Though "Killer Elite" is being marketed as some sort of reasonably cerebral cousin to the Jason Bourne trilogy, in reality, it's just a boring period piece with a few big−name actors and standard fast−paced action sequences. A mustachioed Clive Owen and an underused Robert De Niro stuck on autopilot can only do so much for a shoddy film.
As for the plot summary, the narrative can be reduced into a cliche: A retired assassin is forced to come back for one last job to save a kidnapped friend. Danny Bryce (Jason Statham) comes out of a short retirement after his friend and fellow assassin Hunter (De Niro) is captured during a botched assignment by an old Omani oil sheik. The sheik wants Bryce to hunt down the three Special Air Service (SAS) agents who killed his sons, get recorded confessions and make their deaths look accidental. If Bryce fails, Hunter will be executed.
A large chunk of the film is spent showing Bryce and his team pursuing the three SAS targets. Clive Owen is introduced midway through the movie as Spike Logan, a vengeful former SAS agent who wants to protect his brethren from dying. The plot's momentum leads up to a Statham−versus−Owen showdown. To top off the cliche, there are short flashback sequences revealing Bryce's romantic relationship with a blandly attractive blonde. Her character has a name, but she is too insignificant to include in the review.
The issue of blandness plagues "Killer Elite" from its start. The characters barely deserve names because they are really just poorly veiled Stathams, Owens and De Niros.
The actors actually save the movie from becoming a horrendous disaster. The three big guys on the marquee bring enough star power and bold persona to keep minimal audience attention. The true offenders are director Gary McKendry and screenwriter Matt Sherring. The duo combined to create a maddeningly weak blueprint for an action movie with a $70 million budget.
The characters travel to Mexico, Australia, Oman, England and France, but each locale plays out on screen like a stereotype. There is no identity. There is no consistent tone or mood. Yes, there are a few shaky−cam fight sequences, but that's hardly a fresh take on fisticuffs since shaky−cam fights have become the norm. It's as if McKendry tried to borrow traditional techniques from the action and spy genres, pasted them together and hoped for the best. The result is an uneven two hours of dullness.
Sherring deserves condemnation as well. The screenwriter is responsible for generating the backbone of a film, and Sherring's effort is very lazy. The screenplay is so bad and full of hackneyed one−liners that it is hard to blame any of the actors.
Take the role of Danny Bryce as an example. The character is an assassin with a heart of gold. After years of killing targets for money, Bryce instantly decides to change. He develops a code of morals without warning. No actor in Hollywood could perform well in the role. Statham just needs to pick better scripts.
In case you forgot, De Niro is in this movie. This is the same De Niro from "Raging Bull" (1980) and "The Godfather Part II" (1974). He has no business being in this raging piece of bulls−−t; not only is the role of Hunter more suitable for someone like Dwayne Johnson, but the part barely has 15 minutes of screen time.
Even so, De Niro's talent emerges. He can sleepwalk through his scenes and still be far and away the best actor in a film. In a predominately serious film, he is able to bring some charm and a subtle hint of comedy.
Owen is not bad, either. He plays a flimsier version of his villainous character from "The Bourne Identity" (2002). Also, he has a mustache, which should count for something.
Beyond the actors' talent, this movie is a disappointment. Save your money for something worthier of your time.
