Killer Elite

It’s sort of weird that an internationally acclaimed film star’s career could sadly deflate like some 60-year-old still working at McDonald’s. But anyone still paying attention to Robert De Niro can see that thought balloon over his head wondering whether he’ll be working the cinematic equivalent of the drive-through or deep fryer today. The Killer Elite is the drive-through, a ceaseless parade of talky bits loosely collected, interrupted occasionally with McNuggets of shaky-cam action. Here we have De Niro serving as one very expensive prop, bound and gagged as bait for Jason Statham to come and rescue. Statham plays Statham again, this time as a retiring ass-kicking operative who has come back for One Last Job to wade through an unnecessarily complicated narrative arc to rescue his mentor (De Niro). Killer Elite isn’t particularly bad, but the dialogue and acting have a perfunctory air. Everyone does what they need to do to get the job done, but nothing more. Today’s word: enervating. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated R