aadc1

(2012-04-30 13:24:22)

Annoying secret agents movie where the trailer shows you the best 20 minutes of it.

Annoying secret agents movie where the trailer shows you the best 20minutes of it. Rating 4, Spoilers Jason Statham (Best movies: Crank,Transporter 3) was not able to save this movie. Also not Clive Owen(Best movie: Inside man). And surely not the one that should beenjoying his pension time, Mr. Robert De Niro (best movies: 15 minutes,Cape Fear, Midnight Run), which I personally never really liked, as Isuspect him to have actually in a way in real life a lot of thenegative character traits that he plays in movies.The story is about a Sheik which seeks revenge for his killed sons bysecret agents. He forces Jason to act out this revenge by taking hisbest friend Robert as hostage. A good basis for a story you wouldthink, but it isn't. Most of the time you spend listening to boringdialogues and seeing boring scenes from the daily life of a secretagent.The movie is also very political and historical. Terrible. And when itcomes to the action, this happens the last 20 minutes; you notice thatthe Trailer consists practically entirely of scenes from these last 20minutes.

dmc101

(2012-04-30 00:04:54)

Typical Jason Statham, Non-typical for Robert DeNiro

Instead of writing a scathing, long winded diatribe about this movie, Iwill just put it in a nutshell: DeNiro has done much better movies.Statham was himself, as was Clive Owens, however Bob in this movie waslike putting Denzel in Bad Boys with Lawrence and Smith, he wouldtotally out class them. Bob should have been the focus of this film,even in his older age. He's just so much more interesting, believable,genuine, than his co-stars. I think Bob was slumming here. Jason has aJackie Chan like popularity and like Jackie, cannot act a lick. He'sthe same guy in every movie. Clive Owen has more range, but RobertDeNiro... enough said.The plot was thin, I saw no reason for the killings, and I didn't likeStatham for it. There was no reason for Statham to allow one guy tolive in the end, none. It's not that easy to get into SAS training andkill someone. It's not that easy to kill an SAS operative in his home,especially for a group of people who cannot go to a remote part of adesert without being spotted, and who cannot force an accident withoutneeding to stop alongside the road to inspect with a scope and, again,get spotted.Sloppy writing, sloppy acting, just a "give me your money, look atthese names" films.Fortunately I saw it for free on television.

Tony Heck

(2012-04-28 07:20:26)

A good movie that could have been better. Some parts were great, others boring, not consistent enough to be great. I say B

"If you don't do this job Hunter's a dead man." After a job changes theway he feels Danny (Statham) retires from killing. A few years later hehears that his old partner Hunter (DeNiro) has been captured and he isthe only one who can go in and rescue him. Nothing is ever as easy asit seems. This movie is based on a true story (if it comes out as 100%true someone is in trouble) of a British SAS mission. Going in I haveto admit one of the reasons I watched it was because of Statham. I knowwhat you are thinking, "but all his movies are the same". I agree withyou but I still watch everything he is in. This one is really nodifferent, but it does have better actors with him. This is a moviewith so much potential but ultimately was very up and down. Some sceneswere very exciting and fun to watch, while others were flat and boring.Not a lot of consistency made the movie a little disappointing, but theending was great and made up for the down times. I did enjoy this butglad I didn't pay full price in a theater. Overall, a enjoyable moviethat could have used a more consistent feel. Worth watching though. Onelast note...again what is going on with DeNiro. Does he care anymore?Performance seemed very phoned in. I give it a B.

