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Title: Elektra: Widescreen
Region: One
Genre: Comic Book Superhero Action
Stars: Jennifer Garner, Goran
Visjic, Cary Tagawa, and Terence Stamp
Writer: Zak Penn, Stuart Zicherman
and Raven Metzner
Director: Rob Bowman
Feature length: 96 minutes
Extras: Deleted Scenes, “The
Making Of Elektra” Featurette, “Inside The Editing Room” Featurettes,
Jennifer Garner’s Comic-con Presentation, Trailers, Sneak Peeks, Inside Look
Previews
Languages: English DTS Digital 5.1
Theatrical Surround Sound, and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and French and
Spanish Language Dolby Surround Sound
Subtitles: English Closed Captions
and English and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging: Amaray Keep Case
Chapter Stops: 24
Sound: DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical
Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and Dolby Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical Release: 2005/DVD
Release: 2005
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth
Century Fox
Home Video Distributor: Twentieth
Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
Jennifer Garner reprises her big
screen role as “Elektra” in this spin-off from the 1993 feature film
“Daredevil,” both of which are based on Marvel Comics characters. Shortly
after being mortally wounded at the hands of Bullseye, paramedics fail to
resuscitate her within the ambulance, but through some strange and mystical
power, Elektra is brought back to life by a shaman like leader who goes by the
name of “Stick” (Terence Stamp) and is trained to become an assassin against
the forces of darkness as personified by “The Hand,” an occult group of
mercenaries and power brokers locked in a struggle against the forces of good
for possession of the world. A teenage girl blessed with amazing abilities could
tilt the balance of power in favor of The Hand if they reach her first. Elektra
must protect her and in the process confront her own inner demons that have
shaped her destiny.
“Elektra” was released in
theaters in January and at best comes off as a weak entry in the ever-growing
series of feature films based on Marvel characters that have dominated the big
screen since the 1998 sleeper success of “Blade.” While the camera loves
Jennifer Garner, the signature red outfit her character wears in the film’s
final showdown sequence just doesn’t flatter the curves of her body the way it
should. To be blunt, red makes her butt look fat. The evil minions of The Hand
have no charisma whatsoever and are dispatched with so easily by Elektra in the
film, one wonders how The Hand manages to remain a threat when it seems like
just about anything can make these villains explode into fiery green clouds. The
effect seems a little to reminiscent of the manner in which the vampires
dissolve away in the “Blade” series, but it just doesn’t work as well. The
story structure seems lopsided and ill conceived. While I understand the
intentions of the filmmakers was to flesh out Elektra’s backstory and give the
film a signature all of it’s own to start a new franchise, it somehow feels a
bit too removed from the brooding dark shadowy world depicted in
“Daredevil.” I’m not sure where the events of “Elektra” are supposed
to take place, but the look of the film just doesn’t match with the
supernatural action. As a whole, one can’t hope but wonder what happened to
make “Elektra” such a disappointment in terms of live action comic book
superhero action films? If Twentieth Century Fox should pursue another film in
the franchise I hope it will be a “Daredevil” adventure featuring Elektra
because I like Garner as Elektra and I liked her character in “Daredevil”
and I think the next logical step for her character would be to return to New
York City and meet up again with Matt Murdock. The possibilities regarding the
characters’ relationships alone would make another big screen team-up more
interesting than the first two films put together. I guess we will have to wait
and see what happens.
Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment’s DVD edition of “Elektra” presents the film in a colorful
anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio that preserves the manner in which
the film was exhibited in theaters as close as possible for home video users.
There are no visual artifacts or anomalies to note. The picture clarity is
actually quite stunning. Both an English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround
Soundtrack and an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack are provided and
while both are very enveloping an aggressive, I found little audible difference
between the two. French and Spanish Language Dubbed Dolby Surround Soundtracks
and English Closed Captions for the hearing impaired as well as Spanish Language
Subtitles are also encoded onto the dual layered DVD as options.
Extra value features include three
letterboxed deleted scenes that can be viewed individually or as one reel using
the “Play All” feature and they include one scene featuring Ben Affleck
reprising his role from “Daredevil” as Matt Murdock that I think should not
have been taken out of the film because at least it helps to establish more of a
connection between both movies. There are also four “Inside The Editing
Room” featurettes with Director Rob Bowman that feature a “Play All”
option too.
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