Misunderstood Masterpieces: Elektra

Posted by Will Helm on 02.20.2007

…or, Someone Really Wanted to Salvage the Legacy of Daredevil?

With the recent release of Ghost Rider leading this year's crop of anticipated comic-book movies – and it is a very good year, with Spider-Man 3, The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, as well as others coming soon, I believe it's a good time to study a film that both begins a trilogy of columns involving HOT CHICKS kicking butt and attempts to rescue some of the provenance of the woefully maligned Daredevil. Unsurprisingly, this film in question is not only a sequel to the aforementioned Ben Affleck vehicle, it's also based on a character created by the now-legendary Frank Miller . . . whose most recent comic-book film, 300, debuts in theaters next month. This character – and the film – is Elektra.

Inspired in name by the character of Greek antiquity, Elektra Natchios first debuted as her assassin alter ego in the January, 1981, issue of Daredevil, penned by Miller. Much like her cinematic counterpart in Daredevil, the original Elektra was a college sweetheart of Matt Murdock – Daredevil's secret identity – who disappeared for varying reasons – depending on writer and prevailing continuity – and became an assassin for the Kingpin. Due to some reason or another – mainly because Miller wanted to bring some gritty realism to Daredevil, in the April, 1982, issue of the book, Elektra was killed off by the "Man-Who-Never-Misses-Unless-He's-Played-By-Colin-Farrell," Bullseye. Of course, this is all covered, for the most part, in Daredevil but, as a spoiler to the subsequent film for those who aren't comic buffs, somehow Elektra was later resurrected to fight for good, for the most part. Yes, unlike . . . well, no one now – even Bucky came back to life! – Elektra came back from the dead to star in her own, titular film. Does it, in turn, bring the failure that was Daredevil back with it is as well? Or is it just another failure . . . either way, it just might be a Misunderstood Masterpiece. Let's find out!

Just like seemingly 99% of films in this column, this one begins with the near obligatory expository monologue. At least this time, it's accompanied by some stylized Japanese woodcut animation. According to the monologue, good and evil are fighting – when aren't they? – and evil in this world is called "The Hand." Ooh. Scary. Meanwhile, the key to a good victory is some mysterious chick that prophets have talked about for centuries or something.

Perhaps as a juxtaposition to "good," the next scene features Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) yelling at his bodyguards while sitting in a chair. So "the Hand" is made up of petulant executives? Anyway, Lucius sits drinking and pontificating about how Elektra is coming for him! Ooh . . . she's back from the dead and she wants revenge on Slytherin. While Lucius yammers on and on, a shadowy assassin infiltrates his compound and his main beefy bodyguard freaks out. Luckily for the bodyguard, Elektra shows up out of the blue to knock him out and put him out of his misery. Well, that was awfully nice of her. Finally, Elektra starts messing with Lucius who, rudely, doesn't even bother to get up out of his chair; doesn't he know there's a lady present . . . even though she's technically a zombie? Well . . . she did come back from the dead. Risen dead always equals zombie in my book. Anyway, Lucius attempts to pull a gun on Elektra but she responds in kind by killing him.

Meanwhile, in a vaguely Asian country, "The Hand" has a board meeting. Hey . . . wait a second! I was just kidding when I said they were just petulant businessmen! According to the chairman, there's a mysterious weapon somewhere in the world and "The Hand" has to either find it or destroy it. Or find it AND destroy it. Their raison d'être really isn't that clear. Elsewhere, Elektra washes a floor in a shoddy apartment for no particular reason. I wonder if it's punishment from her "master" or something to humble her. In that case, it's a good thing her "master" isn't the Iron Sheik. While Elektra scrubs, some random guy with a gun shows up; oh no! It's the evil zombie Lucius Malfoy out for REVENGE!

Or not, as it's just some friend of Elektra's (Colin Cunningham). After her buddy puts away his gun, he and Elektra argue about . . . investments. Oh, so he's her stockbroker then? Interesting. Anyway, after they chat about mutual funds and commodities, Elektra and her buddy then chat about the implications of killing folks for money and, in particular, that she needs a vacation. Unfortunately for her, her stockbroker buddy has another job for her – he's her agent too? – and there's just too much money involved to take some time off. I know the feeling, honey; I know the feeling.

Somewhere later, Elektra has a flashback; apparently, Chancellor Valorum (Terrance Stamp) brought her back from the dead years ago and then he taught her kung-fu. Whoa. Neo would be proud. Toward the end of her training, just like in nearly every kung-fu film ever made, Chancellor Valorum expelled Elektra from his facility to "teach her a lesson." I wonder if he made her humble as well. After the flashback subsides, Elektra goes to the bathroom – literally, not figuratively – and she has an amazing episode combining product placement and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Never have I wanted to line up tubes of Close-Up toothpaste more after seeing this. Wait . . . they still make Close-Up? Anyway, Elektra has another flashback about something or other; I'm sensing a trend.