(2012-04-27 14:20:29)

Very Good Action Thriller

This is based upon a true story. In order to free his partner/mentor, Hunter (De Niro), from the Sheik'sclutches, contract assassin Danny (Statham) must eliminate the threemembers of a secret society army, who the Sheik says killed his sons.This starts out somewhat complicated. I had no idea what was going on.Yes, the accents probably had a lot to do with it. But, then about aquarter of the way into this, the fog lifted and I caught on, and I wasable to enjoy, perhaps, one of the best action thrillers in a longtime.And, once into the swing of things, this turns into a pretty good catand mouse game between Danny and Spike (Owen), who is still a member ofthat secret society; and Spike believes Danny is responsible forkilling his former comrades.Great action sequences and very good CGI along with pretty good actingperformances by DeNiro, Owen and Statham who gave what was needed foran elite killer thriller. HA!It was nice to see DeNiro back in dramas as comedy wasn't working forhim as I saw it. Of course, millions of movie goers don't agree withme. So what else is new? But, if truth be told, he had some very goodcomedic lines in here and he knows how to pull that trigger (couldn'tresist).As for Clive Owen, I like him to be a good guy all the time. And, maybehe was in here because there were times I sympathized with him andpulled for him as he was always trying to do the right thing. Youconfused? Told you this was somewhat complicated. Yeah, it wasn'talways the accents.Statham lately seems to take on characters who look like they aredown-and- out- drunks and then someone wakes him out of his stupor andreminds him that he is a top assassin and to get with it. Then he wakesup and never disappoints. But, I remember when he started hisTransporter series. He was always well dressed and quite polished. Whathappened? Maybe he should shave once in a while.This turned into a very good thriller. One just has to make allowancesfor some of those beginning scenes and wait until the fog lifts. Now,who were the good guys? HA! Violence: Yes. Sex: Yes. Briefly in the beginning. Nudity: Yes, some inthe beginning. Language: Yes.

Khalid Al-Masry

(2012-04-26 19:47:06)

Cheated by De-Nero

Yes I got cheated by Robert DeNero!Robert DeNero, what the hell are you doing? A level A actor acting witha 3rd class actor, and just for 4 scenes, any normal actor would do.You're just decreasing yourself. Unfortunately Putting Denero's pictureon the poster was there for the Box-office only. I think Denero wantedto do some action for the sake of it, he said why not; let's showpeople I still have it. Action : Action wasn't really good, was OK, butwasn't perfect, not like the Transporters for example. Even that wasn'tgood. Clive Owen: another good actor getting a role that won't add anypoints to him, it could even get away some of his good points. WritingWise : Basic ABC screen writing information, not all true stories arethere to be films. The story is weak drama wise. The writer tried tofix this by putting a lover for Danny (Jason Statham), but it was aweak attempt. Even dialog wise things weren't fabulous.Jason Statham : He was the Hero. This was level of acting capabilities,wont say much.Over All experience could give it something like 4 out of 10P.S. What is this deserty place you shooted at, saying that it's OmanKhalid_almasry@hotmail.com

Ice- Crow82

(2012-04-26 14:48:32)

Just another Jason Statham movie.

I sometimes think Jason Statham shows some promise, but then othertimes he seems determined too be just another star off mediocre actionmovies. I thought "Killer Elite" might off been ace because off RobertDe Niro and Clive Owens presence, but never judge a book by its cover.This is the Jason Statham off the "Transporter" movies that's in thisone. In the film he plays a retired killer, forced back into actionwhen De Niro (who was once his mentor) is kidnapped. Queue lots offrandom people connected to the situation being offed and eventually DeNiro being saved.There are barely any wise-cracks in the movie so I suppose it'ssupposed to being taken seriously, and is even based on a true story(although I doubt some off the "James Bond" stunts Statham pulls offare based on what really happened to influence this). There's some halfdecent action and the plot isn't overly ridiculous, making for anoverall average movie. De Niro especially is usually in better though.Although maybe not to much lately.

MBloodT

(2012-04-25 05:06:41)

