What I often read about "The Killer Elite" is that it's Sam Peckinpah's most misunderstood and unjustly underrated film. Well, I guess I must be one of those intellectually underdeveloped people who misunderstand it then, because all I saw was a derivative and dull espionage/revenge thriller.
The plot feels very thirteen-in-a-dozen. Mike Locken (Caan) and George Hansen (Duvall) are best buds and colleagues working as subcontractors for the CIA, specializing in espionage. Despite their friendship, Hansen double-crosses Locken and shoots him in the elbow and knee; - supposedly because this cripples him for life. He should have just killed him, obviously, because Hanssen does come back. Tiresome dialogues, poor performances from the lead character (although, admittedly, I personally never liked James Caan), and an insufferable shortage of excitement makes this a dreadful flick. The only highlight of "The Killer Elite" is Bo Hopkins as the psychotic hired killer Jerome Miller. Hopkins also depicts deranged thugs in Peckinpah's movies ("The Wild Bunch", "The Getaway", ...) but at least in this one he doesn't die after 15 minutes.
The plot feels very thirteen-in-a-dozen. Mike Locken (Caan) and George Hansen (Duvall) are best buds and colleagues working as subcontractors for the CIA, specializing in espionage. Despite their friendship, Hansen double-crosses Locken and shoots him in the elbow and knee; - supposedly because this cripples him for life. He should have just killed him, obviously, because Hanssen does come back. Tiresome dialogues, poor performances from the lead character (although, admittedly, I personally never liked James Caan), and an insufferable shortage of excitement makes this a dreadful flick. The only highlight of "The Killer Elite" is Bo Hopkins as the psychotic hired killer Jerome Miller. Hopkins also depicts deranged thugs in Peckinpah's movies ("The Wild Bunch", "The Getaway", ...) but at least in this one he doesn't die after 15 minutes.