Elektra Luxx

This movie, several steps up from "Women In Trouble" in terms of consistency, further evolves the weird, wonderful and sexy world of the title character. Carla Gugino is so winning as this confused but sometimes wise former lady of porn that it makes you wonder what movies would be like if she got more leading parts. Returning from the first one are the awesome duo of Adrienne Palicki and Emmanuelle Chriqui, who are maybe the most moving part of the story. Joseph Gordon Levitt is hilarious in it too and Malin Akerman, who I wasn't all that keen on from "Watchmen", actually proves she's a very good actress. Sex-positive and lesbian-positive without being preachy or sappy, this is a smart, weird comedy with a ton of personality and GREAT DIALOGUE.

Gugino is lovely (not so lovely with a blonde wig) and can act. Gutierrez is a bright guy and can write smart, insightful, and occasionally funny lines. But in this "story" of a former major porn star who's pregnant and giving "how to have sex" courses their talents are wasted. There isn't really much of a story just pieces as an excuse for Gutierrez's musings. Gugino is placed in a couple of unlikely scenarios. A ridiculous and ridiculously articulate porn industry vlogger obsesses about Elektra and is nervous to meet her. Two friends travel to Mexico and meets some guys but one of them has a secret. What does all of this have to do with anything? It doesn't. What's the point? There isn't one.

A shame that big budget movies won't even try to offer something intelligent. And when intelligent folks want to say something it has to be in the context of a movie like Elektra Luxx.

Sebastian Gutierrez's dialogue oriented 'Elektra Luxx' is somewhat better than his next film 'Girl Walks Into A Bar', at least in terms of writing, especially where dialogue is concerned. It's wittier, fresher and funnier and fits well with the situations. 'Elektra Luxx' also has a film-noire style feel to it. The story of the title character juxtaposes with two others: one about Luxx's 'diehard' and desperate fanboy blogger Bert who's trying to move on with life post Luxx's film career (she quit) and another involving Luxx's former costar Holly. I thought the latter story, though well acted in by Adrianne Palicki and Emannuelle Chriqui, barely contributed to the film and perhaps it should have been left out as it only slows down the pace. The overall pacing is also uneven. At times the lighting feels excessive. The score is well utilized and pleasant to the ears. Carla Gugino is terrific in the title role and she is well-supported by Adrianne Palicki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kathleen Quinlan and Marley Shelton. There's also an interesting cameo by one of the finest actresses.

To sum it up, 'Elektra Luxx' is refreshing. It has a novel premise and Gutierrez steers away from clichés. Some good editing was required to tighten it up a little.

Elektra Luxx tries to blend comedy, drama, and satire into a quirky story, but it never fully commits to any of them. The premise-following a retired adult film star navigating a new life-has potential, but the execution feels uneven. Some moments shine with clever dialogue and offbeat humor, but the film often meanders without a clear direction.

Carla Gugino is the highlight here, bringing charm and depth to the title role. She does her best with the material, but the script doesn't always give her much to work with. The supporting cast adds some amusing moments, but the overall story lacks a strong narrative drive, making it feel disjointed.

While there are flashes of wit and interesting character moments, Elektra Luxx ultimately falls short of being truly memorable. It's an okay watch if you're in the mood for something light and offbeat, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Carla Gugino is great, but the movie itself doesn't fully deliver on its promise.

Elektra Luxx is the slightly improved sequel to Women in Trouble. If you enjoyed that movie at all, then this one will also probably be worth your time. 

A lot of the failed attempts at humor where left out this time around, and the story focus also lies more heavily on the characters of Elektra (Carla Gugino), Holly Rocket (Adrianne Palicki), Bambi (Emmanuelle Chriqui), and Bert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The story lines of those characters in the first movie are continued right where they left off, and they're also joined by a few new faces like Timothy Olyphant, Malin Akerman and Lucy Punch. 

Elektra Luxx is also a much tamer movie than Women in Trouble, despite the fact that most of its characters are still porn stars. Besides a few curse words, this could have been a PG-13 film. 

As I said before, check this out if you're interested in the continued lives of the characters from Women in Trouble (the doors are left wide open at the end of this movie for a third entry in the series). Otherwise, there's not a whole lot of reasons to go out of your way to see this.