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"The Jackal'' is a glum, curiously flat thriller about a man who goes to a great deal of trouble in order to create a crime that anyone in the audience could commit more quickly and efficiently. An example: Can you think, faithful reader, of an easier way to sneak from Canada into the United States than buying a sailboat and entering it in the Mackinaw to Chicago race? Surely there must be an entry point somewhere along the famous 3,000-mile border that would attract less attention than the finish line of a regatta.

To be sure, the Jackal (for it is he) has the money to buy the boat. He is charging $70 million to assassinate the head of the FBI--half now, half payable on completion. He's hired by the head of the Russian Mafia, who, like many a foreigner with extra change in his pocket, doesn't realize he is being overcharged. There are guys right here in town, so I have heard, who would do a whack for 10 grand and be happy to have the business.

"The Jackal'' is based on the screenplay of Fred Zinnemann's 1973 classic "The Day of the Jackal.'' That was a film that impressed us with the depth of its expertise: We felt it knew exactly what it was talking about. "The Jackal,'' on the other hand, impressed me with its absurdity. There was scarcely a second I could take seriously.

Examples: In the Washington, D.C., subway system, the Jackal jumps across the tracks in front of a train, to elude his pursuers. The train stops, exchanges passengers and pulls out of the station. Is it just possible, do you suppose, that in real life after a man jumps across the tracks, the train halts until the situation is sorted out? Or, how about the scene where the Jackal parks his van in a garage and paints the hatch handle with a deadly poison? One of his enemies touches the handle, convulses and dies an agonizing death. Is that a good way to avoid attention? By being sure there's a corpse on the ground next to your van? Or, how about the scene early in the film where a fight breaks out on cue, and then stops immediately after a gunshot is fired? Bad handling of the extras here: Everybody in a bar doesn't start or stop fighting at once. Even in the movies, there are always a few guys who delay before joining in, or want to land one last punch at the end. These barflies are as choreographed as dancing Cossacks. The Jackal is played by Bruce Willis , as a skilled professional killer who hires a man to build him a remote-controlled precision gun mount. The man unwisely asks the kinds of questions that, in his business, are guaranteed to get you killed. Hint: If you should find yourself doing business with a man who wants to pay cash for a device to hold, move and aim a rifle capable of firing 100 explosive rounds before the first one hits its target--hey, don't go into a lot of speculation about what he may be planning to do with it.

On the Jackal's trail is the deputy head of the FBI ( Sidney Poitier ), who enlists the help of an IRA terrorist ( Richard Gere ). The IRA man is a federal prisoner, released into Poitier's custody to lead them to his lover, a Basque terrorist ( Mathilda May ), who knows what the Jackal looks like. The other major character is a Russian-born agent named Valentina ( Diane Venora ), whose character trait (singular) is that she lights a cigarette every time she is not already smoking one. I kept waiting for her to be killed, so that a last puff of smoke could drift from her dying lips as her fingers relaxed their grip on her lighter.

There was never a moment in "The Jackal'' where I had the slightest confidence in the expertise of the characters. The Jackal strikes me as the kind of overachiever who, assigned to kill a mosquito, would purchase contraband insecticides from Iraq and bring them into the United States by hot air balloon, distilling his drinking water from clouds and shooting birds for food.

Without giving away too much of the plot, I would like to register one dissent on the grounds of taste. There is a scene making a target out of a character clearly intended to be Hillary Rodham Clinton (hints: She is blond, 50ish, the wife of the president, and is dedicating the New Hope Children's Hospital). The next time Willis or Gere complains about the invasion of their privacy by the media, I hope someone remembers to ask them why their movie needed to show the first lady under fire.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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The Jackal (1997)

Rated R For Language, Violence and Sexuality

119 minutes

Bruce Willis as The Jackal

Richard Gere as Declan Mulqueen

Sidney Poitier as Preston

Diane Venora as Valentina Koslova

Directed by

• Michael Caton-Jones

Screenplay by

• Chuck Pfarrer

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An imprisoned I.R.A. fighter is freed to help stop a brutal, seemingly "faceless" assassin from completing his next job. An imprisoned I.R.A. fighter is freed to help stop a brutal, seemingly "faceless" assassin from completing his next job. An imprisoned I.R.A. fighter is freed to help stop a brutal, seemingly "faceless" assassin from completing his next job.

