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When last we saw Elektra (Jennifer Garner) she was presumably dead, a victim of Colin Farrell's Bullseye in Daredevil. In a series of inconsistent flashbacks and a tad of exposition we learn that it's been several years since that incident (although neither Daredevil nor the circumstances of her death are mentioned). The film leaves intentionally vague whether a defibrillator or a blind martial arts master with metaphysical powers, Stick (Terence Stamp), was responsible for bringing her back. What we do learn is that she's one troubled chick. Elektra has become an assassin for hire (presumably she only dispatches bad people). She's very good at what she does, using both remarkable martial arts skills and metaphysical techniques learned at Stick's dojo before he cast her out for her violent anger. Elektra is haunted by flashbacks and nightmares of her childhood in the Natchios mansion, of her mother's murder by what she recalls as a satanic silhouette, and of her father's relentless driving her to achieve. Perhaps that's why Elektra suffers from a new form of superhero angst, obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Terence Stamp's voiceover during the film's opening explains that there are evil forces afoot. Evil takes many forms and in this modern time it has become The Hand, an Asian criminal society populated with both men in business suits and a collection of Ninja-like warriors with supernatural powers. By implication, Stick and his followers represent the forces of light, holding evil at bay. We're told that a motherless warrior with unique talents may be destined to tip the balance between good and evil.

Fresh from a kill, Elektra is offered a two million dollar hit with odd conditions attached. She is required to move into a luxurious vacation home on a remote island and wait for two days before receiving the target packet. She grows impatient as her ghosts torment her at night. The inaction is frustrating. Perhaps that's why she allows herself to be distracted by Abby Miller (Kirsten Prout), a precocious thirteen year old, and her widower father, Mark (Goran Visnjic); she uncharacteristically joins them in a neighboring cabin for a Christmas dinner. And soon after, when her assignment is defined, the action begins.

The film quickly evolves into a lethal conflict over a MacGuffin. Rivalries and relationships, friends and foes are slowly revealed as the filmmakers peal the leaves off the cinematic artichoke. The film has is a real emotional core; Elektra's story arc of self-discovery is compelling, transforming her from killer to noble. Any viewer involvement may be credited exclusively to Jennifer Garner's fine work. I enjoyed the imaginative supernatural powers of villains: the ability to project evil spirits from tattoos, and a beautiful woman who can project decay and death. But although Rob Bowman (of X- Files fame) directed with style, he has a tendency to create his fight scenes in the editing suite rather than with a fight choreographer on the set. Martial arts hand-to-hand or Katana-to-Sai are all close-ups and fast cuts, a blur of action that is all implication.

But the gravest infractions must be credited to screenwriters Zak Penn, Stuart Zicherman, and Raven Metzner. Characters and locations jump about with no credible explanations of time or space. The relationship between Elektra and Mark is handled clumsily. Coincidence becomes a plot device entirely too often. Abby's behavior is inconsistent. And even as our heroine breathes a sigh of relief and sends the people she has saved on their way, neither she nor her wise sensei acknowledge that they simply may have won a battle; organized evil still exists.

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is presented in anamorphic video. The compression work for this Fox release was not performed by the Digital Video Compression Center and the results are not quite up to DVCC standards. The transfer is reasonably sharp and sports very good small object detail. For the most part, finely grained textures remain intact. But there are modest edge halos; fortunately, they are only noticeable on very high contrast transitions and are rarely intrusive. Color accuracy is quite good based on very natural skin tones, but you will see flesh assuming a distinctly yellowish cast in indoor scenes that are supposed to be lit incandescently. Shadow detail is marred by a touch of black crush, but I have the distinct impression that high contrast lighting was an intentional visual cue, related to the emotionally dark nature of the film. I didn't notice any macroblocking or mosquito noise.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

There are two 5.1 tracks on this DVD, Dolby Digital and DTS. Each is excellent. Surround effects immerse the viewer, from action scenes to a rainstorm. EX decoding enhances the experience. Exceptionally deep bass that sometimes is felt more than heard punctuates metaphysical phenomena and a few emotional peaks. There is great dynamic range and brisk attack times; the gunfire in the opening sequence is positively visceral. Christophe Beck's score, a blend of orchestral and synthesized, is not thematic; it's written exclusively to push audience buttons. It's conveyed nicely across a broad soundstage. The dialog is distortion-free throughout. And the inevitable comparison between the two 5.1 tracks yields the advantage to DTS for improved timbre.

The alternate languages are in French and Spanish, each presented in Dolby Surround 2.0. Optional subtitles are in Spanish, and English, for which Closed Captions are also included.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

The disc opens with a loud, slick anti- piracy promo that, thankfully, may be skipped with the next chapter button. Next is a preprogrammed Fox promo for upcoming or already released DVDs (1:51). This, too, may be skipped.

The disc offers a nice collection of supplements; with one exception, all are presented in either full screen or non-anamorphic widescreen. We begin with three deleted scenes: "Sai Approach," "Come Back To Me," and "Rounding Up The Troops." With the convenient "play all" option, the aggregate runtime is 4:57. I must be vague to avoid spoilers. The first is clearly duplicative of one of Elektra's inner conflicts. The third telegraphs a plot point that was more effectively left as a surprise. The second is a cameo by Ben Affleck in which he reprises his role as Matt Murdock. I can see how this could have been viewed as an unnecessary intrusion or diversion, considering when it would have appeared in the flow of the film, but I think the filmmakers missed an opportunity by omitting all references to Elektra's relationship with Murdock.

Next is The Making of Elektra (12:57) featurette. The first half of this short is pure EPK fluff that gives away entirely too much. It isn't until we reach the fight training sequence that the featurette begins to become interesting. It then moves on to discuss costume design. The substantive sections are very short but revealing.

Jennifer Garner appeared in a short ComicCon Presentation (1:36) shown to publicize to a target audience the yet to be released Elektra. That short is included here. Strictly EPK sort of stuff, but Garner is charming.

The next feature is Inside The Editing Room. There are four sequences highlighted here: "Only a Warrior," "Died Once," "The Way," and "Don't Force it." With the thoughtful "play all" option, the aggregate runtime is 7:09. Director Rob Bowman bookends the sequences, but don't expect any insight into the making of the film; these are strictly promotional. Of interest is the first sequence, in which we get more of a glimpse of Elektra's previous death without the slightest clarification of the plot's rationale, and the third, a prolonged scene in which Stick takes Elektra to task for her brutality.

This leaves the film's theatrical trailer (2:26), teaser trailer (1:41). Each contains scenes not found in the theatrical cut. You'll also find a promo for Elektra The Album (1:02) that features not the orchestral score but source tracks. Slightly off subject, there are two annoyingly loud televisionpromos for Seth MacFarlane's American Dad (1:38) and the return of The Family Guy, both premiering on Fox this May 1st.

And the last supplement is Inside Look (3:12), which highlights the upcoming theatrical releases of em>Fantastic Four and a nastier, more action-oriented The War of the Roses concept called Mr. and Mrs. Smith<, a Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie vehicle. This is the only supplement presented in very respectable anamorphic video.

The 96-minute film is organized into twenty-four chapters.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

There are no DVD-ROM features on this DVD.

Final Thoughts