User reviews

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.

Perhaps I'm out of date or just don't know what Electra is like in current publications...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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 *****!

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.

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

...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.

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.

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

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.

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.

A lot of comic movies in the past I believe (before Xmen 1) were horrendous up until recently. However now it almost seems like its the age of Comic Book Movies and that movies like this have been recently coming out a lot more frequently. This movie itself seems to be of a new genre on to itself (as far as comics). The movie like "catwoman" is a secondary character type movie in which the main character (daredevil, or Matt Murdock) is missing. Catwoman based off of the batman comics/movies was also a movie like this for that same reason but had bombed. Personally I think this movie on the other hand did a LOT better but can't be really considered "perfect". It had great plot elements or ideas, Amazing visuals, a very sexy Jennifer Garner, and as far as i've been told a "pretty accurate" characterization of Electra in comparison to the comics. Although there were minor things I disliked with the movie (mediocre acting being one,) I give this movie a 7 out of 10... one extra point for being the best "secondary character" movie out there thus far.

I didn't know much about the story or the rest of the movie before I was in the theatre. I expected something like an action movie with a vengeance motivated female warrior. And the introducing action scene looked a little bit like that. But at the end: the movie is not worth to be seen, not even on DVD or for free.

A vague story about "good against evil" and a superhuman female warrior in the center of this fight. Could be interesting? Maybe, but it isn't. The action scenes of the movie are approx. 10 min in total and not even good. The audience waits in vain for something worth to see. The character "Elektra" is superficial and uninspired.

I cannot blame the people who left the theatre before the end of the movie nor the people chatting next to me, because it was one of the most boring movies I've ever seen.