Basic Thrills

The trailer was a false advertisement. It shows how crazy action packedfun this film will be. Even with the "Based On A True Story" tagline onit. Sadly, the trailer is quite different to the film. Both the filmand the trailer were good but it's strangely different. The film is athriller with an ordinary type of action film but it's not a crazyaction fun film that the trailer advertised. It's really disappointingbut the film stays a bit faithful to the story that it's based on.Although, it's quite absurd as a true story. Jason Statham is alwaysawesome to watch. Clive Owen does that too with his mustache. KillerElite is entertaining but it feels like it's just another afternoonboredom cure.It does not stand as a crazy filled action flick but it's stillentertaining. It's never tiring to watch Statham, Owen, and De Niroeven if they're playing their same old roles all over again. It's sadthat we don't see anything new about them except Clive Owen looksfascinating with his mustache. The film has action but not quite often.Most of it is spying and chasing each other. The fights areridiculously fun.It's all about the thrills. The suspense is well executed. In the end,we don't get to see anything new or crazy exciting fun about it. Thestorytelling was good enough. The script is a bit mediocre. Thedirection is just as basic as any other action films. You may noticethe film's runtime is 1 hour and 50 minutes but it feels kinda longer.Probably because of the quick pacing and the perpetual climax. It's atrue story but most of the picture is too unrealistic. But it's easy toignore that problem.It's an interesting story but it could've been more fun. But again thefilm is entertaining enough to cure your afternoon boredom. JasonStatham and Clive Owen will always entertain you no matter what. If youare in for some action violence then you might enjoy this. It's stilldisappointing. Someday, Killer Elite will remain just another JasonStatham film. His films are interesting actually but they end up beingmediocre by its script and sometimes the filmmaking. He's the only onewho's saving it. Then again, he will cure your boredom and nothingelse.

(2012-04-24 17:37:08)

Womb of Conflict

A poem. Without words or rules.Sea of fears and obsessions. Amazingtravel. A chain of feelings. Slices of mystic atmosphere andnaturalism.Rich in subtle nuances, strong and delicate picture aboutthe end of world. A form of Tarkovski and a strange fly. A hit-man, awedding and bad vibes. Wagner and delicate nuances. Few drops of IngmarBergman and waves of silence. A film like a punch in stomach. That isall. The cast, the acting, the scenes are crumbs of a strange dinner inwhich definitions, expectations and conclusions are nothing. It is, insame time,a beautiful movie and a subtle memento mori, exploration ofdeep crisis and new Gattoparde of Visconti, a masterpiece and a confusesentiment. In fact, only another Stratham vehicle. Same mark but newhigh. An occasion for Strahovski to be amazing primadonna. Amasterpiece, indeed. And for director to give answer to his searches inskin of impressive question. Killer Elite is an special experience. Therest is silence.

caroeb

(2012-04-21 00:06:31)

Intriguing

The theme of this movie is "intrigue." There are layers of protagonistswith mysterious agendas. Not all the t's are crossed, but the mainstory holds firm.Which is the story of a reluctant band of experienced mercenariesplotting to kill, one by one, several British citizens as payback forsomething they did in a British skirmish somewhere in the Middle East.Each kill has to be cleverly disguised as an "accident," and evidenceof each successful plot has to be provided to the "client." To top itoff, another layer of protagonists senses what is going on, and plotsto stop said plotting. Intriguing, indeed!I still wonder what DeNiro is doing in this movie, but he contributes agreat character to it. Statham is in-your-face as usual, with brains.Clive Owen mysteriously disappointed me, as I generally enjoy his work.He struck me as weak in this role; like a thorn in my side, that keptbothering me and still does. The supporting cast is excellent, and theplot carries the day. Very enjoyable "thinking man's" action movie.

Frederick Smith

(2012-04-20 04:28:22)

