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The Family Corner

Elektra is primarily rated PG-13 for action violence with minimal blood—certainly no worse than, say, Lord of the Rings. There are some intense visions and elements that will probably scare younger children. The "superpowers" are loosely tied to Eastern mysticism, though it's all treated like fantasy rather than a religion. Parents should also note that the film contains the usual PG-rated language, including uses of the Lord's name in vain. And of course, Elektra spends most of the movie dressed in tight and skimpy leather outfits. There's also a scene involving a girl-girl kiss, though it's probably best viewed as a weapon (Kiss of Death) rather than sensual—Elektra certainly doesn't enjoy it.

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Director Rob Bowman had a hit with The X-Files in 1998, but then he hit a foul ball with 2002's misguided, dissatisfying Reign of Fire. Now it's strike two. Elektra, starring Jennifer Garner, exhibits her athletic abilities, but it confines her acting talents to a shallow script and groan-inducing dialogue. While fans of the comic book character were hoping for something on par with the excellent Spider-Man 2, they ended up with something almost as bad as last year's "cat"-astrophe.

"2004 gave us the worst superhero film ever with Catwoman," says Michael Elliott (Movie Parables). "Here it is just a few weeks into 2005 and already we have a candidate for the usurper to the throne: Elektra. I'm pretty sure laughter was not the audience response director Rob Bowman was going for."

Russ Breimeier (Christianity Today Movies) calls it "rental-worthy at best, and primarily satisfying to comic book geeks. The action is sparse and isn't as good as it could have been, while in contrast, the dramatic relationships develop too quickly to be believed—this film has one of the most forced romances I've ever seen. It's a shame the script is so underdeveloped, because there's a better superhero movie at the heart of this film. During a pivotal fight scene, a character declared 'Enough! It ends now.' And in response, I thought It's about time! Now there's a sure sign of an action movie falling short of its potential."

Adam R. Holz (Plugged In) says, "Dialogue that's supposed to be detached and ironic is just plain silly most of the time. Garner's ice-princess portrayal of Elektra makes it difficult to warm up to her. Add clichéd villains, serious logical flaws, moral murkiness, profanity, nonstop violence and a problematic spiritual worldview, and you get a superhero film that earns a passing grade—as in, pass on by and don't watch it!"

Keith Howland (Christian Spotlight) writes, "The characters and dialogue are so insipid, the plot so thin and inconsistent, and the presentation so murky that any attempt at profundity is lost. Amidst the muddled mayhem there is some attempt at philosophical reflection, even though no character has depth exceeding those in a television commercial."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says it all "adds up to little more than a series of frenetic and violent death duels sloppily strung together in a hackneyed attempt to distract viewers from the lame dialogue, muddled plot and lack of emotion which do not even provide much in the way of B-movie thrills."

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