Killer Elite 2011

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: A decent yarn, decently told, a tough guy film built around veteran screen tough guys. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: When Statham and Owen finally meet in the showdown you've been waiting for, it's rendered in such dizzying, adrenalized style that it's hard to tell who's doing what to whom. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: The glossy topcoat provided by the paycheck participation of De Niro and Owen can't cover up the essential emptiness of the project. Read more

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: It's an analog thriller that benefits from refreshing injections of low-tech adrenaline. Read more

Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: And quite the cliche-ridden desultory mess it is, too... Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: [A] pileup of sub-Bourne action set pieces, sad laughs and cliches. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: [It] purports to be based on actual events, chronicling the sinister machinations of a shadowy military organization. But this clumsy action movie feels too generic to be real. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: If you're willing to accept "Killer Elite" as a shoot-'em-up action movie with good actors taking the spots of the usual lunk heads (but spouting the usual nonsense), you'll be pleased with the film. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Gary McKendry hadn't directed a feature before this one, and you feel it. Any scene that fails to involve the revving of motors or the breaking of bones is dead. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Pure punishment. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: The script is a mess. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: De Niro, in what amounts to an extended cameo, is radically miscast. That's still no excuse for his nonperformance, which is beyond lackluster. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Statham is just good enough to make one wish he'd challenge himself. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: Strives to be a genuinely good film, but unwilling to let go of proven formulas, it falls short. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Killer Elite is too formulaic to overcome a been-there, done-that feel. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: The movie's not stupid. And that makes it more than bearable and often a little fun. Read more

Ian Buckwalter, NPR: Jason Statham is enjoyable enough to watch that he can occasionally make one forget just how silly and dull a movie like Killer Elite really is. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: When Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham unite for an action thriller, we should be able to expect something special. Or at least memorable. Instead, "Killer Elite" gives us ordinary. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: It doesn't care if you like it, which is why I kind of do. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: If you want some meaning with your mayhem, or even a good line of dialogue or two, look elsewhere. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Despite having a perfect cast for a title like Killer Elite, Gary McKendry's feature debut comes across as little more than a generic Jason Statham movie with two high-profile guest stars. Read more

Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com: Jason Statham cements status as top-level action star. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: This is actually a pretty good thriller, based more on character and plot than on action for its own sake. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: The fun of Killer Elite, such as it is, is all in the hardass action. But there's nothing elite about this disposable time-killer. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: I had a reasonably good time, on the whole... Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: With a B+ cast and a script full of pseudo-profound moral complexities, its aspirations are lofty and its achievements are trifling. Read more

James Adams, Globe and Mail: To be sure, first-time director Gary McKendry keeps things moving at an adrenalized pace, even through thickets of flashbacks. But this is precisely Killer Elite's major problem: motion at the expense of emotion. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Clumsily directed by Gary McKendry and poorly written by Matt Sherring, rookies both, the convoluted movie collapses under the weight of its own cliches. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: A macho, adrenaline-fix suspenser that plays like the bigscreen equivalent of those pulpy spy novels that once clogged grocery-store checkouts. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Killer Elite is distinguished by one no-mercy, eye-gouging, testicle-punching brawl, and one whoppingly indifferent screenplay. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: Simultaneously silly and overwrought... Read more