This weeks notable DVD releases include Elektra.
Almost universally, and in my opinion unfairly panned by critics, Elektra makes for a quality Kung-Fu flick with great action sequences, special effects and entertaining story. Being a fan of the comics, and Elektra in particular (I even learned how to use the Sais after reading possibly too many comics staring the red clad assassin), I am familiar with the back-story, much of which is only touched upon inadequately in this film.
Jennifer Garner is terrific as Elektra, the assassin for hire with an obsessive compulsive problem and a tormented past. As a fan dating back to Frank Miller’s first Daredevil comics, I am very happy with Garner’s Elektra. She’s a proven acting talent with a distinct athletic presence that could have carried the film if she had to. The rest of the cast is first rate; Terrance Stamp is Stick, a general issue old Kung-Fu master with the power to bring Elektra back from near death. Goran Visnijic (a talented Croat actor seen in ER) and Kirsten Prout are a father and daughter who cause Elektra to rethink her career as an assassin. Will Yun Lee is a martial artist turned actor who can literally burst onto the screen flashing his dual samurai swords. The special effects in the movie are original while not subjecting us to the obligatory Matrix sequences that are now common in movies of this ilk. The “teleportation” effect is particularly stunning on a well tuned 5.1 system and I found it equally impressive in both DTS and Dolby Digital. The opening sequence where Elektra whispers into her victim’s ear hits the mark with a haunting tone leaving us wondering what this “assassin” is really capable of.
Like the comics, Elektra is a spin-off from the Daredevil movie. In this film it’s clear she’s evolved far beyond practicing martial arts with sandbags in her apartment (I’d like to see a rematch between her and Colin Farrell’s Bullseye). Therein lies what is probably the source of some of the criticisms. At worst, some of the unexplored ideas in the film may seem half baked. For instance; who are The Hand and what is their motivation besides making Elektra’s life miserable? The villains were colorful and interesting on screen and I was especially happy to see Typhoid Mary. But, I would have liked to see them explored a little more, perhaps we could trade more time exploring the villain’s motivations for a little less time establishing Elektra’s inner torment. I really liked the fight scene with the “flying sheets” although some might see it as a contrived device; I thought it added an artistic element. I would have liked the fight scenes to be a bit longer and show more of the hand-to-hand brutality Elektra demonstrated with a couple of memorable punches. I appreciate that it didn’t employ the gravity defying wire work that is popular in Eastern films of this sort. And of course I would have liked to see a bit more of Elektra in the classic red outfit.
If you appreciate a Kung-Fu action flick with top notch production values you can’t do much better than Elektra with only a few classic exceptions. If you’re a fan of the comic character this should be in your collection, only the most stuck in the mud comic snob could take exception to Jennifer Garner’s performance as Elektra. As for the DVD technology, the sound and video quality are excellent. Many of the best scenes take place in bright daylight featuring vistas of the American North West that balanced the few indoor and night time fight sequences. Elektra DVD is a well produced audio and visual feast.
Special Features (listed in full below)
Do you hear the crickets chirping? That's all you get when looking for extras on the Elektra DVD.
Jen Garner gives a taped presentation to a comic convention (she was filming at the time so I guess we forgive her for not actually showing up). I liked her enthusiasm for the character, it's brief but it whets the appetite for any Elektra fan to watch. The "making of" like the "first look" features serve as no more than extended adds while the cast and crew take turns stroking each other's ego. I'd love just once on one of these “Making Of“ features to see a director say something like: “We really wanted to get Jude Law but had to settle for Sean Penn.“
There are trailers for Elektra and for other movies that are included as special features. How adds for other films and DVDs become special features I don't fully understand and don't want to. It would have been nice to see some background info on the comics, the character, explain the Hand a bit better, show images of Frank Miller's series (they had to know Miller would be a popular name when the DVD came out).
Most other Marvel movies were set to DVD with exemplary features, Elektra is left wanting.
Director: Rob Bowman
- Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
- Rated:
- Studio: Fox Home Entertainme
- DVD Release Date: April 5, 2005
- Run Time: 104
- DVD Features:
- Available subtitles: English, Spanish
- Available Audio Tracks: English (DTS 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- 3 deleted scenes
- The Making of Elektra, including interviews with Rob Bowman and Jennifer Garner
- Jennifer Garner's Comic-Con Presentation
- Inside the Editing Room featurettes
- Trailer