Killer Elite left me more conflicted than any movie I have seen in a long time. Simply put, I could not decide how to feel about this movie. More importantly, I don't know whether or not I can recommend it to you. What makes this movie so difficult to pigeonhole? Find out after the jump.
The plot of Killer Elite is fairly conventional- Robert DeNiro gets captured by the bad guys. To rescue him, Jason Statham must kill three members of the SAS that killed the bad guy's kids. However, he must first get their confessions on video. Topping things off, he has to make it look like an accident.
Statham assembles his team of assassins and gets to work. However, ex-SAS man Clive Owen feels something is up, and is working to stop Statham. The game is on.
This movie has its share of awesome moments. Anytime Robert DeNiro picks up a gun, the movie is incredibly fun. All the action is kinetic without being overly chaotic. Both Owen and Statham have great fight scenes in this film, most against each other. The assassination plot feels ripped from a better film, but is still compelling from time to time.
At the same time however, this film is flawed on a fundamental level. The pacing is atrocious, the movie is packed with unnecessary side plots, action is too infrequent for an action movie, and the movie uses one of my biggest pet peeves: the inclusion of a female character who exists only to nag the protagonist or be placed in danger. I spent too much time wincing or wondering how much longer this film was going to go on. Even for fans of the actors or the genre, this one may be better as a rental.
2.5 out of 5
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