There are numerous movies that begin slowly and then pick up the pace as they move along. Strangely, "The Killer Elite" does the opposite as its best action, humour and surprises are all in the first act which brilliantly sets the scene for its story of betrayal, double crosses and revenge. Its main characters are all amoral, their outlook is nihilistic and there's also plenty of cynicism. The type of cynicism that's a reaction to the amount of treachery that they all encounter on a daily basis as well as general feelings of cynicism about all political "power systems", none of which really care about their "civilians".
Best friends and partners, Mike Locken (James Caan) and George Hansen (Robert Duvall) are a couple of operatives who work for "Com Teg", a private company that does contract work for the CIA. Their specialities are carrying out assassinations and providing personal protection for important clients. The two men are protecting an East European defector in a safe-house on the outskirts of San Francisco when Hansen, (out of sight of his partner) suddenly shoots and kills the defector before approaching Mike and shooting him in his elbow and left knee. Mike, who's in considerable pain, is shocked by his friend's betrayal but also recognises that he must have been bought off by another organisation.
When Mike starts to undergo treatment for his injuries, he's advised that he won't ever be able to achieve much improvement and his bosses at Com Teg want him to retire immediately. Mike, however, is determined to return to his old job and embarks on a long and challenging period of rehabilitation during which he also learns some new martial arts skills.
One day, it comes as a great surprise when he's invited to return to work for Com Teg to provide protection for an Asian politician called Yuen Chung (Mako) who'd recently escaped an attempt on his life by a group of assassins at San Francisco airport. Mike's interest in the job then suddenly increases when he discovers that Hansen was working with the assassins and recognises the opportunity that this will give him to take revenge on his old buddy.
Despite its chases, gunfights and some well-staged action sequences, this violent thriller never fully hits top gear because of the way in which it loses its impetus so dramatically during the period in which Mike is working on his rehabilitation. This is a shame because its story is interesting, good use is made of San Francisco locations and some of the dialogue is quite amusing. An example of this comes when Mike's bosses are trying to encourage him to accept the retirement package he's being offered and say "That leg of yours will never be anything but a wet noodle. You're Humpty-Dumped Mike. Face it".
James Caan's convincing as a tough guy and a ladies man and is absolutely great in the scenes that he shares with Robert Duvall. Bo Hopkins, Burt Young and Gig Young also do well in their above average supporting performances that add some sparkle to the whole proceedings.
Best friends and partners, Mike Locken (James Caan) and George Hansen (Robert Duvall) are a couple of operatives who work for "Com Teg", a private company that does contract work for the CIA. Their specialities are carrying out assassinations and providing personal protection for important clients. The two men are protecting an East European defector in a safe-house on the outskirts of San Francisco when Hansen, (out of sight of his partner) suddenly shoots and kills the defector before approaching Mike and shooting him in his elbow and left knee. Mike, who's in considerable pain, is shocked by his friend's betrayal but also recognises that he must have been bought off by another organisation.
When Mike starts to undergo treatment for his injuries, he's advised that he won't ever be able to achieve much improvement and his bosses at Com Teg want him to retire immediately. Mike, however, is determined to return to his old job and embarks on a long and challenging period of rehabilitation during which he also learns some new martial arts skills.
One day, it comes as a great surprise when he's invited to return to work for Com Teg to provide protection for an Asian politician called Yuen Chung (Mako) who'd recently escaped an attempt on his life by a group of assassins at San Francisco airport. Mike's interest in the job then suddenly increases when he discovers that Hansen was working with the assassins and recognises the opportunity that this will give him to take revenge on his old buddy.
Despite its chases, gunfights and some well-staged action sequences, this violent thriller never fully hits top gear because of the way in which it loses its impetus so dramatically during the period in which Mike is working on his rehabilitation. This is a shame because its story is interesting, good use is made of San Francisco locations and some of the dialogue is quite amusing. An example of this comes when Mike's bosses are trying to encourage him to accept the retirement package he's being offered and say "That leg of yours will never be anything but a wet noodle. You're Humpty-Dumped Mike. Face it".
James Caan's convincing as a tough guy and a ladies man and is absolutely great in the scenes that he shares with Robert Duvall. Bo Hopkins, Burt Young and Gig Young also do well in their above average supporting performances that add some sparkle to the whole proceedings.