Elektra

as someone who can't stand comic books or cartoons, i admit i'd never heard of elektra, daredevil, or most of these other comic book superheroes before they became movies... that said, i really enjoyed this movie :) sure, the plot could use a little beefing up, but the characters, being the single most important part in any story, really shine in this film :) jennifer garner is fabulous... i don't think anyone else could have played the role and make the character seem real instead of a cheesy cardboard cutout... but she did it! :) kirsten prout switches from very tongue-in-cheek funny to warrior to sad on-the-run girl at the drop of a hat and does it very well every time :) the character is fun and i must say she steals much of the show :) colin cunningham is also fun (i'd seen him in both stargate Sg1 and the 6th day before this), though i admit to being surprised to find him quite funny :D another stage-stealer... too bad they kill him off so early... the "bad guys" are of course all cliches, but they're fun... and since you know they're all gonna die anyway it doesn't matter that they're not much more than fun :D as for the plot, despite needing a beefing up as i said before, it really does do pretty well... the good vs evil doesn't come across as too cliched, though it is a bit overstated at times... and the side-plot of elektra's mother's death is interesting, if not a bit strange... still, the journey of her character is well done and fun to watch along the way :) all in all, i saw this movie in the theatre 3 times, and i plan to buy it on dvd, so i'd certainly say this movie was quite enjoyable :)

Nice heavy feeling 2 disc set feels like a quality case

She so fiiinnneeee

I was sitting with a female friend of mine looking over a selection of DVDs to check out and we came across the latest martial arts superhero flick "ELEKTRA." Turning to me and pointing at the cover shot of Jennifer Garner she said to me "Now, I'm not into girls - but she is HOT!" And that is a major draw for this movie - that and the impressive action scenes in which Garner puts her ALIAS tv show fighting chops to practice once more in a heart pounding series of set pieces. But the main attraction (acknowledged reluctantly by Garner herself in pre-release publicity) is Garners super-sexy physique, nicely accented by the skin-tight red outfit she wears in the movie. Serious and thought-provoking drama this is not - but to its credit it doesn't pretend to be. Sure there is character angst on the part of Elektra dealing with the death of her mother and the inner turmoil over being assigned to kill a young girl and her father. There is a lesbian subtext most visibly illustrated by the main female villainess giving Elektra (quite literally) the kiss of death and some character struggles on the part of the father and daughter. But for the most part the entire cast realize that this is pure popcorn fodder and act accordingly. The plot (for what it is) revolves around the title character. An assassin for hire, she is a seemingly ghost-like figure who can evade high-tech security systems to get to her prey. Then while waiting for her next assignment she befriends a precocious young girl Abby (Kirsten Prout) and her protective father (played by Goran Visnjic). Eventually the orders arrive - the targets are the two. Feeling a connection with the young girl Elektra decides to protect them and the race is on as she attempts to keep one step ahead of the mystical criminal organization known only as The Hand. Not surprisingly the actor who impressed me the most is the venerable Terence Stamp who plays Elektra's mentor Stick, also turning in a wonderful performance is the young Prout, who steals almost every scene in which she appears. Directed by Rob Bowman, who proved he could direct action well in the excellent modern-day dragon picture REIGN OF FIRE, this movie moves along at a fair clip and does not outstay its welcome. Its not high drama or a romantic comedy - it's a no nonsense action flick that will appeal to ALIAS fans and most alpha-males who appreciate suspenseful, tension filled action scenes and shots of Garner in navel-revealing outfits. The DVD includes three deleted scenes that were "deleted" for good reason, a rather EPK fluff making-of documentary that includes both interviews with Bowman and Garner, a piece on Garner's time at the Comic Convention a rather nifty editing-room feature and the trailer. Hopefully one day when this movie has passed into cult-favorite status (as it is bound to become) they will get Bowman and Garner together for an audio commentary. Until that day, sit back and enjoy some straightforward, good natured Jennifer Garner fun. Blu-ray update: The video quality of the high definition Blu-ray is quite good and not surprisingly easily bests its standard def DVD counterpart, even if its blacks are little too dark at times. The Elektra costume is a nice cherry red while the foliage is a rich green, and the detail is extremely textured. The audio presentation on the Blu-ray is also simply excellent, with a rocking DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that will put your sound system to the test. There are a number of cross-channel effects and the LFE channel positively throbs with energy. All around, an extremely effective audio presentation that is definitely better than its DVD counterpart. The supplements are headlined by "Reign of Fire" director Rob Bowman and an interestingly making of documentary that is significantly longer than the film it covers. In two parts, the "Relentless: Making of Elektra" clocks in at 2 hours 20 minutes. But, there's more, we are also treated to a 52 minute "Elektra: Incarnations" documentary that examines Elektra in the comic books. There's also a 15-minute "Elektra in Greek Mythology" which details, variations of the Elektra story in mythology. Rounding out the supplements is over 13 minutes of alternate or extended scenes, 5 minutes of deleted scenes, 2 trailers and a 2-minute + multi-angle feature of the fight scene at the well. So, the verdict. If you are an Elektra fan, or a fan of Jennifer Garner at her sexiest, this Blu-ray as a purchase is a no brainer. The movie itself is popcorn fun, if terribly written, and the supplements are probably the most extensive you are likely to ever see. If the price point is right you should add this Blu-ray to your collection.

