Killer Elite (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Gary McKendry (director) |
| Products | Action thriller film |
Killer Elite is a 2011 action thriller film helmed by director Gary McKendry featuring performances from Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and Robert De Niro. Adapted from the 1991 novel The Feather Men authored by Ranulph Fiennes, this movie served as the inaugural release for Open Road Films. It debuted in the United States on 23 September 2011 and received a range of responses from film critics.
Plot
Set in 1980, the story follows mercenaries Danny Bryce, Hunter, Davies, and Meier as they arrive in Mexico with a mission to eliminate a designated target. After being unsettled by killing a man in the presence of the target’s child, Danny opts to retire. A year later, he is called to Oman to undertake a $6 million operation that Hunter had failed to complete: assassinating three former SAS soldiers—Steven Harris, Warwick Cregg, and Simon McCann—who were responsible for the deaths of Sheikh Amr’s sons during the Dhofar Rebellion. Danny’s objective is to record their confessions on video and orchestrate their deaths to appear accidental before Sheikh Amr passes away, thereby allowing his son Bakhait to assume power.
Danny recruits Davies and Meier with an offer of $3 million each; he declines payment himself, concentrating on securing Hunter’s freedom. After an unsuccessful attempt to stage Harris’s death as an accident, they manage to kill him. Davies conducts inquiries in England but inadvertently alerts the Feather Men, a clandestine group dedicated to safeguarding ex-operatives. Spike Logan, an enforcer for the society, begins his own investigation.
During a nocturnal march in the Brecon Beacons, Danny administers drugs to Cregg, leading to his death from hypothermia following his confession. To eliminate McCann—now working as a mercenary—they arrange a fabricated job interview and then crash a remote-controlled truck into his vehicle. Meier kills McCann but is fatally wounded by Jake amid a firefight with Logan’s men.
Davies is killed while fleeing from Logan’s team. Returning to Oman with the final (forged) confession, Danny secures Hunter’s release and reunites with Anne in Australia. The Agent then reveals one last target: Ranulph Fiennes, the author of The Feather Men. For her safety, Danny sends Anne to France.
Bakhait confesses that Harris was innocent. Logan attempts to protect Fiennes but is injured by Danny who also fakes his own death. After capturing Danny, Logan is interrupted by a government official who exposes British involvement in the killing of Amr’s sons motivated by oil interests; Bakhait had conspired with them.
A three-way confrontation ensues; Danny escapes while Logan kills the agent. Back in Oman, Logan assassinates Amr before Bakhait—who gains from his father’s demise—pays Logan $6 million originally intended for Danny and Hunter. After evading Amr’s forces, Danny and Hunter face off against Logan; Hunter takes some money for personal use and family support, leaving the remainder for Logan so he can start afresh after defying both the Feather Men and British authorities. Danny declares the mission complete and reunites with Anne.
Production
The production commenced at Docklands Studios, where De Niro filmed scenes set in 1970s Paris along Melbourne's Spring Street. The tanker truck demise sequence was shot on Dynon Road, while the closing scene took place on Little Collins Street in Melbourne.
Scenes set in London were actually filmed in Cardiff at locations including Windsor Place such as The Promised Land Bar, City United Reformed Church, and The Buffalo Bar. The Agent's meetings were captured at the Welsh National War Memorial located within Alexandra Gardens. Additional footage was recorded on Kings Road, Pontcanna, and at The Blue Anchor Inn in East Aberthaw, Vale of Glamorgan.
Filming also occurred near the Storey Arms outdoor centre situated in the Brecon Beacons.
The Feather Men
The storyline of the movie originates from the novel The Feather Men authored by Ranulph Fiennes. In his book, Fiennes introduces a clandestine group of former SAS operatives known as the "Feather Men," who discreetly safeguard SAS members and their families by retaliating against any threats or attacks they encounter.
Reception
The movie made its debut at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2011. Critical responses were varied, with some reviewers dismissing it as a typical Jason Statham action film despite featuring notable actors like Clive Owen and Robert De Niro. Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore assigned it an average rating of "B" on a scale ranging from A+ to F.
Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, commending director Gary McKendry on his first feature for effectively balancing action sequences with character development and narrative depth, rather than depending solely on visual effects.