Though not labeled as such, Elektra is essentially a direct sequel to the Ben Affleck's Daredevil. After dying at the hands of Bullseye at the end of Daredevil, Elektra (Jennifer Garner) is revived by Stick (Terrance Stamp), a blind sensei. Stick decides to train Elektra, but soon kicks her out when he decides he can't train her.
Elektra soon finds work as an assassin and takes a contract on Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic) and his daughter, Abby (Kristen Prout). Prior to learning her target's identities, Elektra unknowingly befriends them. Though conflicted, she decides to become their protector when another group of assassins, called The Hand - an eclectic mix of comic book B-Listers like Stone (Bob Sapp) and Typhoid (Natassia Malthe) -- descend on the Miller's island hideaway.
The new scenes do little more than drop hints at what the film could have been. The story is lazy and leans on clichéd plot devices. If Avatar proved anything, sticking to timeworn concepts without tossing in a twist or two leads to a dull, predictable story. Logic and plot holes are everywhere. Elektra can see into the future, but couldn't figure out who her targets were? There's noticable reluctance to delve deeper into the source material. I can only guess this was done to not alienate non-comic book reading audiences. It's also the reason Elektra isn't as good as it could have been.
Superhero movies usually work well as Blu-ray transfers. Elektra is a flashy movie for sure, but with the exception of a few slick fight sequences, there's no reason to actively pursue a Blu-ray copy unless you're a devotee of comic book movies or Jennifer Garner.
The included extras also do little to encourage a purchase. There's a farily in-depth "Making of..." as well as a slew of deleted and alternate scenes. Director Rob Bowman and editor Kevin Stitt provide commentary. It's hard to shake the sense that both figured Elektra didn't turn out as well as it could, but they still provide some interesting on-set stories and explanations for why they went a certain route with some sequences.
The only really interesting extras are a multi-angle view of a fight sequence that the viewer can control with their remote's angle button and "Elektra" Incarnations." The lengthy feature is by far the best extra on the disc and includes interviews with writers and artists responsible for Elektra's nearly 30-year history.
Elektra: Director's Cut is a good example of why comic book movies didn't take off until Spider-Man. There are a few interesting points, but considering what the filmmakers had to work with as far as source material, Elektra is more potential than finished film.