Great movie

I had heard some reviews after the opening weekend that left me disheartened and thinking that one of my all-time favorite comic book heroines must have been sorely mistreated in a movie I have waited for since before Daredevil even hit the screen (though afterward it actually became a realistic possibility). I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of the criticisms I heard turned out to be some of the best portions of the movie. And the rest were just false. While I do agree that more action would have been phenomenal...I don't think I could have asked for a better character adaption of Elektra. There was obviously a lot of thought that went into this and the script. The depiction of Elektra's personality was priceless. The OCD actually made me laugh out loud as I wondered how you could portray Elektra's more neutoric tendencies without making her look completely crazy (Elektra: Assassin, but toned down for the mainstream). And showing her growing increasingly impatient, aggitated, and otherwise put out by her 'downtime' was also perfect and absolutely spot on. And the relationship with Stick? Couldn't have been portrayed better. As multi-faceted as it's been, they managed to get it all across very well. Another thing I had to add to this review, and I can't believe I forgot it at first: The Treasure. Let me say that I'm beyond pleased they made sure to include the concept of the Spirit Warriors. Granted, not a lot of background on them, but I'm glad they got some recognition. I think this movie did a wonderful job staying true to the character and be adaptable to a wider audience. I can see where someone not familiar with the character and her history might be put off (or worse, not quite so drawn in). In the case of anything like this, the more you know, the more you tend to get out of it (or sometimes, the more you tend to dislike it.) But in my case, I'm not someone who will criticize because everything is not exactly as it is in the comic. Nothing ever is. The main point is did they do a good job with what they had? And here, the answer is 'Yes'. There is room for improvement, namely adding some more action and making the sequences flow a little better. But as a long time fan, I'm happy with how this movie turned out.

