As someone who has recently rewatched “Elektra” after 15 years, I have some thoughts to share. To give some context, the movie was directed by Rob Bowman and came out in January 2005, starring Jennifer Gardner in a spin-off of her role in “Daredevil.” The film follows Elektra as she protects a family she was originally contracted to kill from The Hand.
The first thing I noticed was that I watched the director’s cut, which is significantly different from the theatrical cut with added deleted scenes and a slightly changed tone. However, I still find the movie aggressively silly and below-average. Despite the expectation of finding hilarious moments, it just doesn’t warrant inclusion in that category.
What I found strange was the comparison of “Elektra” to other comic book adaptations of the mid-2000s like “X-Men” and “Spider-Man.” At the time, “Elektra” felt small-scale with a budget of only 43 million dollars and a rushed shooting schedule. But 15 years later, watching the film, the small scale element doesn’t turn me off as much and I find it refreshing.
I do have some positives to share about the movie. I appreciate the conflict Elektra faces in the first act when she goes against her instincts to kill the father and daughter she’s grown to know. The action sequences are mostly fine and Rob Bowman helmed the movie efficiently. However, my real issue with the movie is how uneventful much of it feels.
In conclusion, while “Elektra” is often found in lists of the worst comic book movies of all time, I believe it has more merit than it’s credited for. The opening action sequence and the first-act conflict are interesting, but the rest of the movie is uneventful. Nevertheless, I have respect for the director, Rob Bowman, for his other works in the industry.