Elektra (2005) |
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Elektra (2005) |
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| BUY IT |
| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Action |
Trailer-Hide And Seek, Flight Of The Phoenix Main Menu Audio & Animation Deleted Scenes-With Optional Commentary By Rob Bowman (Director) Featurette-Making Of Featurette-Elektra: Incarnations Trailer-Daredevil Director's Cut Sneak Peek Web Links |
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| Year Of Production | 2005 | ||
| Running Time | 92:52 (Case: 96) | ||
| RSDL / Flipper | RSDL (63:23) | Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Ads Then Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Rob Bowman |
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Studio
Distributor |
 Twentieth Century Fox |
Starring |
Jennifer Garner Goran Visnjic Kirsten Prout Will Yun Lee Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Terence Stamp Natassia Malthe Bob Sapp Chris Ackerman Edson T. Ribeiro Colin Cunningham Hiro Kanagawa Mark Houghton |
| Case | ? | ||
| RPI | $39.95 | Music |
Christophe Beck Evanescence Amy Lee |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English dts 5.1 (768Kb/s) |
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| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 2.35:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 2.35:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles | English for the Hearing Impaired | Smoking | No |
| Annoying Product Placement | Yes | ||
| Action In or After Credits | No | ||
As a spin-off from Daredevil (2003), Elektra is the latest Marvel Comics superhero to roll off the Hollywood assembly-line of action flicks. While there is a lot to like about the movie, Elektra's script is as skimpy as her costume.
Elektra was created by Marvel Comics' Frank Miller in 1980. In the comics, the sai-wielding temptress becomes Daredevil's lover, dies, and is brought back to life in her own beautifully illustrated, but limited, dark comic book series. In the original comic, terrorists murder her parents, and Elektra turns to a life of salaried crime and murder. Miller's Elektra lives in a dark world of greed and corruption, where there is no clear black or white, but only questionable shades of grey. Sadly, none of that intelligence or subtlety can be found here.
You might recall that Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner) was killed in Daredevil, but sometime in between that film and this one, she was brought back to life by blind martial arts master Stick (Terence Stamp). This bit of the story is presented in flashbacks. Like Yoda, Stick speaks in vague riddles and can pull out some serious ass-kicking moves when required. Stick has trained the young Elektra into becoming a lethal martial arts chick, with serious attitude.
Elektra is a brooding, obsessive-compulsive, surly, workaholic, celibate, with a sad past. Depressed with daddy-issues, Elektra has become a lone wolf ninja assassin, who inexplicably chooses to do her killing in a sexy red satin costume with stiletto heels. But hell, who's complaining? The amazing thing for me, however, was not the over-the-top stunts or fancy fight sequences, but that Garner manages to keep the exact same squinty-eyed facial expression throughout the entire film.
The ice around Elektra is allowed to melt briefly when she meets her new neighbours, pleasant widower Mark (Goran Visnjic), and his feisty teenage daughter Abby Miller (Kirsten Prout). Suddenly, the hired killer's maternal instincts come to life. Ah yes, a group of men wrote this. Whenever we get a strong female action hero, she's often given a child to protect, such as in the Terminator or Alien movies.
Having taken a liking to the father and daughter, Elektra abandons her career of contract murder (but not her pout) to become mum-protector. She even manages to laugh . . . once.
However, the shadowy and evil group, The Hand have other plans, and as such the Super-Mum must take on a parade of extravagant comic book super villains, who each have their own special powers: Roshi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), Kirigi (Will Yun Lee), Tattoo (Chris Ackerman), Stone (Bob Sapp), Kinkou (Edson T. Ribeiro) and Typhoid (Natassia Malthe).
Elektra's script is as skimpy as her costume, and the thin plot of genre clichés only exists as a vehicle for a series of elaborate martial arts action scenes. That said, the movie is beautifully filmed, and the stylistic production design, CGI work, compositing, and editing are all excellent.
This popcorn movie is what it is, and if you've seen Daredevil, you know not to expect too much.
The transfer is excellent, and looked wonderful when viewed on a widescreen television, and with a projector.
The transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, 16x9 enhanced.
The image is razor sharp. For example, look at the detail in the thatched roof at 6:46. The film has a very dark and moody appearance in its lighting, and the shadow detail and black levels are excellent. For example, consider the detail in the exterior night shot at 30:52.
The lighting and photography in this film is sublime, and the colour is excellent throughout, with accurate skin tones.
There are no problems with MPEG or film artefacts. While it never becomes distracting, there are some tiny film-to-video artefacts, in the form of a mild shimmer on some objects such as the building's balcony at 13:09. Occasionally there appeared to be some slight edge enhancement, but again it was never distracting.
English for the Hearing Impaired subtitles are provided, and they are accurate.
This is an Dual Layer disc, with the layer change placed at 63:23.
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The film's sound design is wonderful, and the DVD audio is excellent, making good use of your home theatre's capability.
There are two audio options: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s), and English dts 5.1 (768Kb/s). Apart from the difference in volume, both tracks are very similar. I did notice, however, a greater depth and range with the dts track, especially at the bottom end.
The dialogue quality and audio sync are excellent on both the English Dolby Digital and dts audio tracks.
The film has been scored by Christophe Beck, and the traditional orchestral score does its best to add some emotion to the film, helping to provide some dramatic and tense moments.
The surround presence and activity is impressive throughout, with the rear speakers being used for both the score and for ambience, such as at 11:25 or 30:52. There are also some great moments of panning between speakers, such as the dart gun firing around the room at 33:57, or during the fight sequence at 59:40. There is also a great LFE track, and there are often low, ominous rumbling sounds, which effectively lend a mood of foreboding to the film, such as at 73.56. This is a great example of using sound to manipulate audience emotions.
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There are a few extras.
Animation & Audio
Deleted Scenes (4:55)
With Optional Commentary By Rob Bowman (Director), there are four deleted scenes presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, non-16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Digital Stereo. They are not that interesting, although they do contain the one scene with Ben Affleck that was cut from the film.
Up-Front Trailers (3:50)
There are forced trailers which play upon inserting the disc (but they can be skipped). The really annoying addition is the anti-piracy commercial at the beginning:
Featurette-Making Of (12:58)
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, non-16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Digital Stereo, we have given a brief look behind the scenes, with some comments by the principle cast and crew.
Featurette-Elektra: Incarnations (52:49)
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Digital Stereo, this meaty featurette looks at both the Daredevil and Elektra comic books. There are a few interviews with Marvel Comics' artists and writers, such as Elektra creator, Frank Miller, and artist Klaus Janson.
Trailer-Daredevil Director's Cut Sneak Peek (1:27)
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, 16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Digital Stereo, this trailer is part-apology for Daredevil, and part explanation. It promises that the Directors' Cut will make a lot more sense. I'm willing to give it a go.
Web Links
A link to www.foxmovies.com.au
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
Elektra was released on DVD in Region 1.
The Region 4 DVD misses out on:
The Region 1 DVD misses out on:
The core features of both discs, in regard to the transfer and audio, are the same. The difference lies with the extras. I'm not sure if all these R1 featurettes are merely drawn from our long featurette, Elektra: Incarnations. I will call it undecided, until I get more information.
With more plot holes than plot, Elektra reminds us how good Kill Bill really was.
The video quality is excellent.
The audio quality is also excellent.
The extras are decent.
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| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Pioneer DV-535, using S-Video output |
| Display | Grundig Elegance 82-2101 (82cm, 16x9). Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
| Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
| Amplification | Sony STR DE-545 |
| Speakers | Sony SS-V315 x5; Sony SA-WMS315 subwoofer |