Review of Killer Elite

KILLER ELITE (2011) ** ½ Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Yvonne Strahovski, Dominic Purcell, Aden Young, Ben Mendelsohn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. While the film suggest a 'loose remake' of the '70s era James Caan/Robert Duvall thriller, in name only is this a kissing cousin with military trained assassins Statham and Owen at odds on opposite sides-of-the-tracks machinations involving a global conspiracy involving the kidnapping of DeNiro, Statham's mentor, with plenty of international intrigue and double crosses. While it is impressive to see Britain's finest men of action/suspense Statham and Owen in an "ALIEN VS. PREDATOR" smack-down for the most part the sporadically laced actioner relies way too heavily on murky expositionary dialogue that goes around-and-around in circles making the viewer PRAY for SOMETHING to BLOW UP and/or fisticuffs ensue! And would it have killed them to use the lovely Strahovski more to her strengths (outside of being smokin' hot!) ala her "Chuck" TV series persona? While the dynamic duo's pas-de-deux's echo John Woo and the BOURNE films they still entertain far more than the leaden direction by Gary McKendry and Matt Sherring's convoluted screenplay adaptation of Ranulph Fiennes' 'based-on-a-true-story' book is yawn worthy indeed. Still it is kinda cool to say to yourself "How the HELL does Statham simply walk away from a spectacular escape through a window while strapped to a chair?!?!" :D