Elektra (2005) Movie Review
"Elektra" feels like a mishmash of Marvel superhero leftovers, struggling to find its vibe. The movie can't make up its mind, toggling between satire, melancholy, and cheap sentiment without a clear direction. On one hand, it tries to be funny by giving its assassin heroine financial advice and sending her a fruit basket before a hit. On the other hand, it delves into Elektra's lonely past, depicting her as an overachiever with childhood trauma and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The film attempts to evoke emotion by pairing Elektra with a 12-year-old girl, but the execution leaves much to be desired. It's a confusing mess without a solid rationale.
%20Movie.jpg "Elektra (2005) Movie")
For those who remember Elektra from "Daredevil" (2003), played by Jennifer Garner, her return as a hired killer seems somewhat disheartening. The character was once part of a beautiful scene in the previous movie where the blind superhero, played by Ben Affleck, envisions her face through the sound of raindrops.
In this installment, Elektra is offered a hefty sum of $2 million for her next assassination, with the only catch being an early arrival on Christmas Eve. The story unfolds in a luxurious lakeside vacation home where she encounters a young girl named Abby. The predictable romantic subplot ensues, with Abby's father, played by Goran Visnjic, sporting a three-day beard as the token indicator of impending attraction.
All in all, "Elektra" is a cinematic puzzle desperately searching for a coherent purpose.
The backstory of "Elektra" skips any mention of Daredevil and revolves around Elektra's training under the strict blind martial arts master Stick (Terence Stamp). Stick, who possesses mystical abilities, can apparently bring people back to life and appear at will, but when it comes to combat, he resorts to martial arts. Elektra faces off against assassins hired by the secretive Japanese society called the Order of the Hand, aiming to obtain a mysterious artifact known as The Treasure.
The Hand's troops suffer from what can be termed as "Movie Zombie's Syndrome." They are formidable until defeated, at which point they disintegrate into yellow powder. It's unclear whether these adversaries are real or figments of imagination. Adding to the confusion, animals like eagles, wolves, and snakes can materialize from their tattoos but also vanish in clouds, perhaps to spare Elektra the hassle of navigating around fallen foes during a battle.
The Order of the Hand remains poorly defined, operating out of a pagoda atop a Tokyo skyscraper. Inside, it's a clichéd scene of individuals in suits giving orders to hired killers. The lack of clarity about their motives and master plan might require some comic book background knowledge.
Elektra's character is explored through flashbacks, revealing a troubled past with a father who subjected her to bizarre water-treading exercises. Whether this trauma caused her obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is uncertain, but her mild manifestation involves counting steps in groups of five – a detail seemingly unrelated to the rest of the narrative.
The film's fight scenes suffer from attention deficit disorder, with brief shots sparing actors from extensive stunts and the director from intricate choreography. Despite Jennifer Garner's efforts, the closeups leave viewers guessing about Elektra's thoughts. Does she question her path as a paid killer rather than a virtuous superheroine? Is she aware of the Order of the Hand's threat? Even after defeating her enemies, the film concludes with Elektra telling Goran Visnjic to care for his daughter, leaving us uncertain if she grasps the continued danger posed by the suited figures in the pagoda.