The Jackal . Tucson Weekly . 11-24-97

The Jackal

DIRECTED BY: Michael Caton-Jones

REVIEWED: 11-24-97

An assassination plot is about to be carried out by a ruthless hitman who's a master of disguise, and the only man who can stop him must be released from prison in order to do so. Now that's originality! For all who haven't seen The Rock, In the Line of Fire, The Professional, The Day of the Jackal, or about 17 dozen other films about über-assassins and experts let out of jail so they can stop them, this is the most daring, innovative movie since Godard's Breathless. For the rest of us, it's an expensive-looking but constipated series of preparation scenes, as cold-hearted meanie Bruce Willis checks into airports wearing various frizzy wigs, while former IRA sniper Richard Gere anticipates where that rascally Jackal will strike next. Willis has hardly any lines, Gere has too many (at least with that Irish accent, it's too many), and good-guy FBI agent Sidney Poitier basically stands around and watches. There's some nasty business where Willis seduces a gay man to gain security clearance, and also shoots somebody's arm off with a big gun. Director Michael Caton-Jones approaches this smirking sadism in much the same way he did for Tim Roth's character in Rob Roy: He lets the evil permeate the entire picture, hoping we'll be relieved when the accented hero finally saves the day. Aye, isn't it time for a new approach, laddie?

--Woodruff

Full Length Reviews
The Jackal

Capsule Reviews
The Jackal
The Jackal

Other Films by Michael Caton-Jones
Rob Roy
Scandal

Film Vault Suggested Links
Mercury Rising
This Is Not a Test!
Switchback

Rate this Film
If you don't want to vote on a film yet, and would like to know how others voted, leave the rating selection as "Vote Here" and then click the Cast Vote button.