Killer Elite Blu-ray and DVD Debut January 10th

Nov 25, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as "one of the best action thrillers of the year!" by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world's most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race), Academy Award winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather: Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award-nominee Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer). Directed by Academy Award-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is available on Blu-ray Combo Pack with UltraViolet, DVD, On Demand and Digital Download January 10, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Open Road Films.

Featuring unstoppable action and a tremendous cast - including Dominic Purcell (Prison Break, Straw Dogs), Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost, Oz), Aden Young (Sniper, The Starter Wife) and Ben Mendelsohn (Trespass, Knowing) - Killer Elite is "a classic action thriller that will keep you guessing till the last scene." (Patrick Carone, MAXIM).

With the Killer Elite Blu-ray Combo Pack, consumers will get an all-new UltraViolet™ copy of the film. UltraViolet is the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, put them in the cloud and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smart phones and soon, consumers can download to devices of their choice too. The Killer Elite Blu-ray Combo Pack also includes a Digital Copy of the film which is compatible with iTunes, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android or other retail partners. So now, consumers can truly enjoy their movies and TV shows anytime, anywhere, on the platform of their choice!

UltraViolet: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, put them in the cloud and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smart phones, currently available in the United States only.BD-Live: Access the BD-Live Center through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more!pocket Blu app: The groundbreaking pocket Blu app uses iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android, PC and Mac to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray player. Plus iPad and Android tablet owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket Blu made especially to take advantage of the tablets' larger screen and high resolution display. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that's bigger and better than ever before. pocket Blu offers advanced features such as:Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.Mobile To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket Blu-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device's intuitive keyboard.

Killer Elite was released September 23rd, 2011 and stars Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Dominic Purcell, Aden Young, Yvonne Strahovski, Ben Mendelsohn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. The film is directed by Gary McKendry.

Sources: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

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Killer Elite

Bill Gibron is a veteran film critic from Tampa, Florida.

Jason Statham is the perfect post post-modern action hero. No clever catch phrases. No attempt to celebrate or mythologize. Like the tightly wound sinew of his superhero physique, he's all lean, mean, fighting...and indeed a bit mechanical. His standard starring role just doesn't scream complex characterization or knotty narrative depth. So in some ways it's refreshing that his latest vehicle, an adaptation of Sir Ranulph Fiennes's spy thriller The Feather Men, takes a more slowed down and cerebral approach. While it doesn't always deliver the slam-bang action we've come to expect from the intense Englishman, it's still a solid, serious work of intrigue.

Danny Bryce (Statham) and his mentor/buddy Hunter (Robert DeNiro) are soldiers for hire, working with whomever has the money to do whatever job is necessary -- legal or illegal. Getting their orders from someone known as The Agent (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), no mission is too big...or dangerous. After an Arab sheik kidnaps Hunter, he demands that Danny perform a series of assassinations. Seems that three of the old man's sons died at the hands of some rogue British Special Air Service members and he wants them all dead. Gathering together a team including a bit of muscle (Dominic Purcell) and a surveillance expert (Aden Young), Danny begins his task. Unfortunately, the Brits have a secret society known as The Feather Men protecting them. Led by a driven ex-SAS specialist named Spike (Clive Owen), they will stop at nothing to secure their fellow officers.  

If all you want is Jason Statham kicking butt and chewing gun -- and he almost never has any Doublemint to spare -- you'll be slightly disappointed with Killer Elite. Like a '70s spy game laced with late '90s stunt work, it's an awkward combination of conceits that doesn't always gel. In the hands of a better filmmaker, the various location shifts and slow burn subterfuge might work better. But this is writer/director Gary McKendry's first feature film, and it shows. Granted, he can deliver a certain set of suspense cues, and often finds a refreshing way of highlighting the inevitable fisticuffs. Yet Killer Elite (not to be confused with the same named Sam Peckinpah film from 1975) lacks true narrative spark. The plot points seem to arrive just in time to let Statham and the weapons specialists do their stuff.

The acting is uniformly good. Statham, not known for his depth, manages to find a bit of remorse in his harried hitman, while DeNiro drops much of his late career mannerisms to play Hunter as likeable and dependable. While he has to match his costars in intensity, Owen is better when stripped of his supposed psychotic tendencies and simply plays its straight. He's the perfect contrast to Statham, who apparently never misses a trip to the gym and can't find a straight razor to save his stubble. As we bounce around from country to country, trying to figure out how these men will meet up and murder each other, Killer Elite builds a bit of tension. But then McKendry's still flowering skills as an artist show up to stop things cold.

In truth, much of Killer Elite is flummoxed by its own make-up. We expect more sparks from Statham -- more broken bones, beaten bodies, and bloody remnants -- and shots of DeNiro unloading an automatic weapon at the camera suggest something more epic. Instead, this is a movie that's massive in star power but actually rather small in scope. Sure, our characters race around the globe in a deadly game of cat and mouse, but the stakes remain personal. Naturally, Statham and his genre status survive it all, even if audiences may want something a bit more...explosive. And engaging.

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