In my mind's eye, there are two kinds of films out there: the thinking man's film, thought-provoking, insightful, clever, even confusing at times, but in a good way. Then there's the mixing mold type of film, that sort where the titular character is so predictable that the very film's title reflects his occupation, as if ironically taunting the viewer: The Transporter, The Mechanic and so on. Killer Elite comfortably falls in the latter category.
Based on a non-fiction book called The Feather Men by Ranulph Fiennes, Killer Elite follows the exploits of a retired hit man, and his return to action to save his old friend and mentor.
If only it was that cut and dry a concept, folks...
What is Killer Elite All About?
Danny (Statham) is a gifted British mercenary whose work has made him highly sought by mystery clients, thanks to the teachings of his mentor, an American by the appropriate name of Hunter (De Niro). Along with a few other like-minded hit men (Dominic Purcell and Aden Young), Danny performs his job adequately and efficiently, no questions asked. That is, until the day where he realizes one of his marks was accompanied by his terrified son, likely scared for life. Sick of the potential guilt, Danny leaves the business.
A year passes, and Danny receives a package showing his mentor to be held captive by a powerful and rich sheikh from Oman, who's holding Hunter captive until the mission at hand, killing those responsible for the murder of his three sons, is completed, something Hunter himself couldn't do on his own.
And so, Danny must reluctantly complete the mission originally started by his teacher, in order to save his life, collect six million dollars and once and for all retire from the dangerous life of assassination.
The only problem? An ex-SAS soldier (Clive Owen) is determined to bring down Danny and his team at all cost, for the sake of preserving British interest in the desert region the sheikh controls, guaranteeing oil rights for decades to come.
Killer Elite Strong on Action, Weak on Plot
This film is so ridiculously conceived (despite being based on a book about a secret British caste of ex-soldiers hoping to have a hand in their country's affairs, hence the Feather Men) that one must really be starved for entertainment in order to really get a kick out of this film.
While much of the film's popularity rests on the inclusion of Robert De Niro to an otherwise international cast, his role as Hunter feels almost like a throwaway character wedged into an already weak script, hoping some of the actor's popularity will somehow elevate what amounts to little more than chase scenes, shootouts and pretty convincing hand-to-hand combat. Think one of the Bourne movies, but without as captivating a storyline.
Clive Owen does okay as a sniveling, vindictive bad-ass ex-SAS veteran out for some payback, while Statham offers little more than his previous films have, playing exactly the same role, only with a different name, wardrobe and occupation. Don't get me wrong, I never said I expected Statham to suddenly start blurting out Shakespeare or anything, but at the same time it'd be nice to see what else the man can do.
Bonus Features?
Very few. Some deleted scenes and a few short interviews. There's as little content in the extras as there was sense to the film's plot. Go figure.
The Final Word on Killer Elite
As I've already mentioned, there are a handful of pretty effective action sequences in this film. However, said scenes do not a good movie make. By the time Statham tries really hard not to look all pained and torn up inside once he meets a lovely blonde (Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski) willing to accept his faults, the audience has pretty much forgotten how much they're supposed to care.
Watch this film if you're a serious hardcore Statham fan. Meanwhile, I'll wait for the man's next few films, which will probably be titled The Gardener, The Piano Tuner, The Electrician or some other lethal employment.
Killer Elite: 2 out of 5
Dominic Messier - Dominic Messier is a Toronto-based Film & TV writer, Sci-Fi TV and Film Dramas Topic Editor, and creator of PopCultureLandscape.com
