By Adam Jeffrey

Claiming to be based on a true story has become a cinema cliché. Killer Elite makes such a claim, when in fact it is an adaptation of a novel, The Feather Men by Ranulph Fiennes which caused quite a stir on release. While initially marketed as a true story, Fiennes later stated his novel was a work of ‘faction’ i.e. a fictional story with elements of true events used as inspiration. So we have an action movie based on a mostly fictional novel and considering the events that take place I doubt many audience members will be thinking “this actually happened.”

Robert De Niro plays Hunter, a mercenary for hire and mentor of Danny, played by Jason Statham. After a botched mission Danny decides he is done with the killing game and retires to a remote area of the Victorian bush. He is soon coaxed out of retirement when he discovers Hunter has been kidnapped by an oil sheik who wants revenge against four SAS men responsible for killing his sons. The sheik knows Danny is the only person capable of such a task and uses the captured Hunter as leverage to convince Danny to accept the job. In a clever twist on an existing formula, the deaths of the SAS men are to look accidental so there is no suspicion of murder which may incriminate the sheik. Danny recruits his old team members Davies, (Dominic Purcell) and Meier (Aden Young). Unbeknown to the team, Spike (Clive Owens) leading the Feather Men, a secret society which exists to protect ex-SAS agents from retaliation, poses the biggest threat to the success of the mission.

There is a strong focus on story and characters, an element sorely lacking in many other movies of the same ilk. The plot does become convoluted and difficult to keep track of, although we’re caught up to speed after each assassination while the team prepares for the next kill. This is primarily an action movie, but at least there’s a story which leads into the next explosive shoot out or car chase.

De Niro stays out of the spotlight but proves he’s still a convincing tough guy. Owens plays a stone cold professional sporting a fashionably ‘80s moustache, while Statham provides the usual impersonation of every other character he’s played and that’s fine as his persona suits the role of a hardened killer. While pitted against each other, neither Statham nor Owens adopts the role of hero. They both aim simply to do their job and this leads to an exhilarating confrontation between the two characters and a third common enemy. This does, however create one of the movies biggest flaws. It feels blank and emotionless, making it difficult to agree with the motivations of either character.

The action is expertly choreographed and stops just short of being too far over the top. These scenes are the highlight of the film, however, the set up often feels forced. For example, in preparation for the first assassination the team is led into the desert to retrieve a hidden murder weapon. No explanation is given as to why such a remote hiding place was necessary, but as luck would have it there is soon a frenzied pursuit through a conveniently located labyrinthine tunnel system under the sand.

At times the writing also falls flat. We’re introduced to a subplot involving Statham’s retired life in the Australian bush and his developing relationship with local Anne (Yvonne Strahovski). These scenes interrupt the main story and feel like an afterthought which serves only to satisfy a request of the Australian producers. Equally jarring is some of the hackneyed dialogue which feels culled from every other action movie of the past decade. "I’m done with killing," says Danny, to which Hunter replies, “Maybe killing’s not done with you.”

Killer Elite is the feature debut for director Gary McKendry and much like the successful Guy Ritchie, his career began in advertising. He shows some skill in the director’s chair as he understands that story is important, rather than just action for its own sake. Killer Elite is far from perfect, but it does show potential for McKendry. As an added positive it may introduce Australian cinema to a wider audience overseas.

Despite having a star studded cast, top notch action scenes, and an engaging main story, the experience equals less than the sum of its parts. The film exists somewhere between the tense thriller and over the top action genres instead of choosing to be one or the other. The plot is unique, offering variety with the different requirements for each kill and the action sequences are impressive. However, it is plagued by an abundance of action movie clichés and poor dialogue. There are entertaining moments, as long as you can tolerate some of the more cringe worthy aspects of the film.

3/5