• Michael Caton-Jones
• Kenneth Ross
• Chuck Pfarrer
• Bruce Willis
• Richard Gere
• Sidney Poitier
• 291 User reviews
• 50 Critic reviews
• 36 Metascore
• 1 win & 4 nominations

• Declan Mulqueen

• Valentina Koslova

• Witherspoon

• Donald Brown

• The First Lady

• Jamaican Girl

• Terek Murad
• George Decker
• Victor Politovsky

• Ghazzi Murad
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Frederick Forsyth , who wrote the novel "The Day of the Jackal", insisted his name be taken off the credits of this film, which is why it is billed as "based on the screenplay".
• Goofs (at around 1h 8 mins) When the FBI agents are at the marina waiting on the end of the boat race, Koslova lights her cigarette. In the next shot, she is holding it between her fingers and it is lit. When we next see her, she is lighting her cigarette again.

Valentina Koslova : She's Basque, isn't she?

Declan Mulqueen : Aye.

Valentina Koslova : They say Basques live by the vendetta. If they hate someone it's to the death. It's the same when they love.

• Alternate versions DVD special edition features additional scenes deleted from the theatrical release and an alternative ending, where the Jackal is killed by Isabella.
• Connections Edited into The Jackal: Deleted Scenes (1998)
• Soundtracks Star Written by Bobby Gillespie (as B. Gillespie), Robert Young (as R. Young), Martin Duffy (as M. Duffy), Andrew Innes (as A. Innes) Performed by Primal Scream Courtesy of Creation Records Ltd./Sony Independent Network Europe/Reprise Records By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User reviews 291

• Feb 16, 2002
• How long is The Jackal? Powered by Alexa
• What is 'The Jackal' about?
• Is 'The Jackal' based on a book?
• How much money does the Jackal want to kill the FBI director?
• November 14, 1997 (United States)
• United States
• United Kingdom
• The Day of the Jackal
• Porvoo, Finland
• Universal Pictures
• Mutual Film Company
• Alphaville Films
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $60,000,000 (estimated)
• $54,930,280
• $15,164,595
• Nov 16, 1997
• $159,330,280

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 4 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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The Day of the Jackal

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Rent The Day of the Jackal on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

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The Day of the Jackal is a meticulously constructed thriller with surprising irreverence and taut direction.

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Fred Zinnemann

Michaël Lonsdale

Tony Britton

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Terence Alexander

Cyril Cusack

The Gunsmith

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The jackal (1997), directed by michael caton-jones.

• AllMovie Rating 4
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Review by Adam Goldberg

The Jackal may be loosely based on the 1973 thriller The Day of the Jackal, but there is no doubt that the original is the superior version. Frederick Zinnemann's '70s thriller is a gritty, documentary-style suspense film, while this 1997 version seems like a platform to display chases, pyrotechnics, and shootouts. Like many big-budget Hollywood action-adventures of the late '90s, The Jackal is riddled with plot holes and contrivances, but still manages to remain somewhat entertaining throughout. Written by Chuck Pfarrer (#Darkman), this high-tech remake uses the 1973 film as a starting point and transfers it to an American locale. Even though it's a blatant formula film with an inflated budget, the stylish and fast-paced direction of Michael Caton-Jones does elevate the familiar material. Bruce Willis gives a solid performance, approaching his role with the sedate poise of a relentless killer. However, it is disappointing that one can instantly recognize Willis no matter how many "elaborate" disguises he adopts. Ultimately, his character becomes nothing more than a stock villain that could be inserted into any high-octane Hollywood thriller. Even though the '90s version of The Jackal will satisfy action junkies, it still lacks intelligence and originality, and those looking for a memorable moviegoing experience should definitely choose the Zinnemann classic instead.

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Directed by Michael Caton-Jones

How do you stop an assassin who has no identity?

Hired by a powerful member of the Russian mafia to avenge an FBI sting that left his brother dead, a psychopathic hitman known only as The Jackal proves an elusive target for the people charged with the task of bringing him down: a deputy FBI director, a Russian MVK Major, and a jailed IRA terrorist who can recognize him.

