KILLER ELITE (2011)

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Gary McKendry  
Cast: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Dominic Purcell, Aden Young, Yvonne Strahovski, Ben Mendelsohn
RunTime: 1 hr 45 mins
Released By:  Cathay-Keris Films & InnoForm Media
Rating: TBA
Official Website:  http://www.killerelite.com/

Opening Day: 20 October 2011

Synopsis: Inspired by true events, Killer Elite is a new action-adventure spy film that follows Danny (Jason Statham), one of the world's most skilled special-ops agents. Lured out of self-imposed exile, Danny reassembles his crack team of operatives to execute a near-impossible mission of retribution- to rescue his former mentor and partner Hunter- (Robert De Niro). Together they must penetrate the highly feared and respected military unit, the British Special Air Service (SAS), to take down a rogue cell of soldier assassins and their leader Spike (Clive Owen) before their actions create a global crisis. Killer Elite’s whirlwind journey of action hurtles across the globe: from Mexico to Australia, from Paris and London to Oman and Wales. The film is based on Ranulph Fiennes’ controversial nonfiction bestseller “The Feather Men”.

Movie Review:

Jason Statham must probably be the most hardworking action star these days, though not all his works have arguably been worth his efforts. His latest, the ‘80s British espionage thriller ‘Killer Elite’, easily stands out among the crop- not simply because it boasts a dream cast of tough-guys including Clive Owen, Dominic Purcell, and Robert DeNiro, but also because it is one of the best Statham movies since the stylish ‘Bank Job’.

Inspired by the controversial memoir ‘The Feather Men’ from former SAS agent Ranulph Fiennes, it is similarly set against the backdrop of Britain’s secret involvement in the Oman War, motivated by control over the rich oil reserves that lie beneath the country’s deserts. Statham is the former kill-for-hire Danny forced out of his retirement when an Omani sheikh (Rodney Afif) takes his former mentor cum partner Hunter (DeNiro) hostage. The sheikh wants Danny to go after the SAS soldiers who murdered his three sons, and besides Hunter’s freedom, is willing to pay six million dollars.

A tense opening prologue in Mexico where Danny on a mission hesitates after seeing a young kid and almost loses his life as a result establishes the reason for his quitting, but like his agent tells him when he says he’s done with killing, ‘maybe killing isn’t done with you’. First-time screenwriter Matt Sherring does a surprisingly fine job painting Danny as the weary assassin drawn back into a world he has tried so hard to escape from; and though the frequent flashbacks to Danny’s tranquil farm life with the strikingly beautiful Anne (Yvonne Strahovski) aren’t always handled with enough finesse, Danny turns out to be much more complex than the usual one-dimensional character Statham ends up playing.

But any Statham movie would not be complete without the action, and rest assured there is plenty of that in store as Danny assembles two trusted aides- the reconnaissance man Davies (Purcell) and the tech-savvy Meier (Aden Young)- to help him in his assassinations. These murders, while grisly, possess greater ingenuity than the average shootouts- chiefly because the sheikh also has given Danny specific instructions to make each look like an accident. The meticulousness with which these ‘accidents’ are staged can’t match those in the Hong Kong thriller ‘Accident’- nonetheless, McKendry mounts the tension and suspense before each kill confidently, which makes for a thoroughly riveting watch.

Each successful hit also brings Danny closer to his most dangerous rival Spike (Owen), whose task is to protect these men Danny has been sent to kill. These two highly trained operatives are on a collision course simply because of their respective missions- though both of them are really just puppets on a string oblivious to the political machinery by which they have been played by. Danny however is fully aware of the vicious cycle violence perpetuates, his one wish to put a stop to the back-and-forth killings.

And indeed, Sherring’s screenplay boldly eschews the typical good guy-bad guy polemic in favour of something more multifaceted between Danny and Spike. There is a distinct sense that both assassins are really not much different from each other, and could possibly even have been great friends had circumstance not set them up as enemies. McKendry balances the film nicely without favouring either character, and the setup makes for an engrossing study into the shadowy world of Special Forces operatives who are at the behest of their government masters.

In Statham and Owen, McKendry has also found a pair of fine action stars with great rapport. Much of their face-to-face confrontation is reserved towards the end of the show, but there is a teaser midway into the film when both go mano-a-mano in an operating theatre. The raw energy emanating from both Statham and Owen is electric, and a perfect appetiser of how things sizzle when they are finally pitted against each other. But the film saves the best for last- and the most thrilling sequence of all is a three-way fight among Statham, Owen and another SAS agent sent to take out the both of them, one of the highlights a backflip by Statham on the third man while tied to a chair. Aside from Owen, Statham also shares palpable chemistry with DeNiro- though the veteran’s actor’s involvement here is really no more than an extended cameo.

Yet ‘Killer Elite’ is a movie that rests on the charismatic bald-headed action star, who rewards one of his most well-drawn roles in recent years with an enigmatic performance built upon a rugged tough-guy persona that fits him like a glove. It is also an impressive feature debut for commercials director McKendry, demonstrating his assured grasp of storytelling and pacing. Add to that some gripping political drama, and you have an elite action thriller that’s as classy and exciting as them ‘80s spy thrillers get. 

Movie Rating:

(Gripping at every turn, this is every bit the elite spy thriller you would expect from such an assembly of great actors)

Review by Gabriel Chong