Killer Elite wouldn’t have been a film we would have chosen based on its title and trailer which suggested just the usual gunplay, punch-ups and car chases. But we were in for a pleasant surprise. It was also a gripping yarn with plenty of twists…
A movie entitled “Killer Elite” didn’t exactly fill us with expectation of a well-rounded cinematic experience.
We did a quick bit of research on the film (it’s been out in the US since September last year) and discovered some fairly polarising reviews. Ultimately this wouldn’t have been a film we would have chosen based on its title and trailer which suggested just the usual gunplay, punch-ups and car chases.
But we were in for a pleasant surprise. As expected it was packed full of action right from the opening minute and a solid pace throughout, but it was also a gripping yarn with plenty of twists.
Based (very loosely) on a true story – the film takes us into the world of elite killers (strangely enough) who pick up ‘for pay’ jobs eliminating enemies of the powerful and wealthy. In this case a sheik looking to avenge the murders of his three sons but the job has the added complexity of the targets being members of the SAS.
With big name stars including Jason Statham, Robert DeNiro and Clive Owen (including an appearance from Grant Bowler – known to us Kiwis as Wolf from Outrageous Fortune), the film crackles along at a good pace.
Scenes with Jason Statham and Clive Owen hunting each other are particularly exciting, whereas DeNiro seems slightly out of place with a rather lacklustre performance throughout.
Being set in 1981 presented a few challenges for the film-makers. Attention has to be paid to everything from clothing to cars and cityscapes (fortunately automatic weapons have not changed much in 30 years). However, having the prices in a Paris cafe in euros was a bit of an oversight that could have been avoided. If you can find an Austin Maxi that is still running you think you could price a menu right.
As an Australian film it naturally had a lot of Australian influence including cast and locations. Much it was filmed in studios in Melbourne and across Victoria along with scenes in Morocco, Wales and London. They even managed to shoot one of the Paris street scenes in downtown Melbourne.
Although not ideal for a romantic date, we found the movie more enjoyable than anticipated and would recommend as a good couple of hours to spend with the boys along with a few drinks afterwards.
There haven’t been a lot of great action films from Australia since the first Mad Max but this one goes part of the way there.
6 and a half bullets out of 10
Lane Hannah and Mark Brighouse, 25 January 2012
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