This is a remarkable translation of a book that exposes the British government

This is NOT a remake of the 1975 film! This is a remarkable translationof a book that exposes the British government, or at least a scheming,ruthless portion of it, for the money grubbing, greedy opportuniststhey were. Set in Oman in the 1980's, the film focuses on an elite teamof assassins sent in under the guise of maintaining political stabilityto take out elements of the government who were unfriendly to Britishinterests. There missions are simple assassinations, usually cleankills, until the one we see at the opening of the film.I could digress into the book itself, but had better stick to the movieif I don't want to start an editorial. I do highly recommend the book,if you have the time.As to the film, it is a no-holds barred look at the seedy underside ofpolitical deals and the life of a trained mercenary. Jason Stathamgives a rare and remarkable performance as the assassin who is tired ofthe game, yet pulled back in to save the life of his former teamleader, Robert De Niro. De Niro's performance is highly reminiscent ofhis role in Ronin, and he brings that sense of a man who knows so muchmore than he is willing to tell. Clive Owen is a passionate, coldblooded killer who has trouble coming to grips with his physicalimpairment (he lost an eye) which led to his discharge from the SAS.Dominic Purcell gives a stellar performance as the assassin whoresembles Fiona in Burn Notice in attitude ("Shall we shoot them?"),but is intensely loyal and follows orders as directed. The film movesquickly, and the action is appropriate to the scene, which means thatthere are no added explosions or visuals beyond what is needed to getthe point across.Rated R for language, violence, and some sexuality/nudity, this is acarefully thought out film without a bias. The events unfold, the storyis told, and it is up to you, the viewer, to determine right and wrong.I will leave collectible up to you, it will depend on your taste inpolitics and war films.

collipal-1

(2012-04-20 09:16:07)

Not boring, but a mediocre action film

Killer Elite is a mediocre action film, but I have to admit that itkept me moderately entertained at least, mainly because of theperformances from Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro.On some way, I appreciated the methodic rhythm from Killer Elite, aswell as the gradual introduction of characters, more intrigue and morehidden intentions. However, there comes a time when the screenplay getsexcessively complicated, to the point in which came a moment when itwas impossible for me to cypher who is working for who, and who the"bad guys" are and who the "good ones" are. Thinking it well, thescreenplay from Killer Elite might not have "good guys" in theconventional sense; all the characters in this movie are killersbecause of the friendship, the patriotism or the money. But after all,that ends up not being very important, because even though screenwriterMatt Sherring tried to transcend the pre-fabricated drama we usuallyfind in this kind of cinema, the unnecessary turns and twists from thescreenplay end up clouding any moral advantage the characters couldhave. I do not think it is bad whenever an action movie makes us think(in fact, I find it more satisfactory), but if we have to take downnotes and draw diagrams to understand the story, I think the moviefailed on the narrative aspect.Besides, I think that the historical period from the story isabsolutely useless. On the beginning, I thought that the '80s settingwould be justified by relating the movie with some socio-politicalevent from that time, but it was only an excuse to employ a "retro"style in the cars, clothes and other aspects from the productiondesign.However, as I mentioned on the first paragraph, the 3 main actors arewhat mainly make the movie moderately entertaining and worthy of aslight recommendation. The action scenes do not feel very exciting,while the screenplay stumbles too many times with its own anti-logic(Was it really necessary to organize a super-secret meeting in themiddle of the desert only in order to exchange a mallet? Yes, amallet); but Statham, Owen and De Niro are perfect as tough men defyingthe danger, chasing each other and competing with each other to see whohas the most threatening look. Because of them, and some interestingelements from the screenplay, this movie did not bore me.

taiaha

(2012-04-19 15:18:40)

Fiction based on fact based on fiction ...

This is an enjoyable action movie with some nice points of differencefrom the the usual fare presented in this genre. Firstly, there are no"good guys" or "bad guys" - everyone's essentially a very murky shadeof grey. Secondly, the plot is a straightforward 'revenge for money'story, but with some added complications in the contract requirements.Thirdly, the ending is satisfyingly annoying, but ultimately consistentwith the thread of reluctance that runs through the film.I had assumed that the movie was a remake of the old James Caan flick,but quickly realised it was based on the Ranulph Feinnes' book "TheFeather Men", which I have read a couple of times and still resides onmy book shelf. That book asserts it is based on fact, but many havedoubts (including myself), and it probably blurs the line between truthand fiction. The facts are that the men involved in the Battle ofMirbat did die in accidents, but Ranuplh Feinnes concocted a conspiracytale around those facts. Some changes were made from the book (e.g. thehelicopter pilot dies in an aircraft accident, not a crude 'showerincident'), but this was probably too complicated from a technicalpoint of view to present to a general audience. I lived in and workedwith the military in Oman for some six years during that period and thedepiction of the expat lifestyle in Oman is fanciful, to say the least!However, these are minor niggles and do not detract from an enjoyable90 minutes or so

tlooknbill

(2012-04-11 01:54:31)

