Highly Overrated But Still Good

Admirable film.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Greetings from Lithuania."The Jackal" (1997) is a guilty pleasure written all over it. I do like this flick. Many disliked it, and reasons are obvious, but as a guilty pleasure i think this movie delivers - and nothing more. Acting was pretty good by Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier and Diane Venora but not so much by Bruce Willis - this was probably his weakest performance in 90's - the decade when Bruce Willis ruled. The movie itself is pretty poorly written, and kinda averagely directed yet the pacing is pretty good, and the ending was not bad at all. And still considering that this movie is just OK, i'm still giving this movie the highest possible rating it can get - 8/10, because it delivers. A 2 hours turn of your brains thriller which takes itself too serious and looks serious but isn't serious is a good guilty pleasure - you know its cheese but you still watch it. You are rolling your eyes during some scenes, but still can take them of the screen for a long time - this is what "The Jackal" is.

The Jackal (1997): Dir: Michael Caton-Jones / Cast: Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier, Diane Venora, Jack Black: Remake of Day of the Jackal that gets reduced to formula and a game of cat and mouse. Bruce Willis stars as the Jackal, an assassin whose disguises mainly consist of wigs but his methods are savage. The C.I.A enlist a criminal played by Richard Gere to help track down Willis. Graphic violence becomes the norm including a scene where someone's arm is blown off. It is obvious the Gere and Willis will meet and have a violent confrontation that will solve absolutely nothing. Director Michael Caton-Jones handles the action but the production is nothing marvelous. Willis and Gere have little screen time together and when they are within the same general location it is indicated with a really lame glare via Willis as if he senses Gere's presence. Willis also phones up some homosexual guy whom he shoots dead for no reason. Also wasting time is Sidney Poitier and Diane Venora who hopefully didn't get their hopes up on this film actually turning out good. Jack Black appears to supply Willis with arms only to have his arm blown off before being finished off with a second blast. This sort of junk has been done countless times but for the two leads it will hopefully lead to a better film to embark upon in the future. The screenplay has more bark than bite. Score: 1 / 10

Unless you are very very bored with your life, try to skip this one. Watched this old movie as I'm a big B.W. fan. The first 1.5 hour of the show, it tells you how the "good guys" admire and fear the "Jackal". In the entire show, I think the Jackal only killed 1 security guard, 1 guy who helped with the equipment, and nerve poisoned another dude. Okay, fine - not killing a lot may not matter much. However, he was supposed to be a "pro" assassin/killer. Clearly, the movie plot is so one dimension that after the failed assassination, the Jackal has become an amateur, becomes vulnerable and has no plans at all.It does have some slight actions, just some.

I had seen some fairly negative reviews about this film and as the "Day of the Jackal" is very high in my estimation, I was expecting to watch something less than excellent. I was astounded to find that "The Jackal" is at least as good and in some respects better. The production values greatly transform the film; the budget was well spent and the result is total credibility. A strong cast helps; Willis is brilliant as the cold, chameleon-like central character. Poitier and of course Gere are equally superb. Jack Black is at home with the role of technological wizard; who of course has an Achilles heel; as his hippy, cool persona reveals. Highly recommended.