Elektra
(Jennifer) Garner is the best thing about Daredevil, another in a line of smart, sexy, athletic chicks who more than hold their own against the trumped-up testosterone. I would rather see a movie about her character Elektra than a movie with her supporting a less interesting character like Daredevil.
Thank goodness I didn=t wish for hemorrhoids, but Elektra comes close. Talk about a pain in the butt, another style-over-substance super hero movie that makes you want to roll up a comic book and swat the director. How many more of these non-Marvelous messes must we sit through? Aside from Spider-Man, Batman and Superman 2, the Marvel and DC Comic book invasion of the big screen has been something of a disappointment.
Continuing that trend is Elektra, the convenient continuation of the heroine who died in Daredevil, but finds herself back among the living to represent good in the ultimate battle against evil. Oh brother, someone hand me a Viagra, because that= s the only way to get excited about this mishmash of computer generated razzle dazzle that is as transparent as the film stock.
Garner may have been the best thing about Daredevil, but she= s out of her league as the lead in Elektra, where the Alias star is summoned to perform one amazing wire stunt after another. The dialogue is abysmal, the set-up functional yet dreary, and the visual effects so overpowering the actors never stand a chance. They= re merely action figures summoned to satisfy the requirements of the project.
After sitting through the latest Harry Potter and Spider-Man films last summer, my friend declared he was through with movies involving super heroes and wizards. His logic was since wizards and super heroes never really die, there can be no true suspense, danger or even emotional payoff. He= s right. Although I was almost brought to tears over Peter Parker= s resurrection in Spider-Man 2, I too find it difficult to invest time and emotion when I already know the outcome.
If Superman can turn back time and bring Lois Lane back to life, or Batman can find a last-minute cure to save Alfred the Butler, what= s the point? This deceit may work in horror films, but why fear for the good guys when we know they= ll be back for more? Even though Elektra references Star Wars (with Terrence Stamp as O-Be-The-Chosen-One) in its themes, it lacks the emotional punch. How can you mourn for someone when mourning becomes Elektra?
Elektra Unplugged
ELEKTRA
Jennifer Garner, Terrence Stamp, Kristen Prout, Goran Visnjic, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Will Yun Lee. Directed by Rob Bowen. Rated PG-13. 97 Minutes.
LARSEN RATING: $2.00
