Even with Jennifer Garner, ‘Elektra’ goes nowhere

Comic-book movies are always an iffy proposition. There are precious few great ones (“Superman: The Movie” and the first two Tim Burton “Batman” films, to name a few), many are mediocre affairs, and then even more are truly horrible offerings, like “The Punisher” and “Daredevil.” The latest entry into the mix is “Elektra,” the contractually obligated spin-off starring Jennifer Garner. “Elektra” fits somewhere between mediocre and downright awful.

With the exception of a couple of good fight sequences, the film is totally unremarkable. The acting is flat, the story is a muddle of plot holes and unbelievable characters.

This is the story, as best I could make out: Although killed in “Daredevil,” Elektra is somehow brought back to life and begins her new life as a highly paid assassin who spends a lot of time brooding and rearranging fruit bowls when she isn’t using her mystical martial arts to dispatch her human targets.

She gets an assignment and is told to wait a few days before getting instructions about her next hit. While hanging out, pouting and dealing with her obsessive-compulsive disorder, Elektra makes a total break from her character and befriends a teenage girl and her father who invite her to Christmas dinner.

Days later, she receives word that she’s supposed to kill the dad and girl. She refuses, so a group of assassins called The Hand is sent to kill the father and daughter. The Hand is a gang possessing supernatural powers, and Elektra must summon all her skill to defeat them. She does.

Why? Beats me. I can’t believe that dinner was so great that she’d totally give up everything she was for a couple of strangers.

Honestly, if you have a pressing need to see a brooding Jennifer Garner wearing skimpy clothes and kicking butt, save your 10 bucks and watch “Alias.” At least the writing and acting are better.

GRADE: C-