In Elektra's house in the woods – evidently she did take her agent's advice regarding how to spend her money, she senses trouble and she discovers . . . some teenage girl (Kirsten Prout) who's just there stealing stuff. For some reason, the teenage girl's presence causes another flashback within Elektra – as if she needed any catalysts before – but, this time, it seems to be about Tim Curry's character from the movie Legend or something like that. Perhaps to ease the pain of her rampant flashbacks, Elektra then works out and meditates. It must increase her attractiveness because, later, Elektra meets some foreign guy (Goran Visnjic) down by the river. Apparently, he confesses to being the teenage girl's father in addition to being the film's burgeoning love interest. How sweet.

Later that day, the teenage girl returns to Elektra's to invite everyone's favorite zombie assassin to Christmas dinner . . . after confronting Elektra about ratting on her to her foreign father. Elektra, perhaps bored and lonely out in the middle of nowhere, agrees to visit with the foreign guy that night and, unfortunately, things get awkward at the dinner table when the foreign guy makes a joke about Elektra's name. Ooh . . . that'll earn him a very special death. Perhaps to break up the tension, the teenage girl starts rambling at the table, hoping to cover up her father's faux pas with a little well-placed bluster. After dinner, Elektra mopes out on the porch and then, totally unwarranted, she psychoanalyzes the teenage girl for her foreign father and, as he was probably very impressed by her psychoanalytic skills, they make out a little bit. Daredevil's not going to be happy . . . if he knew you were still alive. Or undead. Or whatever the case may be.

That night, Elektra has a dream about her dead mother – she probably wouldn't approve of the foreign guy and that's the reason behind the dream – and then her agent calls regarding the really pricey job she had to take: and it's the foreign guy and his teenage daughter. Dum-dum-DUM! Later in the day, Elektra attempts to finish the job she agreed to but, unsurprisingly, she freaks out and fails to complete it. Damned emotions always getting in the way of a perfectly good assassination. Elektra, after flaking on the job, calls her agent and tells him that she can't do it because, essentially, she needs more backstory. Too bad there isn't a helpful exposition elf on hand to help her out in that matter. So many other movies have them; why can't this one?

Elektra, her contract now null and void, leaves the mansion but, in her stead – and, luckily, just as she was about to leave the island altogether – some other assassins show up to finish her job. Dum-dum-DUM! Again! That night, a pair of ninjas – the aforementioned assassins, specifically – show up at the foreign guy's house to complete Elektra's job. Luckily for the foreign guy and his daughter, Elektra arrives out of the blue to kill one of the ninjas on the roof; he helpfully explodes for easy cleanup. Inside the house, Elektra interrogates the foreign guy to find out just what exactly is going on but, before he can answer, they're rudely interrupted by the other ninja. Elektra, being the hero of the picture, easily subdues him and she tries to question him but, instead of the traditional cyanide pill, the ninja breaks his own neck to avoid cracking under pressure. Although, I guess in a sense he did crack under pressure in a roundabout way.

Back in vague Asia, The Hand has another board meeting and some young guy (Will Yun Lee) – who must be the plucky, tradition-bucking villain of the tale . . . since they're all too common in vague Asia – and his goofy henchmen – and hench-HOT CHICK – bust into the meeting to shame some guy and then they take the job that Elektra was supposed to do. Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Elektra plays detective and the first place she heads is to a pool hall where Chancellor Valorum is busy hustling some guy. Apparently, she needs his help – yup, she's been humbled – and then the foreign guy – who Elektra brought along with his daughter – confesses that he lied earlier about his dead wife. For some reason, this leads Elektra and Chancellor Valorum to argue about something – I guess she isn't humbled quite enough – and Elektra walks out in a huff, leaving everyone behind. The teenage girl, unhappy with being abandoned by her heroine, follows along only to be spied on by some mysterious graffiti, which flies away.

Later, on a drive to somewhere, Elektra and the teenage girl bond and then they all end up at the agent's house in the middle of nowhere. Once there, the foreign guy and his daughter argue for no real reason while Elektra cleans her knives and hallucinates. The teenage girl interrupts Elektra's psychosis and, disturbingly, she's starting to play Single White Elektra by slowly transforming into her new role model. Perhaps to complete the conceit, Elektra attempts to teach the girl how to see the future, but they just end up goofing around. How sweet. That evening, the foreign guy also bonds with Elektra, mainly because he wants some zombie lovin'. Well, nothing has fallen off of her person yet, so I can't say I blame him. And is it really necrophilia when it's with a zombie? Inquiring minds want to know.

A few days hence, the agent shoots at an eagle that looks mysteriously like the one in the graffiti from earlier in the film and then, as if on cue, the young Asian guy's assassins show up out of nowhere. While the agent hangs back to defend his domicile, Elektra and her charges escape through a tunnel under the farm. Back at the house, the agent shoots at a giant black guy (Bob Sapp) and then the plucky Asian guy arrives moments later to read the agent's mind and then behead him. Well, I guess there wasn't anything in his mind worth reading, then.

