Talent Wasted – Jennifer Garner and Elektra

I think we all know why people went and saw Elektra and it wasn’t to see a talented and capable Jennifer Garner act in a lead role – which, frankly, is a shame.

Elektra is a spinoff or spiritual successor to the somewhat underwhelming Ben Affleck vehicle known as Daredevil. Garner had a supporting role in Daredevil as Elektra, a sexy assassin who uses both her looks and her incredible martial arts training to take out her targets, and with Elektra she made the leap from supporting character to lead.

Those of us familiar with Garner know that she is much more than a pretty face – underneath all that is a brimming well of acting talent that, sadly, these days seems underused. If you have ever seen Juno, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past or The Kingdom then you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, then kindly do yourself a favor and find some direct tv deals and track down those movies because you’re missing out. The woman can act and be successful without relying entirely on her looks.

And that’s really the problem with Elektra – it has no confidence in its own admittedly stupid plot and relies too heavily on superficiality to make a quick buck. Men turn out in droves to see Garner wear as little clothes as possible but what you’re ultimately left with is a box office flop and one shameful smudge on the record of a truly fantastic actress.