| The Jackal | | Cast : | Bruce Willis, Richard Gere | | Director : | Michael Caton-Jones | | Studio : | Universal Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | November 14, 1997 | | DVD Released Date : | August 12, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | Two plus Four equals Three | Content
 | Bruce Willis is a high-paid international hit-man (The Jackal) whom few people have seen (and lived to talk about it). When an FBI-Russian collaborative effort does serious damage to the Russian Mafia, they hire The Jackal to kill . . . someone. The target's identity is not immediately revealed. The FBI (Sidney Poitier) makes a deal with an imprisoned former IRA terrorist (Richard Gere), who can recognize The Jackal, as can his former girlfriend, to help them catch The Jackal.
The first fifty to sixty percent of the film moves slowly, while it shows us The Jackal's cunning and coldbloodedness. However, Bruce Willis is so laid-back that he seems almost inanimate. And, the Jackal is supposedly a master of disguises, but the "disguises" fall into three categories: "Oh, there's Bruce Willis in disguise"; "Hey, that's some guy wearing a disguise; where's the Halloween party?"; "Wow! Is that really him?!" And, I kept waiting for Sidney Poitier to show some energy, but it never really happened. He is a great actor, but this performance was ten notches below him in "In the Heat of the Night". This first fifty to sixty percent gets two stars, for being thorough, if not exciting or interesting.
But, once Richard Gere starts going after Bruce Willis, watch out! Gere really shines in this role, and had some of the magic that Johnny Depp had as Captain Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean". His energy also nudges Willis to boost his intensity, and he becomes more interesting. This part of the film gets four stars, although the ending is unrealistic, with too many bad guys being excused for too many crimes.
Overall, I'm glad I watched it, but have no interest in seeing it again. If I did have to watch it again, I'd be tempted to fast-forward through the first half. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 12, 2005 | | Summary | Remake Without Connection to Original, but Not Bad | Content
| Michael Caton-Jones is one of those directors who never makes a really good movie, but usually there's something interesting about them. Actors must love him because he's certainly lured a lot of the best into his productions. Maybe that's his weakness, a penchant for big names and not really being able to offer them proper vehicles for their talents. They wind up overacting, out of control. DOC HOLLYWOOD is a good example. Cute premise, appealing stars, and what happens? Caton-Jones fails to lift it out of routine romantic comedy. He had an attractive cast, and a fantastic soundtrack, in SCANDAL, the 1989 film of the Profumo/Christine Keeler affair, but it just sat there and failed to give off sparks. MEMPHIS BELLE was more of the same, a war picture that did not revive the war picture as it was meant to. ROB ROY was an aimitation of BRAVEHEART and CITY BY THE SEA--well, what the devil was that anyhow? Caton-Jones had a real success with THIS BOY'S LIFE, in which he uncovered layers of talent in the young Leo DiCaprio, but one is not surprised he is now directing the BASIC INSTINCT sequel RISK ADDICTION. I bet it's a pip.
However, THE JACKAL isn't half bad and in some ways it might be the best of the bunch. Again the enormous cast of talented actors, among them the amazing Diane Venora (of Michael Mann fame) here going all Russian and Ninotchka is some wonderful outfits and the frosty, wet look of one torn between allegiances. Sidney Poitier is in it too, sort of a waste of Poitier's once great talent. Really anybody could have played the part. Richard Gere strikes all the right notes and plays an IRA terrorist, Declan, with a heart of gold and smart as all get out, who helps the USA solve the problem of who will the Mafia send to kill the first lady. (I know, what a ridiculous story, and in such bad taste in our age of terror.) Still Gere is terrific and makes all the right deductions and eventually we begin to realize that none other than Bruce Willis is really evil Carlos, the original Jackal, the hit man beyond compare.
When one compares this film to the original, Apollonian classic made by Fred Zinnemann in the 1970s, one realizes that perhaps they changed De Gaulle to the First Lady because focus groups were employed to find out that nowadays no one knows who De Gaulle was, and presumably everyone knows the First Lady. How stupid! For "First Lady" Tess Harper, once an important actress in US cinema, this was her last movie of the 1990s, and in fact her final studio picture (since then she has appeared in one obscure indie after another. And yet THE JACKAL is an appealing mess of a film, everything but the kitchen sink makes an appearance, and then, around reel eight, there's a kitchen sink! You've got to love it. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 20, 2005 | | Summary | Sydney Poitier is the original "Banana in the Tailpipe" guy | Content
| This movie pretty much sux. Go read the book instead and exercise your mind a little.
The one lesson I learned from this movie was from a lesser supporting character. She is the former girlfriend from Spain, of the Irish convict who leads the good guys to the bad guy. She eventually shoots the bad guy in the subway station. The lesson was this:
"Live a life of international crime while dating IRA hitmen, immigrate illegally to the USA where you deceive your husband and kids about your past until, in a moment of vigilanty vengeance, you shoot someone in a subway. For this you get tacit citizenship and a stellar waterfront house on the river outside DC.
Obviously this movie was made before Sept 11th, 2001. Oh how we've changed.
BakaTBakaSTakaT.Cz |
| Rating | | | Date | June 15, 2005 | | Summary | From what I remember... | Content
| ...it's really freaking good. I never saw the origional and actually up until 5 minutes ago while reading a review I didn't know it was a remake and so i think looking at a movie like that will give you a different view since you have nothing else to base it against. I love Bruce so as far as I'm concerned he can do no wrong, but from what I remember this movie was actually really well done all the way around. I've only seen this movie once and it was quite some time ago (about 5 years) so my memory of exact plot may be somewhat shody. I do remember that Gere plays Declan who is an IRA terrorist sent to capture The Jackel played by none other than Willis...The Jackel's next assignment is to take out the First Lady. The movie is fast paced, exciting and very well scripted as well as casted. Gere is exceptional, and I don't normally care to much for him. Willis is amazing as the assasin who is a total master of disguise. There are still scenes that I remember clearly even 5 years down the road...like the scene where Willis tests his new gun (one of my favorites) and the scene where Willis strips the paint form his van (another favorite, just becasue it was really cool)...anyways, I'm sure you'll like the movie...but then again your not me so you may not. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and this is mine. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 03, 2004 | | Summary | BRUCE'S FATAL KISS | Content
| What can you say about a movie in which Bruce Willis plants two whoppers on his co-star---especially when it's a man!!! That's only one of the surprises found in this retelling of Day of the Jackal. Since today's society barely remembers Charles DeGaulle, director Michael Caton Jones and the screenwriter decided to update it and target a more "modern" victim----the First Lady.
Aptly directed by Caton-Jones, this JACKAL is really a movie on its own, borrowing the title and main premise from Frederick Forsyth's popular novel. Bruce Willis plays the Jackal, a nasty and villainous assassin, who has no qualms about shooting people, even his male comrade (which of course is merely one of Willis' many disguises). Seeing Willis in such an anti-Willis role (like Mortal Thoughts and Death Becomes Her) is always a pleasure and he delivers a very solid performance.
Richard Gere will never match the perfection of accents like Meryl Streep, but Gere has a presence that always lifts a film. He gets to play the good guy this time, and does well. Diane Venora as Valentina, the Russian cop, is splendid..Venora is one of our most overlooked and underappreciated actresses. She is great in this role. Sidney Poitier is bland, but effective. Jack Black is annoying but effective in his small but impressive appearance.
I liked this movie; it is escapism and well done. |
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