The Killer Elite

Name: The Killer Elite
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Released: December 19, 1975
Duration: 122 min
Rating: 57
Cast: Arthur Hill, Bo Hopkins, Burt Young, Gig Young, James Caan

1975

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Mixed or average reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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The Killer Elite

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Movie Details & Credits

United Artists | Release Date: December 19, 1975 | PG

Starring: Arthur Hill, Bo Hopkins, Burt Young, Gig Young, James Caan, MAKO, Robert Duvall, Tiana Alexandra-Silliphant, Tom Clancy, Walter Kelley

Summary: Mike Locke, who works for a private security firm affiliated with the C.I.A., is betrayed by his partner and left apparently crippled for life.

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Genre(s): Action, Thriller, Crime

Rating: PG

Runtime: 122 min

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Critic Reviews

Staff (Not Credited)

Unmistakable Peckinpah - not a masterpiece, but enough to be going on with. Read full review

Pauline Kael

Peckinpah's poetic, corkscrew vision of the modern world, claustrophobically exciting.

Roger Ebert

Sam Peckinpah's The Killer Elite is directed and acted with a certain nice style, but it puts us through so many convolutions of the plot that finally we just don't care. Read full review

Empire Ian Nathan

Peckinpah is never quite as comfortable with the high-rise terrain (including sloppy kung fu) as he is with the dusty rawhide of the West, but it still shows up the slick trigger-edits of new action cinema for the gutless vacuum it has become. Read full review

Marc Mohan

The Killer Elite is possibly Bloody Sam's worst film, and the martial-arts-themed actioner is must-see material only for the director's completists, despite a cast that includes James Caan and Robert Duvall. [17 Jun 2005, p.43]

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Lesser Peckinpah, but fascinating nonetheless. Read full review

Richard Eder

Mr. Peckinpah is mannered and inventive, and these qualities both give the film its strengths and undermine it horrendously. Cleverness, for one thing, gets in the way of comprehensibility. Read full review

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Mindurbidniss

Aug 13, 2022

Ironic that such an action packed title would lead to an incredibly boring film. The first 45 minutes are virtually dead air outside of the one plot device to drive the film. Certainly didn't age well as far as time management goes. Outside of that, very major issue, Caan and Duvall areIronic that such an action packed title would lead to an incredibly boring film. The first 45 minutes are virtually dead air outside of the one plot device to drive the film. Certainly didn't age well as far as time management goes. Outside of that, very major issue, Caan and Duvall are spectacular and have that charisma and screen presence that made them stars. Just too bad it's all wrapped up in such a disjointedly slow film.… Expand

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Broyax

Apr 8, 2022

Deux acteurs éminents (James Caan et Robert Duvall) dans ce film d’espionnage du renommé metteur en scène Sam Peckinpah… injustement renommé si vous voulez mon avis, car le gars a cumulé tout de même pas mal de bouses dans sa filmographie… mais aussi parfois quelques bons films (quand mêmeDeux acteurs éminents (James Caan et Robert Duvall) dans ce film d’espionnage du renommé metteur en scène Sam Peckinpah… injustement renommé si vous voulez mon avis, car le gars a cumulé tout de même pas mal de bouses dans sa filmographie… mais aussi parfois quelques bons films (quand même !).

Manque de pot, ce « Tueur d’élite » fait partie des vilains **** canards du réalisateur, pour ne pas dire des daubes particulièrement assommantes qu’il a commises ici et là… Sur deux plombes bien senties, via un scénar qui se traîne comme un vieux tortillard, préparez-vous donc pour une longue sieste !

En outre, comme tous les films d’espions de cette époque, et alors qu’on tente de rester réveillé (c’est dur !), l’histoire devient rapidement emberlificotée et bordélique à souhait, ce qui n’arrange pas le déficit de l’attention qu’elle provoque et partant, la somnolence qui nous envahit inéluctablement. En conclusion, un fort bon somnifère, un somnifère d’élite !… Expand

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