The Killer Elite

"The Killer Elite" is a rather uneven film that contains some of the typical Peckinpah magic but the plot is the big drawback here. It seems to take a while for James Caan to catch up with Robert Duvall after what happens at the beginning. Then the plot includes unnecessary distractions that have nothing to do with anything. The action scenes compensate a lot and I do like the Kung Fu moments (though not in the league of Bruce Lee). The setting in being that of San Francisco, is a good idea. It makes from it being either New York or Los Angeles.

Entertaining and fairly gritty look at the real life undercover spooks who do the CIA's dirty work or sometimes are bought by the highest bidder. Contains some parallels to Peckinpah's greatest film THE WILD BUNCH in that it explores themes of obsolescence, integrity, loyalty, and friendship. Caan and Duvall are at the top of their game and supporting actors Burt Young, Bo Hopkins, and Gig Young lend credibility as guys who are willing to play the dirty game. Jerry Fielding score as in THE WILD BUNCH is superb. 4 out of 5 stars