Review of Killer Elite (2011) by Albert K — 10 Mar 2012

Oh no... another Jason Statham action movie... oh wait, there's Robert De freakin Niro and Clive Owen. Count me in. But "Killer Elite" is crippled with an awful screenplay and horrible actors standing next to these beasts.

The introduction trickles out with cheesy B-movie material: Horrible dialogue and cliches of a "serious and gritty" action movie... There were moments where one of the characters would utter a cringe-worthy line and it would lead me to roll my eyes and go, "...really?". But I was pleasantly surprised by how the action picks up. The action is entertaining and smartly executed. It isn't a "blow everything up in the place while Jason Statham walks scratchless" action movie. Yes, it tries to be a Bourne knock-off, but it pulls it off and its entertaining enough. It's a good action thriller that isn't loud and obnoxious. The action is executed at a frenetic pace that is engaging and thrilling. The same can't be said about the plot, dialogue, or the chemistry between the characters. At least De Niro and Owen pull off their roles well.

If you've been waiting for another movie with the same style and action as the Bourne series, here it is. Just don't expect it to be a well-rounded, excellent movie that is on the same caliber as the Bourne series.