Where to watch The Killer Elite
1 Star
Mike Locken is one of the principal members of a group of freelance spies. A significant portion of their work is for the C.I.A., and while he’s on a case for them, one of his friends turns on him and shoots him in the elbow and knee. His assignment, to protect someone, goes down in flames. He is nearly crippled, but with braces is able to become mobile again. For revenge as much as anything else, Mike goes after his ex-friend.
The legend of Sam Peckinpah and his rebellious attitude towards the Hollywood studio system was a frequently discussed topic among my peers and instructors at film school. Aside from The Wild Bunch and a few other select titles, I believe the director is an overrated and self-indulgent filmmaker who has produced three times as many bad films as good ones. There is a theory that Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia marks the end of the true ‘Peckinpah’ era, with everything that came afterward being mere perfunctory dreck.
The Killer Elite, despite featuring talents like James Caan and Robert Duvall, is a slow, bleak, and boring action thriller that fails to spark any excitement or interest. The film showcases ninja assassins eight years before Cannon Films turned ninjas into an obsession for adolescent boys. It’s hard to imagine a more plodding movie; The Killer Elite is even more meandering than Convoy (1978). Although the film runs for 125 minutes, there are very few scenes that compellingly drive the story forward, making it feel twice as long. Under skilled direction, Caan and Duvall can be captivating actors, but in this case, they are left to flounder in Peckinpah’s cinematic misstep.
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Written by: Marc Norman, Stirling Silliphant, Robert Syd Hopkins
Starring: James Caan, Robert Duvall, Arthur Hill