Tagline: Looks can kill.
From the pages of Marvel Comics, creator of “X-Men” and “Spider-Man,” comes Elektra, the first action event movie of the year. In the ultimate battle between good and evil stands a warrior who makes the choice that tips the balance.
Jennifer Garner stars in the title role as a strong, mysterious and sexy action heroine – a lethal synthesis of grace and power. Not long after recovering from seemingly mortal wounds, Elektra has severed all ties with the world, living only for her next assignment. But in an unexpected turn of events, she is forced to make a decision that can take her life in a new direction – or destroy her.
Key players in Elektra’s journey are Stick, a blind martial arts master responsible for Elektra’s “resurrection,” and Mark Miller and Abby Miller, a father and daughter on the run from The Hand, a powerful syndicate whose members practice the dark martial art of ninjitsu.
After Jennifer Garner made a brief, tantalizing appearance as Elektra in the 2003 Fox / Regency picture “Daredevil,” executives at both companies were eager to have Garner reprise the role, but this time in her own motion picture.
Garner trained long and hard to do justice to the character portrayed in the famed Marvel comics: a warrior without limits. Already physically fit and skilled in various fighting techniques from her work on the television series “Alias,”
Garner took her martial arts training to a new level under the guidance of ELEKTRA’s Stunt Coordinators and Fighting Choreographers. A bonus for Garner – and the comic’s multitude of fans – was that this time Elektra would don a red costume that stays true to the colors worn by the character in the Marvel stories. Zak Penn (“X2”) and the screenwriting partners Stuart Zicherman & Raven Metzner wrote the screenplay that took ELEKTRA from the comics to the big screen.
With Garner aboard and the script taking shape, Rob Bowman joined the production as director. Bowman’s credentials as a genre film helmer are impeccable: he won three Golden Globes for producing and directing “The X-Files” television series, helmed the successful “The X-Files” feature film, and directed the science fiction adventure “Reign of Fire.” ELEKTRA is produced by Arnon Milchan (“Man on Fire”), Gary Foster (“Daredevil”) and Marvel’s Avi Arad (“Spider-Man 2”).
The filmmakers made the most out of Elektra’s special qualities within the comic book universe. Unlike most comic book heroes, Elektra possesses no super-human physical powers. Instead, she makes maximum use of her incredible physical prowess and martial arts skills. In addition, she has the ability to see into the future, a skill known as Kimagure, which she has honed through countless hours of deep meditation.
Elektra learned the art of Kimagure from her mentor, Stick, who has the composure of a monk and the raw smarts of a street fighter. Elektra once was Stick’s star pupil, but her inability to reach beyond her dark impulses led to her expulsion from Stick’s training compound.
Stick literally gave Elektra her life back. So when he later insists that she leave the fold, Elektra feels abandoned. All earthly bonds now broken, she assumes the mantle of an assassin. Alone, in the service of death, she finds a place dark enough to hide.
“In our story,” says Producer Avi Arad, “Stick lets Elektra go and then he puts her through a test. It’s a do or die situation. Elektra has a contract to fulfill – to terminate a father and her daughter who are on the run from a group of ninja assassins known as The Hand – but that same father and daughter help Elektra remember the brighter days of her own life, when she and her father were together. Her mission derails her personal agenda, forces her out of her cynical attitude, and sets her on the road to redemption.”
Rob Bowman wanted ELEKTRA to be a different kind of comics-to-film adaptation. To be sure, the film has the spectacular heroics, action, state-of-the-art special and visual effects, incredible stunts and martial arts mastery. But Bowman also wanted ELEKTRA to be a character-driven piece. “I think the difference between this film and other big comic book movies is that we spend some time inside Elektra’s head; the true story is really inside of her,” says Bowman. “There’s so much unspoken reality in her. Sure, I want audiences to experience a big action movie and give them the thrills of watching the character kick some butt. But I also wanted them to root for Elektra to triumph over her own inner darkness”
“She’s fighting the inevitability of her own humanity,” adds Jennifer Garner. “It’s a fantastic story to play, one that I think people can relate to.”
Continue Reading and View the Theatrical Trailer
Elektra (2005)
Directed by: Rob Bowman
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Terence Stamp, Jason Isaacs, Will Yun Lee, Natassia Malthe, Kirsten Prout, Chris Ackerman, Colin Cunningham, Mark Houghton
Screenplay by: Raven Metzner, Stuart Zicherman, Zak Penn
Production Design by: Graeme Murray
Cinematography by: Bill Roe
Film Editing by: Kevin Stitt
Costume Design by: Lisa Tomczeszyn
Set Decoration by: Peter Lando
Art Direction by: Eric Norlin
Music by: Christophe Beck
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for action violence.
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: January 14, 2005
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