Killer Elite (2011)/Movie Review

Release Date: 23 September 2011 (USA)
Runtime: USA: 105 min  | Germany: 116 min  | UK: 100 min
Genres: Action | Thriller   Taglines: May the Best Man Live

When his mentor is taken captive, a retired member of Britain's Elite Special Air Service is forced into action. His mission: kill three assassins dispatched by their cunning leader.

Cast overview:
Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Dominic Purcell, Aden Young, Yvonne Strahovski, Ben Mendelsohn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David Whiteley, Matthew Nable, Lachy Hulme, Firass Dirani, Nick Tate, Bille Brown, Stewart Morritt
   
Director: Gary McKendry
Writers: Matt Sherring (screenplay), Ranulph Fiennes(book "The Feather Men")
Original Music by  Reinhold Heil     & Johnny Klimek        
Cinematography by Simon Duggan & Alain Duplantier
Film Editing by John Gilbert        
Casting by Leigh Pickford        
Production Design by Michelle McGahey        

Storyline

Based on a true story, Killer Elite pits two of the worlds' most elite operatives - Danny, an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) and Hunter, his longtime mentor (Robert De Niro) - against the cunning leader of a secret military society ('Clive Owen' ). Covering the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, Danny and Hunter are plunged into a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse - where the predators become the prey.

Production Companies :  Omnilab Media|   Ambience Entertainment|   Current Entertainment
Film Victoria |  International Traders |  Open Road Films |  Palomar Pictures (II)  | Sighvatsson Films | Wales Creative IP Fund
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital  | DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) | SDDS

Filming Locations:  Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, UK| Central City Studios, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (studio)| Dandenong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia| Footscray, Victoria, Australia| Frankston, Victoria, Australia| Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia|

Review

The Killer Elite is saddled with a vague and forgettable title but at least it sounds more lethal than the book it is based on by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, "The Feather Men". An evil cabal known as the Feather Men does not inspire too much fear. These ex-SAS (Special Air Service) members, and now business leaders, chose the name themselves to signify their light touch on situations which concern them. Shady characters are starting to ask around about an old mission in Oman involving SAS men and this falls right in the wheelhouse of issues the Feather Men are watching out for.
The Feather Men novel is allegedly based on a true story but none of the facts have ever been verified. Sir Fiennes described the book as 'factional' which does not bode well for the story's authenticity. However, the plot is intriguing, especially for a shoot 'em up first, ask questions later action fest. The background and set up are complicated enough which makes you want to follow it closely. I do not want to provide an exact plot synopsis but essentially Danny Bryce (Jason Statham) must kill some ex-SAS men to save his assassin mentor (Robert De Niro) from some Omani oil sheiks. Spike Logan (Clive Owen), also an ex-SAS man but not one of the marked men, has his sixth sense kick into overdrive and tries to save his mates from Danny's bullets as a good Feather Man would. Sir Fiennes actually claims to be one of those marked SAS men.
The script portrays Danny as an assassin who has lost his taste for killing and vows after every trigger pull that "this is my last job". He is supposedly from Australia but oddly maintains a thick and native British accent. Since every assassin must have someone to come home to, his girlfriend Anne (Yvonne Strahovski) waits impatiently for him as he disappears on his missions. Strahovski is a real life Australian and has a matching accent to prove it. She has been outstanding in the Chuck series so it is enjoyable to see her finally cross over into mainstream film.
The overall look to the Killer Elite is good however. Even though it was mainly shot in Melbourne, the skies are usually England gray and the Brecon Beacons mountain range sequence is shot well. This film is right in that middle range where I am unsure still at this point rather to recommend it or not. It is much better than the garbage in its genre such as The Expendables but fails to reach up to the higher level of Crank or The Bank Job. I suppose I marginally recommend the Killer Elite for its absorbing plot and intricate assassination sequences, but be warned, this film is not anything more than average.