The success of Tim Burton's excellent Batman film has had a huge influence on the look of comic book and sci-fi films over the last fifteen years. Everything from The Matrix and Daredevil to Underworld and X-Men have tried to ape it's dark gothic style by creating films that are the visual equivalent of a Model T Ford. Scenes and costumes can be in any colour as long as they are predominantly black. However recent Marvel adaptations such as Spiderman have reintroduced some of the brighter shades of the colour palette. Elektra takes this even further with picture postcard shots of green trees and blue lakes providing the backdrop to a figure in a bright red fantasy hooker outfit.
Elektra (Jennifer Garner) is a legendary assassin who takes on a job to murder a father and daughter. However she has a rare twinge of conscience and instead of slaughtering them she tries to save them from members of evil organization "The Hand". However there is more to this couple than she realizes.
The basic problem with Elektra is that it fails to convince on virtually every level. Garner makes Elektra seem so cute and winsome that the surprise is not that she decides to protect her targets, more that she was able to bring herself to kill anyone in the first place. It's like having Julia Roberts cast in the lead role of Kill Bill.
Garner is not helped by a thoroughly routine script that possesses only brief flashes of humour and fight scenes which are as brief and scarce as they are uninspired. Virtually every kung-fu move in the film was shown in the trailer which tried to make out Elektra was an action packed movie. However the lack of ambition that hobbles the film also provides it's saving grace. Running at a brief 96 minutes Elektra never lingers long enough to bore the viewer and, whilst never believable, it has an endearing charm that evokes the benevolent atmosphere generally found in the audience of school plays.
The bright colours and lack of gore are reminiscent of the "Steven Spielberg presents..." TV shows that were made in the 1980s. Above all Elektra is inoffensive bunkum that is unlikely to make you feel you've had your time or money stolen from you. Best enjoyed with a big pile of popcorn, a food as deep and textured as the film itself.