Bruce Willis Richard Gere Sidney Poitier Diane Venora J.K. Simmons Mathilda May John Cunningham Jack Black Stephen Spinella Tess Harper David Hayman Ravil Isyanov Maggie Castle Richard Lineback Karen Kirschenbauer Daniel Dae Kim Serge Houde Leslie Phillips Steve Bassett Yuri Stepanov Jonathan Aris Richard Cubison Bob Kingdom Peter Sullivan John Harrington Bland Terry Loughlin Walt MacPherson Jim Grimshaw Terrence Currier Show All… Sophie Okonedo Michael Caton-Jones Laura Viederman Gregory Porter Miller Murphy Guyer Philip LeMaistre James McCauley Victor Sobchak Serge Christianssens Boris Boscovic Ewan Bailey Danette Alberico Debra Gano Pamela Poitier Eddie Bo Smith Jr. Dan Ziskie Gayle Jessup Bill Collins David Gene Gibbs James M. Helkey Larry King

Director Director

Michael Caton-Jones

Producers Producers

James Jacks Kevin Jarre Sean Daniel Michael Caton-Jones Sean T. Stratton Terence A. Clegg François Sylvestre

Writer Writer

Chuck Pfarrer

Casting Casting

Ellen Chenoweth

Editor Editor

Cinematography cinematography.

Karl Walter Lindenlaub

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Bill Westley Adam Goodman

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Buddy Joe Hooker

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Terence A. Clegg Mark Gordon Gary Levinsohn Hal Lieberman

Lighting Lighting

Eddie Knight

Camera Operators Camera Operators

Martin Hume Alf Tramontin

Production Design Production Design

Michael White

Art Direction Art Direction

Ricky Eyres Raymond Dupuis Dennis Bosher John Fenner Bruton Jones

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Kate J. Sullivan

Special Effects Special Effects

Mark Griffin

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Richard Malzahn

Title Design Title Design

Simon Taylor

Stunts Stunts

Howard 'Stick' Baines Joe Dunne Tom Delmar Terry Jackson Linda Perlin Erik Stabenau Jodi Michelle Pynn

Composer Composer

Carter Burwell

Sound Sound

Noah Blough Richard King David John Nerses Gezalyan

Costume Design Costume Design

Albert Wolsky

Makeup Makeup

Felicity Bowring Gary Archer

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Kathe Swanson Eithné Fennel

Universal Pictures Mutual Film Company Alphaville Films UGC PH Marubeni TOHO-TOWA BBC Tele München

Canada France Germany Japan UK USA

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Russian

Releases by Date

14 nov 1997, 04 dec 1997, 13 dec 1997, 18 dec 1997, 19 dec 1997, 25 dec 1997, 26 dec 1997, 01 jan 1998, 08 jan 1998, 09 jan 1998, 15 jan 1998, 16 jan 1998, 23 jan 1998, 28 jan 1998, 30 jan 1998, 01 feb 1998, 04 feb 1998, 05 feb 1998, 06 feb 1998, 11 feb 1998, 19 feb 1998, 06 mar 1998, 12 mar 1998, 13 mar 1998, 27 mar 1998, 17 apr 1998, 22 apr 1998, 20 jun 1998, 04 sep 2003, 28 oct 2010, 06 oct 2002, releases by country.

• Theatrical +13
• Theatrical MA15+
• Theatrical 14
• Theatrical 12+
• Theatrical 15
• Theatrical K-16
• Theatrical TP
• Theatrical 16
• Theatrical 18
• Theatrical T
• Theatrical C

Netherlands

• Physical 16 DVD
• Physical 16 Blu ray

New Zealand

• Theatrical R16

Philippines

• Theatrical R-18
• Theatrical M/12
• Theatrical M18

South Korea

Switzerland.

• Theatrical R

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By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Bruce Willis plays the Jackal, the killer hired for $70 million (about the cost of this botched thriller) to assassinate a government bigwig – hint, the target is considered more influential than Bill. The Jackal is a master of disguise, which is pretty funny since Willis in wigs, fake noses and facial hair of assorted colors looks always like Willis. This makes the FBI honcho (Sidney Poitier) and Russian officer (Diane Venora) on his trail appear dim. You want to shout, “He’s the one who looks like Bruce Willis!”

