K

The Killer Elite (1975): A serious letdown after a string of firebombs, this one's more of a wet Chinese bottlerocket. The CIA sublets bands of mercenaries through a private corporation (kind of like hiring contractors to build public works), one band of which is hired to protect a powerful Oriental leader during his stay in the U.S. It's a rather average thriller, all things considered; competent but unremarkable, and evidence of Peckinpah's decline.

Grade: B

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