Something to chew on...in Greek mythology Electra was the daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon who, with her brother Orestes, avenged the murder of Agamemnon by killing their mother and her lover, Aegisthus. In terms of the comic book (or graphic novel, whichever you prefer) and the 2003 film Daredevil, Elektra (slightly different spelling) was a character who started studying martial arts at an early age, lost her mother much sooner than she should have, and began using her skills to become one of the world's deadliest assassins....in a nutshell (it's been a great while since I've read the comics, so this comes more from the film). Directed by Rob Bowman (The X Files, Reign of Fire), the film stars Jennifer Garner from the popular television show `Alias'. Also appearing is Goran Visnjic (Dr. Luka Kovac on `ER"), Kirsten Prout (The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess), Will Yun Lee (Die Another Day, Torque), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Licence to Kill, Mortal Kombat), and Terence Stamp, whom many may recognize from any number of films including Young Guns, Alien Nation, and The Limey, but I'll always know him as the ruthless General Zod from the Superman movies...'Come to me, son of Jor-El! Kneel before Zod!' The film begins by relating a whole bunch of stuff including how there are two organizations, Kimagure (good) and The Hand (bad), vying for the same thing in that of some sort of treasure that would ultimately shift the power balance one way or another (The Hand is interested in it for world domination purposes and stuff like that while the Kimagure are content with having it if only to keep it away from The Hand). We also learn Elektra (Garner), who died the last time we saw her in the film Daredevil, has been brought back to life by her once martial arts Stick (Stamp), and has now become an assassin for hire, with her skills in high demand. After taking on a lucrative contract, she discovers something within herself lost since thought lost, and can't follow through. Not only that, but soon she finds herself in the position of protector, perhaps as an effort of redemption, as those who took out the original contract have since decided to bring in some big guns to finish the job in a team of deadly killers each with their own, unique power. In terms of a movie based on a comic book character, I enjoyed Elektra, but that's not to say it didn't have some flaws. I think the thing I was most impressed with was how the film looked overall, filled with stunning, rich, vibrant, and beautiful visuals. Also, I thought the action very well done, the fight scenes sharp and exciting, and Garner sure looked good in that red outfit. There were a few things about the film I didn't like...I thought the action through most of the film somewhat sporadic, loaded towards the latter half of the film. Also, the actions scenes often seemed short and less comprehensive than I would have thought. At some point in the movie we're presented with a fearsome group of killers in Stone (in RPGs he/she would be classified as a `brick', or a character whose size and strength usually dictate his/her actions), Typhoid, whose touch is death, Tattoo, who can bring to life the various deadly creatures inked onto his body, Kinkou, whose ability seems to be limited to being able to balance really well (what's the point? When special powers were being handed out, this guy missed the boat), and Kirigi, their leader, master of marital arts. They seem like a very formidable group and are feared by even those they work for, but they're quashed with relative ease at various points in the film. And here's something else that disappointed me...near the end we're set for a huge battle, one chock full of ninjas, but then all the ninjas get popped as they're caught trying to enter through the same area, in one stupid bunch, and Elektra makes short work of them, barely lifting a finger in doing so...I thought the real `final' battle pretty good, but I found the inclusion of the swirling sheets rather annoying. The dialog was pretty predictable, but maybe that's because I've read so many comic books when I was younger...and the character of Elektra...I thought Garner did very well, but maybe it was just the way it was written as I felt it never quite made it from what I remember from so long ago in that of an extremely serious character, focused and determined, not easily swayed by emotions or sentiment. Ultimately the story is kinda weak (I never got the sense this was the `ultimate' battle between good and evil, and the `treasure' was really worth all the trouble), and not really deserving, but it was fun if you're not expecting too much, and if a sequel is made, I'll see it... The anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) picture on this DVD looks excellent, and the audio, available in English (DTS 5.1) and English (Dolby Digital 5.1) is just as good. There are a number of special features including a `making of' and Inside the Editing room' featurettes, a bit Garner filmed for some Comic-Con (comics convention) presentation, sneak peeks, and three deleted scenes, one featuring Ben Affleck as Matt Murdoch aka Daredevil. Can anyone tell me what is the deal with some companies using cardboard slipcases over the DVD case itself? Is there a purpose for this extra packaging? They're nice and shiny, but the one for this film featured a giant hole in the back where the UPC code once resided. This didn't really bother me, but others might like to save this part, and might be disappointed if all are the same. Something else that bugged me...20th Century Fox slapped on this advertising that plays once the DVD is put into a player, one against pirating films from the internet and other sources...why in the world are they advertising to those of us who bought the damn movie? If they're so concerned about it, go after those who do it and leave the rest of us alone to enjoy the movie. Cookieman108

This is one of Jennifer Garner's finest movies. Made as a sequal to "DARE DEVIL" which stared both her and her now husband Ben Affleck, she goes well beyond the first movie. This tells how she was brought back to life (she was killed by Bullseye in the first movie) and the progression of Elektra's carreer past that point. Her martial arts moves go way beyond what you saw of her on her TV series "ALIAS" and she has put her heart and soul into the role. Shot on a very short schedule due to Miss Garner's availability (she was in between shooting of Season 3 and 4 of "ALIAS" when this was done)the Director none the less put together an outstanding film with a really great cast. Also Miss Garner brought along her personal Stunt Double from "ALIAS" so all the tough stunts were pulled off really great. They put together a really good behind the scenes video in the extras menu so you can see how it was all done. I highly recommend this Blu-ray version of the film and also recommend that you get "DARE DEVIL" as they compliment each other greatly.