Pretty close to being a thinking man's action flick

Thoroughly entertaining and full of action much like Statham's"Transporter" flicks except the plot is quite a bit more sophisticatedinvolving kidnapping and revenge killings by an Arab sheik, unexpecteddouble crosses and amazing chases, fights and escape sequences with agritty European/British flair and ambiance similar to "Taken". The one thing I didn't like is a lot of the fight scenes are shotfrenetically hand held and close up with very few pulled back mastershots so you can see the choreography and tricky Krav Maga style selfdefense maneuvers similar to what was depicted in Statham's first"Transporter" movie which was the best out of the series IMO in thisregard. I mean I kept asking during the "Killer Elite" fight sequences..."Whatdid he just do to that guy? I couldn't see it! Dang it!" instead of"Did you see what he did?! That's amazing!" Oh well, at least I enjoyed this one more than "MoneyBall".

smokyowl

(2012-04-10 11:45:15)

MUCH better than I expected

I sensed what the movie-making powers that be were thinking when theymade this movie: Take 3 action stars + 1 super hot blonde = money.Simple enough of a formula to get people in the theaters. Myexpectations were not that high for this film. But what I foundreminded me of a "Bourne Identity" feel for some odd reason, but withmore action and less suspense. Injecting the film with reality wasYvonne Strahovski, who made the story believable. I did like the whole1980 thing the movie had going on as well, which some of these reviewsmight've missed when they watched the film.There are many memorable moments, none of which I'm going to tell you.One of two issues I had with the film is the distance I felt with thecharacters. They felt close to each other on screen, but not close tome(if that makes any sense). I could've used 5 or 10 minutes getting toknow the characters a bit better. Halfway through the film I realized Ihad forgotten all the character's names, and it was all facialrecognition. Secondly, I could have used a bit more humor. I guess whenmaking movies on real events it's hard to get a good laugh withoutcoming off corny. I think they missed an opportunity there with YvonneStrahovski's character.I would've given this movie 7 stars, but it didn't seem rightconsidering just how much enjoyment I got out of it and such a solidperformance of the actors.

freemantle_uk

(2012-04-09 21:54:42)

The Bank Job 2

You know from the get-go that if a movie like this claims to be basedon a true story, it is anything but. Loosely based on a book by SirRanulph Fiennes, Killer Elite is essentially a Jason Statham vehiclethat his fans will enjoy.In 1980, Danny Bryce (Statham) is an assassin who quits after killing atarget in front of his young son in Mexico. After a year away from thebloody business, he lives quietly in rural Australia, when his friendHunter (Robert De Niro) is taken hostage by Sheikh Amr (Rodney Afif),who looks a lot like Osama Bin Laden. In Oman, Danny is given themission to assassinate and get confessions from three SAS soldiers whokilled his sons during the Dhofar Rebellion. If he fails, Hunter dies,but if he succeeds, Hunter will be freed and he will get $6 million. AsDanny and his team start hunting down these men, a secret society ofex-SAS soldiers become worried about the death of their formercompanions and get their enforcer, Spike (Clive Owen), to investigateand stop the assassinations.Killer Elite is basically The "Bourne" series if it was louder, dumberand bloodier. Most of the action is shot similar to Paul Greengrassefforts using shaky cam, tight close-ups and quick editing. It issimilar in tone because of its intelligence espionage setting, but notdone as well. Director Gary McKendry shoots in a gritty style, verymuch like a 1970s thriller or Tony Scott's Man on Fire, but that grittytone is undermined by silly scenes such as the meeting of theFeathermen club, which uses terrible dialogue to explain their origins.It was really clunky seeing as their men know each other.This movie has a number of action thriller clichГѓВ©s: a job that goeswrong, an assassin forced to leave the underworld and forced back intoit when a loved one is kidnapped, and the timeless killer with aconscience so that innocent people do not get hurt. It is hardly anoriginal action movie, but there are at least some fun shoot-outs andchases.Because of the period setting, the use of a shadowy organisation andthe involvement of a real person, Killer Elite reminded me a lot ofanother Statham movie, The Bank Job. Its style and look makes KillerElite "The Bank Job 2" in all but name. Fans of The Bank Job will get akick out of this movie.De Niro is in this movie for the paycheck. He gives a phoned-inperformance and it shows with his little screen time. Statham is histypical gruff self, but that is what he is good at and he is alwaysimpressive in a fight scene. Owen is the best performer in a moviefilled with average performances.Overall, Killer Elite is a loud, typical action thriller that is notgoing to set the world alight, but it is still entertaining for Stathamfans.

