The Jackal-Michael Caton-Jones

The Jackal was the second of two films my good friend Konstantin recommended to me.

The Jackal boasts a murderer's row of talent inside a twisted tale of international espionage, revenge, black market riches, and a cat-and-mouse pursuit of a government commodity gone rogue.

It all starts when the FBI and MVD join forces in the arrest of a high-ranking Russian Mafia kingpin and in the process accidentally kill the kingpin's younger brother. The originally targeted kingpin swears a fatwa against the American government and taps into the coffers to hire the services of a freelance hitman, considered to be the best, named The Jackal, and wants the retaliation to be monumental and picks a target that is sure to be felt across the globe once the job is done.

The cat-and-mouse game commences and the government starts picking up the black market trail of breadcrumbs and recruits ex-military outcasts from the IRA who had previously rubbed shoulders with the jackal and lived to tell about it. The borderline omniscient jackal though is always one step ahead of these maneuvers and strikes first, killing multiple agents that could reveal his identity, and sallies forth onto United States soil to carry out the final steps of his job, which, is revealed to be the assassination of the first lady.

***

This was a fun thriller that kept me paying attention around every corner. Bruce's performance as the sociopathic Jackal wasn't as iconic as De Niro's of McCauley, nor as epically conflicted as Jean Reno's Leon and nowhere near as chilling as Bardem's Chigur. Yet he was superior to Malkovich's McCrawley, but I think that was more due to writing (and perhaps the producers' insistence). Having said that Willis served the part well and was believable in his effort as the indifferent killing tool who refuses to sip from the cup of arrogance in his upper echelon vocational skills and does what is necessary to get the job done and collect a paycheck. Even if that means eluding multiple governmental agencies and ending a few lives in the process.

Maybe it's just me, but I thought Gere's portrayal of Declan was rather laughable and similar to Tom Hanks' as Colonel Tom Parker. The Irish accent fit him like a suit three times too big and I found it tough to buy into him being the IRA outcast who, despite his reputation, deep down had a heart of gold.

Sidney was good as the aging agent and Diane Venora was good in her role as the physically/emotionally scarred MVD agent who remains loyal to mother Russia up to her final breath.

Studio film blockbuster thrillers such as The Jackal you have to take with a grain of salt. They are about 45% action/CGI, 15% dialogue, 15% character development, and 25% emotionally overcharged acting scenes. They provide the viewer with very formulaic pretzel twists that aren't overly complicated to follow with a sample size of unique flavor. So long as you know this, and don't demand caviar from the hawker handing over a simple delicacy in a paper napkin, then you'll generally have a good time.

Fun film. Not groundbreaking, nor will it be remembered in decades to come, but good enough.

Stars: ***

Verdict: Watch

Cousins: The Professional, In The Line of Fire, Grosse Point Blank, No Country for Old Men, Little Odessa