Killer Elite (**½)
Directed by: Gary McKendry
Starring: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Yvonne
Strahovsky, Dominic Purcell, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Seen: October 23rd 2011
*** Out of ****
Killer Elite continues Jason Statham’s long run of similarly
themed/paced/plotted movies, with a few slight differences. It’s slightly
stronger on story than many of Statham’s staple movies (Transporter 3’s ridiculous
discussions of recipes for approximately half the movie?), but the action feels
a little more stunted (not referring to stunts here…) than his normal won’t-let-the-pace-down-for-even-a-minute
movies. There are some definite attempts at drama, but they aren’t quite as
effective as might have been hoped for, maybe that’s the speculative true story
elements keeping things in check, a little short of the absurd.
Killer Elite starts with a bang, in 1980, as Danny (Statham), Hunter (De
Niro) and Meier (Purcell) ambush a convoy for a contract killing. There are
explosions and a lot of gunfire, with the mercenaries/assassins coldly
determined to do their job, but as Danny opens the door and kills the target he
realises that he just did so in front of the target’s daughter, and Hunter steps
up and saves the stunned Danny who, as they escape, promises he’s out of the
business. He retires and moves to Australia.
One year later where Danny is now into an easier life, he receives a
package informing him that Hunter has been captured after failing with a $6
million job, and now Danny is forced to complete this job to save Hunter’s life.
He meets The Agent (Akinnuoye-Agbaje) in Oman, and is taken to his “new
employer”, Sheik Amr, who wants Danny to kill the 3 ex-SAS agents who killed
his sons. As Danny goes after these agents, he’s met with resistance in the
form of the Feather Men, a group of ex-SAS agents looking after their own. Their
muscle is the highly accomplished and dangerous Spike Logan (Owen), who has his
own history of violence and is determined to see Meier and Danny fail.
The movie has some trouble trying to decide whether it is conspiracy-based,
action-based, revenge-based, or a deft combination of the lot. Danny is
remorseless in his determination to ensure his mentor’s freedom, while Meier,
with best intentions, doesn’t necessarily make Danny’s mission easier or less
dangerous through his cavalier approach. Some of the assassinations/killings
are ingenious, such as a staged vehicle accident and supposed hypothermia,
while others are botched by unfortunate timing and other surprises. There is
also a step-up in the stakes as the conspiracy grows.
Statham is a little more thoughtful than his usual self, De Niro makes
a welcome, if small return to something serious, Dominic Purcell surprises in
his role as it’s completely not what he was in Prison Break, and Clive Owen
does another good impression of a bad guy with little qualms with what he
intends to do to the good guys. Killer Elite is, I suspect, rather forgettable,
even though it is a decent enough movie to enjoy in the moment.
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