspense generated by the sinister plot, and solidly backed up by the action sequences. It held a beautiful synergy throughout the endeavor.

Garner stayed true to the personality of Elektra Natchios, even when it seemed dangerous for her future career. She took risks and allowed superior direction to take over when necessary. Unfortunately, the director (Bowman) doesn't seem to feel the need to give us enough of the back story. We don't know much about the Hand, or Mr. Stick, except that they were there, and how they acted when in our presence. We did get some quality character development concerning Elektra, but I also wanted more of Abby and why she was so necessary. He does let you know; he does give you just enough to get through the movie without disappointment. But not enough to satisfy either the real fans of the genre or casual fans who are lacking the foreknowledge of the series. (Now, in all honesty, it is quite obvious that Stick and Daredevil are aligned in some way, as they are both blind and seem to use the same fighting style.)

The plot is as deeply mystical as are the characters. It has been criticized as weak and tripping itself up. However, I did not find one scene which did not seem to know where it was going. Each dissolve was as seamless as the one before it, and each small bit of the story connected nicely with the next. As I've indicated, however, there could have been a bit more in the way of explanation of some of these beautiful plot and design elements, but all in all we were thoroughly engrossed. There was no snickering or quiet muttering going on during this. That in itself is rare for our hometown theater.

While this wasn't the spring board out of the (commonly perceived) mire of Daredevil the studios hoped it would be, it does well to stand on its own due to Jennifer Garner's dedication and professionalism. We found this work to be an honest, fresh, and heart-warmingly solid source of entertainment.

It rates an 8.4/10 from...

the Fiend :.

A Second Life, a Second Chance

[jon.h.ochiai · 7/10 · 6 February 2005]

"Elektra" is a mess, and yet it stars the very hot Jennifer Garner in the title role. However, this frail story asks the captivating question: What do you do with a "second life"? This actually saved the movie for me. Director Rob Bowman's "Elektra" follows the character Elektra, who died in the movie, "Daredevil". Yes, died. Elektra (Garner) is a ninja of great and legendary prowess. According to the mythology of the movie, she is also the balance between the forces of good and evil, in the quest for the Treasure-- the source of ultimate power. The comic book character created by Frank Miller, in the hands of screen writers, Zak Penn, Stu Zicherman, and Raven Metzner clumsily handles this intriguing premise. Garner is effective as Elektra, who is brought back from the dead, and is creating the path of her second life. The assassin for hire, Elektra, accepts an assignment from an undisclosed client, to kill widower Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic) and his daughter Abby (Kirsten Prout), who possesses a great secret. Not able to bring herself to kill them, she chooses instead to protect Mark and Abby, from The Order of the Hand, a powerful Ninja Clan. What follows is battle against great evil, in a very murky and convoluted story.

Elektra is much too dour for Garner, rather this wastes the innate lightness and charm which she displayed in "13 Going on 30". Garner to her credit is a strong and charismatic force, and a true physical screen presence. She looks awesome. Her fight sequences, when not overly edited, are very impressive. She obviously trained intensely in the martial arts for the movie. It is a shame that the story does not adequately support her. Having her character suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder is a curious touch for character complexity. An unexpected saving grace is Terence Stamp as Elektra's "gaijin" Sensei, Stick. In a flashback, Stick points out to Elektra that she is his most powerful student, but not his best student. The point being that Elektra has a good soul, but has chosen a dark path. Stick is the one who asks, "What do you do with a second life?" Elektra eventually asks Stick for help in protecting the Millers. But it is Elektra, alone, who must face the evil forces of The Hand. Even amidst the over done, aerial wire fighting sequences, the notion that our warrior Elektra chooses to protect life, instead of taking it, is noble. Granted this is not always clear in this movie, but it is well intentioned.

"Elektra" is a very glossy mess that to it's credit has it's moments. The movie is really saved by a noble premise. Jennifer Garner is an absolutely hot star, who has a commanding screen presence. Though "Elektra" for the most part, wastes her gifts. Hopefully and mercifully, there will not be a sequel.

I never thought I'd rate a Marvel movie so low...

[Stoli_Raz_N_7 · 5/10 · 22 March 2005]

I never thought that I'd see the day when I rated a Marvel movie so low...and I especially didn't think it would be Elektra. I mean, as a fan of the comic, I thought, "Now this is gonna be a good movie. It's about Elektra. It's from the same guys (almost) that brought us Daredevil. It's Marvel. And Jennifer Garner is in it, wearing a tight red-leather outfit no less."

Could I have foreseen that the story would've been written so pathetically? Or that Rob Bowman could have done such an atrocious job of directing the film? Or that there could be so much stupidity involved with the action sequences? Could I have foreseen that some of the best villains to grace the pages of comic books could have been so poorly translated to the screen? No. I am amazing, but I am not psychic.

I thought the producers used test audiences to screen films before they're released. Apparently not in this case, unless they tested it on a bunch of brain-damaged Vietnam vets.

Here's a few examples of how bad the action could be: Stone is one of the five villains Elektra must fight. He's big, strong, and nearly invulnerable, so much so that he's immune to shotgun blasts from point blank range. Yet Elektra drops a tree on him, and *poof* he's gone. Another one of the bad guys, Kinkou is taken out so quickly that you wonder why he was ever in the film to begin with. Then we come to my two favorites from the comic, Typhoid and Tattoo. Tattoo certainly seemed much cooler in the comics. In the film, he goes out like a chump. And Typhoid...in the comic she is a super badass chica. In the movie, she's just dumb.

Okay, that being said, let's move onto deconstructing the film's construction. The action sequences were poorly edited, failed to flow, and the slow-motion sequences were platitudinous to the point of nausea. The fight choreography was pretentious and lame. The drama was too drawn out to be appreciated. Overall, the film was almost totally joyless and inappreciable. Except for Jennifer Garner in the tight red-leather outfit.