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Ritânâ (2002)
Good fun film.
Milly (Anne Suzuki), a girl from a war-torn future where the human race is threatened by aliens, is sent back 80 years in order to rid the world of the menace that plague the future. Now in 2002 she teams up with Miyamoto (Takeshi Kaneshiro), vigilante to help in her mission.
This kinetic cross between Independence Day, The Terminator and The Matrix plays like a live-action anime film. Transforming airplanes, time-slowing devices and stylised Kung Fu all come in to play in this great thriller.
Boasting fine comedic touches, tension and genuine emotion whilst not relying on romance the film manages to be a great fun film that could have been rather a rather unoriginal.
There is great chemistry between the two leads, he the super-cool Neo-like hero, she the appearing like a homeless person for much of the film. The villain of the film (an almost punk looking gangster) is actually scary and provides a very good motivation for Miyamoto to follow Milly.
This is a fun film that borrows from many different films but stands on its own as an entertaining ride.
Elektra (2005)
Better than many say!
As a fan of comic books and of the recent Marvel comic book adaptations I came to Elektra open-minded. One of the few who enjoyed her first outing in Daredevil I was expecting more of the same kick-ass action. I was wrong. Elektra is a much calmer, spiritual and dream-like experience.
Having been killed at the end of Daredevil, Elektra is resurrected and becomes a detached assassin, feared by many. Her 'life' changes when she starts to care for a man and his daughter who she was told to kill. As she protects them from her former gang, The Hand, she discovers secrets from her past. Gone is the constant rock soundtrack of Daredevil, which is replaced by a haunting orchestral score. The city environments, for the most part, are replaced by beautifully shot location work on an island, in forests and mansions.
Jennifer Garner's performance is fine; the story requires both character and actress to be very efficient, without putting in too much energy. The character is less emotional and glamorous than in Daredevil. Some of the lower villains are more memorable than the main villain, whose name you should be able to recall but just can't.
This is by far the most mystical of all of Marvel's films, unlike previous films where scientific explanations are given for powers; the henchmen here have unexplained weapons such as deadly kisses, tattoos that come to life and incredible super strength.
The film may not be anywhere near as exciting as the Spider-Man or X-Men franchises, some parts do meander and there are plot holes but it is definitely a more engrossing film then Marvel's last film Blade: Trinity.
***