Wednesday

I'm not a particular fan of superhero movies, but last night I watched Elektra. I haven't seen Daredevil, where her character apparently also has a role (and from which this film was spawned), so perhaps I'm missing elements that might have made me enjoy this more. Because for me the main problems were that we don't see her development from 'real' person to 'superhero': this is done later, and only partially, in flashbacks, which doesn't work, or doesn't have the same effect as a straight narrative. We begin the film with her already being a hero. Thus we don't feel grounded, don't get to know her and go through the process with her. Consequently, our sympathy isn't there for her when it should be. She isn't a classically tormented hero(ine), and doesn't particularly have any interesting powers. Overall, the rules of her world are never fully explained. They only get close with vague terms and ideas which seem weak. I didn't ever really know who the enemy was or what they were doing. Thus the conclusion is not exactly satisfactory. Critics are swayed by the attractiveness of Jennifer Garner, but I don't subscribe to this. The director, Rob Bowman, has been almost exclusively a director for television so far, and it is perhaps unfair, but accurate, to say that he hasn't made the step up with this film. The fight scenes just aren't interesting enough to keep you watching when, as it happens here, the characters and plot are this mediocre.