Review of Killer Elite (2011) by Manny C — 06 Sep 2012

Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro together in one movie, should be fun right? If only. Killer Elite, which bears no connection to the 1975 Sam Peckinpah film of the same name, is bursting at the seams with testosterone. Statham, more talented than the movies he's in give him credit for, is Danny, a retired Navy SEAL and assassin who longs to just live a comfortable life in Australia with his girlfriend, but he's getting pulled back in. Danny's old killing partner, Hunter (De Niro) has been kidnapped by an Omani sheik, and wants Danny to kick some major British Special Air Service ass, specifically the men who killed his son. Danny must also provide video confessions and proof he made the kills. So Danny gets his team together. Enter Spike (Owen) who builds a counter team to stop Danny.

The only fun in the movie comes in the rip-roaring action, courtesy of debuting director Gary McKendry. Statham can do this in his sleep, but he can also go deeper, just see The Bank Job. Owen can too, and he seethes with masculine bravado. But in all, the movie is just filler. Taken from The Feather Men by ex-SAS officer Ranulph Fiennes (the actor's cousin), Killer Elite wants to be factually prestigious and indulge in the action cliches of its 1980's period setting. It's not happening.