Ignoring advice from peers and critics, I checked out the much maligned Elektra movie last Thursday at my local second run theatre. I originally had no intention of watching this movie. In fact, after the dismal Daredevil thetrical cut, I planned on avoiding this one like the plague. If I was never going to watch the latter, why would I ever bother with the former?
My answer came through a chance encounter with the Daredevil director's cut which made me rethink the franchise somewhat. Add to that the fact that one of my favourite directors, Rob Bowman, helmed the film, and I knew that, while I was still taking a chance with this movie, it's chances for not being total shit had increased tenfold. This was a flick that I would be watching in the theatre.
Elektra was no masterpiece, but this 97 minute 'action-adventure' movie does a surprisingly decent job of keeping those with reasonable expectations entertained. Like the theatrical cut of Daredevil, I thought the movie was too short (hoping there might be a director's cut of this baby floating out there in the ether awaiting a DVD release), and you feel like there was a studio decision made somewhere to keep the plot moving along at the expense of really good character moments, but there's still some in there for anyone willing to sit through the thing.
The story is pretty pedestrian but Jennifer Garner does a good job of playing the lead and competently carries this movie, although her supporting cast is really quite good in...well, supporting her. Colin Cunningham was great as Elektra's agent. He and Garner had a nice chemistry and they played off of each other well. Terrence Stamp was just great, doing that all-knowing calm sensei thing and being one of the shining lights in the movie. Goran Visnjic manages to keep his character from becoming wallpaper, despite being given so very little to do in the movie, and the gang of mystical thugs that The Hand sends after Elektra were fairly well done in my opinion as well.
The DVD comes out soon, if I'm not mistaken, and I have to say I'm disappointed by the features that they've announced. No audio commentary from Bowman (which makes two of his movies, now, to perpetrate this horrible, horrible crime) and some featurettes or some such nonsense. Even though Daredevil was shit, it still had a 2-Disc release with a nice package of features to go with it.
Ah well.
I liked it, will likely own the DVD and will stuff it up on the movie shelf (now overflowing) next to the Daredevil Director's Cut.
I should come up with a grading system for this kind of stuff.
mike
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