thinker1691

(2012-04-09 19:57:48)

" A War is Never really over until both sides, say it's over "

In 1980 Ranulph Fiennes wrote a black novel upon which director GaryMcKendry based this extremely great movie upon. The fact that actionstar Jason Statham, who plays Danny does not give it away, but doesindicate that there will be a great deal of explosive action andexcitement in it. Robert De Niro plays Hunter and holds his own againstthe heavies who is led by Clive Owen who plays Spike. The story isbased on a true story and deals with a dying oil Sheik who hires agroup of Mercenaries to hunt down and kill the men responsible for thedeath of his son. Once into the story, the audience realizes that thereis not one, but two sets of ex-soldiers involved. Hired by some covertex-SAS officers, one group is suppose to eliminate the other. Troubleis, one does not know which is which even when well into the movie.What is clear is that all the killers involve are the very best theBritish military has trained. Inbetween, there is a great deal ofmayhem, destruction and general physical confrontations on all sides,so much so it's difficult to know which are the good guys and which arethe bad guys. Nevertheless, this is an exciting film and the entirecast does its level best to make it so. Thus one can say, Well Done andrecommend it as well worth seeing. ****

Projit Mookerjee

(2012-04-05 01:46:52)

Satisfying entertainer.

This movie is based on the novel "The Feather Men" by Sir RanulphFiennes, which talks about the involvement of British SAS in the Omanwar and the retribution of the disposed Sheikh. The movie moves with abrisk pace and never lets off steam depicting the 1980 as accurately aspossible. If you thought, that this was an out an out Jason Stathammovie, in line with Transporter & Crank, and features high octaneaction, then you would be pleasantly surprised. It actually has a neatlittle story tucked inside the assassination plot line. In addition toStatham, the movie also features Clive Owen, Robert De Niro & DominicPurcell (Prison Break) in interesting leads. If you are looking forsome action on a lazy afternoon, then this would fit the mold of apopcorn entertainer.

valleyjohn

(2012-04-04 16:12:35)

Great 70's look and good action.

I good Robert De Niro film is a rare thing over the last 15 years and iwas beginning to give up hope of him ever putting in a descent displaybut thankfully he seems to have found his feet again in his role inKiller Elite.This is the story of a group of mercenary's who get embroiled in a jobthat crosses paths with a bunch of ex SAS soldiers who are all out toprevent them succeeding. Despite finding the plot of Killer Elite a little confusing i foundthis film to be an enjoyable action flick. Jason Statham plays the rolehe usually does ( and is best at) and De Niro seems relaxed at last inhis role . The action is exciting and the 70's look is done very well ,especially the chases with the old Cortinas and Escorts. DominicPurcell is completely miscast as the Welshman . He looked the part ,but had no idea how to do the accent.Killer Elite is a fun ride that suffers a little from a convoluted andconfusing plot but it's not bad at all.

petrushkha

(2012-04-04 11:48:40)

A poor imitation of Jason Bourne

If you're wondering whether this is worth catching at the cinema, --no, it's not. Wait for it to get on cable TV and perhaps it would beworth catching.It is not at all like Jason Bourne, like some other reviewer herecommented.There are gaping plot holes, character behaviour that do not makelogical sense, and worst of all, very poor acting from Statham andStrahovski. De Niro and Clive Owen are fine, but why did they agree toact in such a film?? Give this a miss. Re-watch any of the Jason Bournemovies at home instead.

law-turley

(2012-04-03 21:56:23)

Hilarious accents, hackneyed dialogue, plus a BZUH?? plot point...

