Killer Elite - (September 23rd, 2011): R
Distributor: Open Road Films
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #5 with $9,352,008
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $11,832,177
Gross Revenue: $16,632,177
Production Budget: $70 million
Directors: Gary McKendry
When I first saw the trailer for Killer Elite, I was surprised that such a project had remained off my radar for so long, especially when one considers the interesting premise and high-caliber cast. Between The Transporter, The Italian Job, Crank, and The Expendables, I have been a huge fan of Jason Statham’s for years, so his inclusion alone virtually guaranteed that I would see this newest action film. Add in notorious crowd-pleasers Clive Owen and Robert DeNiro, and the deal was only further sweetened. However, prior to its release, if you asked me what this film was about, I wouldn’t be able to tell you much beyond the core premise of these tough guys fighting each other; but c’mon, how much could really go wrong with these actors working together? Admit it, every time Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane” started playing alongside the preview, you got pumped and couldn’t wait to see someone get the snot kicked out of them during Killer Elite.
Based on the 1991 novel The Feather Men, Killer Elite is set in the 80’s and introduces audiences to professional assassin Danny Bryce (Jason Statham) and his weathered mentor, Hunter (Robert DeNiro). After a particularly shaky assignment, Danny decides to retire, but he is soon thrown back into the fray when Hunter is held hostage by a sheik in Oman whom Hunter had worked with previously. The sheik explains that, in exchange for Hunter’s freedom, Danny must avenge the deaths of his three sons, who were allegedly assassinated during a covert operation carried out by members of the British Special Air Services (SAS). Danny must not only kill each of the three SAS agents in such a way that it can only be ruled as an accident, but he must also get each operative to confess their guilt. Assembling a team of former mercenaries that includes one of his oldest friends, Davies (Dominic Purcell), Danny sets out to accomplish his difficult task but soon attracts the attention of ex-SAS officer Spike Logan (Clive Owen). Noble as his intentions may be in trying to save his friend, Danny finds himself face-to-face with Spike, who understandably wants to protect the men who belong to the same military fraternity that he once served.
Easily the best part of Killer Elite is the novelty of seeing Jason Statham, Robert DeNiro, and Clive Owen working together, and in the scenes they do share, the interaction is clever and engaging. As far as individual performances go, Owen and DeNiro thankfully make the most of their screen-time, but Statham is so stoic and dry that it almost feels lazy…I understand that Statham is known for being a quieter tough guy, but after seeing progressively larger glimpses of his personality over the years, this characterization feels like a definite stalling of his evolution as an actor. The biggest surprise is Dominic Purcell, who has a humorous and commanding presence on screen that overshadows his higher-caliber co-stars. When it comes to critical action sequences, when each of these hardened killers lets loose on a bystander or each other, it’s great to watch, but it happens so rarely that you will undeniably leave the theater craving more. Simply put, audiences were promised something far different from what was ultimately delivered, as it is not wholly fair to describe Killer Elite as an “action” film.
The previews for Killer Elite would have you believing that each of these Hollywood badasses don’t waste any time in unleashing hell, but the action sequences are so few and far in-between that it is easy to get frustrated waiting for something to happen. When it comes to the story itself, many of the narrative elements stretch logic, but a key few are just ridiculous. For instance, the film spends a large portion of time singing the praises of the elite SAS forces and their unrelenting skills, discipline, and vigilance, but then Danny is able to saunter in and dispatch his targets with little or no effort…I don’t care how good Jason Statham is, there is no way in hell that his job is THAT easy. It is also notoriously difficult to keep track of the events unfolding, as the setting jumps around erratically and the planned executions become increasingly complicated; when you’re waiting for the next action scene, such filler becomes downright boring. If Killer Elite had been positioned as more of a spy thriller or crime caper than a straight-laced action flick, I would have been far more forgiving, but you cannot toy with audience expectations when such a wide disparity between promotion and project exists.
Utterly disappointing in terms of quality, Killer Elite has underwhelmed at the box office as well, bringing in under $10 million in its opening weekend. Granted, this “action” film faced significant competition at the box office last weekend with Abduction, Moneyball, and Dolphin Tale being released concurrently, but I still expected such high-profile actors with undoubted fan-bases to produce more of a draw. As time passes, it only looks like things will get worse, as more and more entries are dropping in the next few weeks and Killer Elite will probably struggle to recover a substantial portion of its weighty $70 million production budget. The sad thing is that a few tweaks might have been able to save this lukewarm entry from such a respected cast. If you are a big fan of Statham, DeNiro, or Owen, Killer Elite might still be worth seeing, but be warned; it is not at all what you are expecting.
Overall Recommendation: Low
