When I first saw the trailer for Killer Elite, I knew I had to see this movie. Not because I was positive it would be a good movie, but how often are you going to get Jason Statham, Clive Owen and yes…wait for it…Robert DeNiro in the same flick?

I was lucky enough to catch the sneak preview last night (the film opens this Friday).

As the plot unfolded last night, I learned that the trailer that had bombarded me over the past two months was quite misleading.

I can’t believe I am going to say this, but… this is a Jason Statham movie that actually has a real plot. In fact, the plot might have actually been a little too confusing and probably held the movie down from being great.

Set in the early 1980′s, Killer Elite pits two of the world’s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society.

After a near-death experience awakens his conscience, mercenary/hitman Danny Bryce (Jason Statham) retires only to be drawn back into business when his ex-partner (Robert De Niro) is kidnapped by an Oman sheikh. To ransom his friend, Danny has to kill members of the British SAS Special Forces who killed the sheikh’s three sons during a rebellion.

As Danny tallies his kills, he’s tailed by SAS vet Spike (Clive Owen), who works as a “cleanup man” for a secret group called The Feathermen. Think of this group as the true puppet masters behind most covert military operations.

The highlight of the movie comes when Statham and Owen do battle. They engage in one of the best hand-to-hand combat fights I have ever seen on film. The fight consists of more than just the usual punches to the face or kicks to the chest. This is a brutal fight between two skilled killers that offers near eye-gouging, wrist biting, and as the trailer promised us…the mother of all crotch punches.

Despite having an interesting story and well directed action sequences, what Killer Elite lacks is having clear-cut villains.  Statham does what he does best, looking like the British Bruce Willis. Owen impressed me with his physicality and gives the best performance of the bunch. DeNiro is in the movie for comic relief, although it’s nice to see one of the greatest actors of all time still able to kick some ass at his age.

I give KILLER ELITE *** out of ****.