‘Killer Elite’ – Passable action flick…

‘Killer Elite’, the new Jason Statham (The Transporter, picka number) action flick, starts out with the tag line that reads: ‘Based on atrue story’, hmmmmm.  The ‘true story’ isthe 1991 novel by Sir Ranulph Fiennes , ‘The Feather Men’; a novel where the claimof truth has shrouded the book since it was published. In reality, it is justanother steroid pumped action film with the clever bonus of Robert De Niro (whoseems to be slumming more and more in films; I mean this is the same man whowon an Oscar for ‘Raging Bull’!).

Jason Statham is ‘Danny’ (that’s it, just ‘Danny’, he’s thatcool) a contract killer that is by far the most elite of killers. While workingwith his partner and mentor Hunter (Robert DeNiro), Danny becomes tired of thekilling game and opts to drop off of the grid to build a new life in Australia whilebeginning a burgeoning romance with a childhood sweetheart, Anne (YvonneStrahovski from ‘Chuck’). Of course, just when he begins to think he is out, heis pulled back in again (man, I love my Godfather references!) by an iratesheik who has kidnapped Hunter in a bid to force Danny to complete a job.Apparently, a group of very highly trained British soldiers killed the sheik’sthree sons during the Dhofar war and in order for the sheik to regain power;the deaths of his sons must be avenged.

The movie becomes a bit too complicated for a Jason Strathamfilm, which during the action sequences is top notch, but when trying to be apolitical thriller loses its appeal. There are far too many players and far toomany twists that make little sense. Essentially, the Dhofar war was waged bypin striped business men for the good of the common British oil needs (ofcourse); the business men are protected by the former SAS agent Spike (CliveOwen) who happens to be on to the fact that Danny is killer behind the deathsof the former soldiers. There are plenty of nicely staged action sequences thatdirector Gary McKendry tends to shoot too tightly, making some of the more balleticscenes seem frantic. But they are fun and Statham, Owen and even DeNiro playthe tough guys well.

‘Killer Elite’ brings nothing very new to the table. Ithought there was more to do with the characters, especially characters thatare sick of the ‘game’; far better was ‘Eiger Sanction’ an earlier Clint Eastwoodfilm. From that perspective it missed the mark, but as a ‘B’ action movie, itwas right on cue. If these events did truly happen, I doubt they happened inthis fashion. Either way, it’s a 2 ½ star effort that was fun to watch (atmoments). I still feel bad for DeNiro, who once, at the top of his game, wouldnever be caught dead in a film like this.