With the agent's head now emptied and forcibly removed from his shoulders, the henchmen – and hench-HOT CHICK – search for Elektra and her companions on the farmland. In the surrounding woods, after a bit of a scuffle, Elektra kills the giant black guy with a tree. No, really. Meanwhile, phantom wolves chase the foreign guy and his daughter and then the daughter kills some guy with her bracelet. Huh? Methinks there's something more afoot. Elektra is amazed by the scene but, before she can find out just what's going on, the hench-HOT CHICK (Natassia Malthe) shows up to make out with her and give her VD. Seriously, that's just what happens. With Elektra incapacitated with a raging case of Chlamydia, the remaining evil assassins corner the foreign guy and his bracelet-armed daughter. Luckily for the hapless targets, Chancellor Valorum and his good ninjas arrive on the scene to drive off the evildoers and rescue Elektra and her friends.

Later, at Chancellor Valorum's compound – he must've gone there after being usurped by Senator Palpatine's machinations, he teaches the daughter – who is a mystical kung-fu prodigy – to be Elektra-lite. After Elektra's social disease subsides, she joins her master and Elektra-lite and discovers, much to her chagrin, that Chancellor Valorum hired her to kill the foreign guy and the daughter as a "test." Umm . . . so did she pass or fail? This is almost as bad as the Book of Job; it never says just who won that bet, does it? After the training, Elektra and Elektra-lite bond and then Elektra-lite confronts her role model about her obsessive-compulsive disorder. Elektra, not happy to have her psychoses revealed, ends up sparring with her protégé until Elektra-lite freaks out like a little girl. Wait . . . I guess she still is a little girl, technically.

That night, somehow, Elektra and the plucky evil guy have a telepathic chat wherein they bargain for Elektra-lite's life. Perhaps to complete some sort of symbolism in the film, Elektra returns to her childhood home . . . where she has yet another flashback to her youth. As day turns to evening, ninjas attack! It's all for naught, though, as Elektra easily kills them all by blowing up her stove. It's a good thing she had gas and not electric, in that case. Not only is it efficient, it's also useful for blowing up evil ninjas. Later, in the ballroom – but not with the lead pipe or even the revolver, Elektra ends up fighting with the plucky evil guy . . . and a bunch of flying sheets. Ooh . . . so now Casper is on the side of evil? He's the not-so-friendly ghost, I suppose.

While Elektra is busy making holey sheets, the plucky evil guy prepares to land the deathblow; just before he can, however, Elektra-lite shows up on the scene to rescue her mentor. The plucky evil guy, not happy with being outnumbered, lets loose a blast of concussive flatus, knocking out Elektra and leaving only Elektra-lite standing. Unsurprisingly, Elektra-lite and the plucky evil guy end up fighting for a bit while Elektra recovers. Once Elektra awakens from her flatus-induced slumber, she senses the trouble that Elektra-lite is in so she conspires to spirit her out of the ballroom and into the foreboding hedge maze outside the mansion.

Once in the maze, Elektra outruns Elektra-lite, leaving the younger prodigy to be overwhelmed by phantom snakes. Hmm . . . I wonder if Chancellor Valorum ever told her about the phantom menace. Anyway, to stop the onrush of phantom snakes, Elektra goes right to the source – the henchman covered in living tattoos; he was also the source of the mysterious eagle earlier in the film – and she kills him without any trouble. Well, that was anticlimactic. In the aftermath, however, the hench-HOT CHICK arrives out of nowhere to give Elektra-lite an STD; I think the foreign guy should've talked to her about safe sex. One can never start too young.

Meanwhile, Elektra and the plucky evil guy fight once again and, in the midst of the duel, Elektra has YET ANOTHER flashback . . . alright movie, that's enough! Finally, this one leads to something as she discovers that the plucky evil guy killed her mother. So, in a fit of REVENGE, Elektra finally kills the plucky evil guy and then she kills the hench-HOT CHICK as well. That's just because, I suppose. Finally, Elektra finds Elektra-lite infected with . . . oh, gonorrhea and Elektra takes her up to a bedroom. Once there, Elektra brings Elektra-lite back from the dead . . . even though she wasn't really dead. Finally, in the denouement, Elektra leaves Elektra-lite with her father and then she says her goodbyes. Elektra and Elektra-lite have a touching cry together and then Chancellor Valorum pops in to tell Elektra the moral of the story. How sweet.

When all is said and done, Elektra really isn't that bad. Even though it's largely VERY slowly paced – there are long stretches of the film where nothing happens other than flashbacks and OCD – the film itself is watchable and not off-putting in the least. In fact, a very legitimate argument could be made that it is even better than Daredevil – although, reputedly, the "director's cut" of Daredevil is better still. No matter what, Elektra does, in some way, salvage some vestige of a legacy for its predecessor and that, without a doubt, makes it a Misunderstood Masterpiece.

Join me next week as I study an ill-conceived wannabe Aeon Flux starring the chick from The Fifth Element. Yeah, it's pretty obvious what the film is, but will it be a Misunderstood Masterpiece? See you then!