You’d think “Killer Elite,” a movie starring Jason Statham and Clive Owen (two of my favorite action actors) plus a cameo by Robert Di Niro, would be a sure-fire hit. And while their presence does help, there’s not much that can save this mess of a movie directed by Gary McKendry. The culprit appears to be the script by Gary McKendry & Mike Sherring, based on The Feather Men by Ranulph Fiennes, which has resulted in a confusing, lack-luster story. The opening caption informs us that the movie is ‘based on a true story’ so we’re supposed to accept what we see as factual. While there might be a kernel of truth lurking somewhere “Killer Elite,” to say that the whole story is true would be a mistake. And the more interesting aspect of the plot, that of a group of shadowy ex-SAS officers heading a kind of cabal that does things the British government wouldn’t sanction, is glossed over.
The focus is on Danny (Statham), a professional assassin, who is called back into action when his partner, Hunter (De Niro), is kidnapped by a sheik in Omar who wants Danny to avenge the deaths of his three sons at the hands of SAS operatives. Hunter will be released when Danny has completed his task. To make matters more difficult, Danny is required to obtain videotaped confessions from each man and to make their deaths look like accidents. Danny is aided by Davies (Dominic Purcell) and Meier (Aden Young) and opposed by an ex-SAS operative named Spike (Owen). There’s enough action to keep adrenalin junkies happy and it's interesting to see Statham and Owen in face-to-face combat, but the lack of a compelling story makes “Killer Elite” unfulfilling and disappointing. 9/25/11
1 comment:
in a movie like this I like to establish early on (in my mind) who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. Lets take Jason Statham's character for example. In the beginning he appears to want to rescue Robert Di Niro but he decides to help an oil sheik exact some revenge so his son can retake the tribe who booted him out. If he is able to do this he gets $6 million bucks and gets Di Niro out of the slammer. Is Statham a good guy or a bad guy? I don't know. Is Di Niro a good guy or a bad guy? I don't know! Is Clive Owen a good guy or a bad guy? I don't know!! In the end Statham leaves the money on the ground and the old Sheik's son does not want the tribal leadership?? Maybe there was no good guys in this, I don't know????
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