Let’s be honest: “Killer Elite” is not the year’s most enlightened film, nor the most experimental or exciting. But it’s worth watching for the simple fact that it brings together, for the first time, England’s two most watchable action stars. Clive Owen, of course, isn’t really an “action star.” He’s a serious actor who was (rightly) nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his work in “Closer.” Jason Statham, on the other hand, has done almost nothing but action, known for his terse but intelligent performances. Even better, “Killer Elite” pits the pair against one another — but in an ingenious way that allows us to cheer for them both.
Based on a book that controversially claims to have been based on fact, “Killer Elite” takes place in the early 1980s (hence Owen’s unfortunate mustache). Statham is Danny, a killer for hire who’s left the business to retire to a quiet life in the Australian outback with the childhood sweetheart with whom he’s just reconnected. But as often happens in the movies, he’s forced to do one last job.
| On screen |
| ‘Killer Elite’ |
| » Rating: 3 out of 4 stars |
| » Stars: Clive Owen, Jason Statham, Robert De Niro |
| » Director: Gary McKendry |
| » Rated: R for strong violence, language, and some sexuality/nudity |
| » Running time: 105 minutes |
His mentor, Hunter (Robert De Niro), has been kidnapped by a sheikh in Oman. Hunter thought he was being hired for a hit, but it turns out he’s merely bait. Danny is one of the world’s most talented mercenaries, but the sheikh knows the only way to get him back in the business is to put his friend’s life on the line. “I’m done with killing,” he tells the Arab, who responds, “Maybe killing isn’t done with you.”
The sheikh wants revenge. But he also can’t be suspected, because of a big oil deal he’s making with the British. So each of the hits must look like an accident. That won’t be easy, given the fact the targets are trained professionals.
And especially given the fact they know they’re targets. Spike (Owen) belongs to an underground group called the Feathermen that looks out for ex-Special Air Service men that caused trouble in the Middle East. Even before the first man is killed, Owen knows something is going on. That sets the stage for a cat-and-mouse game for Danny and Spike, in which it’s never quite clear which man is the cat and which the mouse.
Killing war heroes wouldn’t normally gain much sympathy from the audience, but Danny is doing it reluctantly and at least attempts to do it respectably. That’s part of the fun of “Killer Elite.” That title is fitting: These boys might be mercenaries, hit men or heroes — or all three — but the one thing they have in common is that they’re natural born killers.
Their professionalism — and that of the actors playing them — gives the movie a constant energy, even if one is skeptical of the story’s truth. This might be a bit of a lark for Owen and De Niro, but the audience enjoys it just as much as we suspect they did.