If you're in the mood for an action movie and are a big fan of thewhole 'Transporter' oeuvre, don't be fooled into thinking this movie isANYTHING LIKE THAT.This is a very very bad movie. And believe me when I say I'm no harshcritic, I'll watch anything. I love Jason Statham's otherknuckle-headed movies, I like explosions and car chases and insanehigh-speed fights that make you go "ooooooooooo" from between yourteeth. Sadly 'Killer Elite' does not have enough of these things tolift it out of the mire of execrable dialogue, horrible editing and thehackneyed, clichГѓВ© plot it's been saddled with.My first (and ongoing) problem was the casting of Dominic Purcell (anAmerican) as Davies, an ex-Services Cockney who spent some of the movieapparently pretending to be a Welshman (although there was no way todiscern which accent was which). All I can imagine is that someone gavePurcell a load of old Ealing comedies as research material, because theresulting accent was god awful, and frankly so ridiculous ittransformed his (clearly supposed to be) larger-than-life characterinto a complete parody. At best he was distracting, but at worst he waslike Olly Reed on crack.Next we had Clive Owen (aka Spike Logan the improbably named nemesis).With a glass eye. And a weaselly bum-fluff moustache. The glass eye Icould have excused, except that for some strange reason it was grey anda bit like a cat's eye, and no-one bothered to explain why that was.The moustache was just silly. I like to think Owens was just having alaugh and grew it to demonstrate that, because otherwise I can'timagine the reasoning behind it. It's the 80s not the 70s, no-one had amoustache unless they were your dad's mate Bernard who he always warnedyou about accepting lifts from.Third on my lists of wtfs, comes the addition of Yvonne Strahovski'scharacter; the winsome blond Australian girl (oh wait she'sPolish/American isn't she?) who Danny remembers from his childhood.After he's quit the game and reconnects with his roots, there she is,with her beautiful face and lovely smile and delicate features andsuddenly he feels all warm inside and wants to stop shooting brownpeople in the face for money forever. My problem with this particular plot-point is WHO GIVES A FLYING CR*P?This is an *action movie* about professional assassins. There is noplace for a protagonist who periodically stares into the middledistance thinking about rolling in puppies and flowers with a wholesomeblond girl who he longs to marry and settle down with. No place. Notonly does the whole subplot with her feel tacked on, it also feels alittle insulting; as if women need something like this to keep themengaged and help them connect. We don't. We like the explosions and thecar chases just like you do. If we'd wanted action + schmoopy romancewe would have rented 'Date Night'.There is so much bad, chain-linked to bad in this movie it's hard tolist it all in a short review, but I'll just summarise with a few ofthe questions that were left unanswered for me when the credits rolled:1) What kind of accent was Aden Young attempting? He may have beenGerman, he certainly looked German with the tiny glasses and Kraftwerkmoustache.2) Why would a trained assassin (DeNiro as Hunter) trying to escape acompound secretively, shoot a man in the head with an un-silenced gunand alert every guard in the place to his whereabouts? 3) Why, when you are using a map as a visual explanation of a routecovering roughly 2 square miles, would you use an ordnance survey mapof the whole of south east England? 4) Why would an black guy in a position of power wear a tiny blacktrilby hat that makes him look like a Yardie? And finally 5) If you shoot someone in the leg and then plan on telling everyonehe's dead, you might want to be sure he isn't someone famous or likelyto become terribly famous and have two famous sons and everything.I have no understanding or explanation for the other stellar reviews ofthis movie. Maybe all these people were stoned. It is a terrible filmwith an awful, sprawling, messy plot that finally makes little senseand not enough action sequences to make up for the horrible dialogue,hammy performances. Plus it has a stupid stupid ending involvingRANULPH FIENNES. Yes, the *real* Ranulph Fiennes, who - to my knowledge- has never been shot in the leg by a mercenary who had been hired by adying sheikh to avenge the deaths at the hands of SAS soldiers of histhree sons.