Parents' Guide to

Killer Elite

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Violence prevails in exciting but uneven action movie.

Movie R 2011 105 minutes
Killer Elite Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

darthsitkur
darthsitkur Adult
December 21, 2012
age 15+

loved it :)

tons of intense crazy action, this is a badass movie :)
joshua martinez
joshua martinez Adult
February 8, 2012
age 16+

16 and up.

Killer Elite is an average action movie stars with jason statham clive owen and robert de niro and this movie is only for your older teens but parents you need to know that killer elite has plenty of non-stop violence and in one scene a character is shown having sex with a women but nothing explicit shown there is strong language used and some drinking and smoking used.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Danny (Jason Statham) and Hunter (Robert De Niro) are professional assassins. While working on a new mission, Danny is stunned when a kid turns up in the line of fire and decides to quit the business for good. But then he receives word that Hunter has been kidnapped, and he must accept a job -- killing three British SAS agents who murdered the sons of an exiled oil sheik -- in exchange for the older man's release. Danny reluctantly takes the assignment, but unfortunately, an ex-SAS man, Spike (Clive Owen) -- who's part of a secret organization called the "Feather Men" -- is hot on Danny's trail. Worse, Danny's new girlfriend, Anne (Yvonne Strahovski), is now in danger, too. Can Danny get out of this fix alive?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (6):

Directed by Gary McKendry, KILLER ELITE has enough good scenes to satisfy action fans, as well as those looking for a bit more depth -- but as a cohesive whole, it's rather mixed. The action stuff is pitched to the lowest common denominator, using reckless, ramshackle shaky-cam to document the painstaking choreography. Meanwhile, the drama sometimes doesn't make sense; both Hunter and Spike's characters seem haphazardly thrown in, and it sometimes feels like extra scenes were written and added in at the last second to accommodate their star power.

Part of the time, it seems as if the movie (which is based on a book by the adventurer Ranulph Fiennes) is interested in getting audiences to think about the world's pathological dependence on oil and the extreme measures nations will take to get their hands on it. But at other times, the movie asks audiences not to think at all and just enjoy the ride. It's an uneven mix, though it still delivers in fits and starts.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. What impact does killing for a living have on the main character? Are his decisions believable?

  • How does the movie present revenge? Is it a valid reason to pursue violence? Do the ends ever justify the means?

  • The story is presented as being based on actual events, though there's some speculation about whether that's the case. Why might filmmakers want audiences to think it was based on a true story? Why might some facts be changed?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate