A none too Marvel-lous spin-off from Daredevil.
Elektra (2005)
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Reviews Counted:145
Fresh:14
Rotten:131
Average Rating:3.7/10
Consensus: This comic book movie is an inert muddle that takes itself much too seriously.
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: From the pages of Marvel Comics, creator of "X-Men" and "Spider-Man," comes ELEKTRA, the first action event movie of the year. In the ultimate battle between good and evil stands a warrior who... From the pages of Marvel Comics, creator of "X-Men" and "Spider-Man," comes ELEKTRA, the first action event movie of the year. In the ultimate battle between good and evil stands a warrior who makes the choice that tips the balance. Jennifer Garner stars in the title role as a strong, mysterious and sexy action heroine – a lethal synthesis of grace and power. Not long after recovering from seemingly mortal wounds, Elektra has severed all ties with the world, living only for her next assignment. But in an unexpected turn of events, she is forced to make a decision that can take her life in a new direction – or destroy her. Key players in Elektra's journey are Stick, a blind martial arts master responsible for Elektra's "resurrection," and Mark Miller and Abby Miller, a father and daughter on the run from The Hand, a powerful syndicate whose members practice the dark martial art of ninjitsu. After Jennifer Garner made a brief, tantalizing appearance as Elektra in the 2003 Fox / Regency picture "Daredevil," executives at both companies were eager to have Garner reprise the role, but this time in her own motion picture. Garner trained long and hard to do justice to the character portrayed in the famed Marvel comics: a warrior without limits. Already physically fit and skilled in various fighting techniques from her work on the television series "Alias," Garner took her martial arts training to a new level under the guidance of ELEKTRA's Stunt Coordinators and Fighting Choreographers. A bonus for Garner – and the comic's multitude of fans – was that this time Elektra would don a red costume that stays true to the colors worn by the character in the Marvel stories. -- © 20th Century Fox [More]
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Kirsten Prout, Will Yun Lee
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Kirsten Prout, Will Yun Lee, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Terence Stamp, Natassia Malthe, Bob Sapp, Hiro Kanagawa
Director: Rob Bowman
Director: Rob Bowman
Screenwriter: Zak Penn, Stuart Zicherman, Raven Metzner
Producer: Arnon Milchan, Gary Foster, Avi Arad
Composer: Christophe Beck
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Elektra
Garner may justify her reputation as an action woman, but fails to prove that sais matter.
It's shockingly dull for a popcorn flick, and only ardent fans of the comic are likely to enjoy it.
Garner is an extremely likeable actress, even if she occasionally mistakes acting for pouting - she's the reason the film is never less than watchable.
There's better superhero action in Hellboy or Spiderman, and there's more enjoyable Jennifer Garner fare in 13 Going On 30.
Almost bad enough to be a guilty pleasure, except that it takes itself so seriously.
Garner's charms extend beyond the mere physical. Simply by showing up, she makes Elektra far more entertaining than it has a right to be.
For all its slow-mo kick-flying and computer-generated mysticism, the story is tissue-thin and simple to the point of being simpleminded.
What's missing in this Elektra is a certain sense of play and imagination.
It felt like I was back in my childhood watching serial chapters at a Saturday matinee.
This doesn't exactly set the world on fire, but I was charmed by its old-fashioned storytelling, which is refreshingly free of archness, self-consciousness, or Kill Bill-style wisecracks.
Everything comes back to Garner, though -- and even when the movie takes itself too seriously, thankfully she never does.
As for Garner, she remains a lovely screen presence, but it's impossible to buy her as an emotionless killing machine.
Elektra shoves Frank Miller's eponymous cold-blooded assassin into a PG-13-friendly adventure.
During a fight, a character declared "Enough! It ends now." And I thought It's about time! Now there's a sure sign of an action movie falling short of its potential.
There's a skeleton of a cool fantasy story here, but the clatter and clunk of its fleshless bones is dispiriting.
Never mind giving 1000 chimps 1000 typewriters and having them produce a script in a week. Instead, give 1000 chimps $US100 million and see how long it takes them to come up with a blancmange blockbuster such as this.
Absent an established fan base or cadre of recognizable villains, filmmakers are forced to shoehorn in superfluous back story and excessive inner turmoil.
Much like the onslaught of sword-and-sandal epics, the comic-book-adaptation boom has resulted in a decreased effectiveness of the subjects.
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