Director Michael Caton-Jones ( Rob Roy ) overcompensates by upping the violence on a movie that its makers insist is not a remake of the 1973 Fred Zinnemann film The Day of the Jackal. I agree. That Jackal, based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel about a plot to kill Charles de Gaulle, delivered decent suspense. It didn’t deliver an absurd hero to take on the Jackal in the person of a Belfast sharpshooter, played by Richard Gere with an accent that apes the pinto-Guinness blarney Brad Pitt pulled in The Devil’s Own . It didn’t deliver a tasteless scene in which the Jackal, now bottle blond like Pitt in Seven Years in Tibet , picks up a gay D.C. wonk (Stephen Spinella) and plants a wet one on him before he wastes him. Nothing like unrelieved gore and gay-bashing to separate trash from class.

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The Jackal (1997)

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the jackal (1997)

There are forces in the world as powerful as nations. They have the ability to declare war and the resources to carry it out. Their motives may be political, financial or personal. But the goal is always the same: deliver a public message, soaked in blood, to strike fear in the hearts and minds of those who, for whatever reason, they regard as the enemy. A ruthless assassin (Bruce Willis) has been hired by international cutthroats to eliminate someone at the very top of the U.S. government. His price: $70 million. Constantly on the move, changing his identity and location, everything about this hit man, including his sinister timetable, is a secret. He is known only as the Jackal. Aware of the Jackal's presence but uncertain of his purpose, the FBI's Deputy Director (Sidney Poitier) faces the biggest challenge of his career. Working with a by-the-book Russian intelligence officer (Diane Venora), he must find some way to track down this cold-blooded killer. Reluctant but desperate, they realize that the only way to stop the assassin is to trust a man who thinks like one. Consequently, they enlist the aid of an imprisoned underground operative (Richard Gere) who has his own history with the Jackal. Together, these unlikely allies enter a global race against the clock to stop the mysterious mercenary before he can complete his deadly assignment. . . . A contemporary suspense thriller played out across a vast international canvas, The Jackal was filmed in authentic locations spanning from Montreal to Washington DC, Virginia, the Carolinas, Chicago, London, Helsinki and Moscow. Based on the screenplay of the 1973 film The Day of the Jackal, the source material has been reworked and updated to include a wholly original series of richly drawn, compelling characters, daunting challenges and insidious uses for modern technology. Here, an unlikely alliance forms between FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston, underground operative Declan Mulqueen and Russian officer Valentina Koslova, who come together as total strangers in order to track the hired assassin known only as the Jackal and end up having to rely on each other for their very lives. Like bloodhounds after a scent, the threesome attempt to follow-up on the electronic clues the mysterious killer leaves_clues which lead nowhere. With the clock ticking away as the imminent deadline approaches, they each become increasingly frustrated as they travel the world looking for a break_any break_in the case. Complicating their efforts is the Jackal's everchanging appearance. An expert in the art of disguise, he transforms his facial characteristics, body type, voice, age, hair color and very demeanor into a variety of amazing alter egos. The Jackal's arsenal also includes some gruesome chemical surprises for those unwary souls who venture too close. He confounds his pursuers at every turn, using his encyclopedic knowledge of international travel, commerce, underworld contacts and computer technology to slip easily throughout the world without leaving a trace. Time is running out. Will the Jackal slip up and lead them to him or will he be successful in carrying out his plan?

Traffic, The Jackal and Out of Africa Come to Blu-ray on April 27th

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The Jackal Review

09 Jan 1998

125 minutes

Jackal, The

There was evidently a remake loophole in Frederick Forsyth's rights contract for The Day Of The Jackal. This purports to be based solely on the screenplay of the 1973 Jackal movie, though that was a scrupulously faithful version of the best seller about an attempt to assassinate De Gaulle.

The new film retains the book's structure and quite a bit of its plot, but jettisons the real-life historical background in favour of a contemporary yarn about grudge-holding Russian Mafiosi. It's a shame Forsyth doesn't rate (or has refused) a screen credit, because most of the strengths of the film are down to him. The plot intercuts suspensefully between the master-of-disguise Jackal (Willis) as he sets up the score, and a messy alliance of compromised good guys - FBI bigwig Poitier, IRA rifleman Gere and KGB cutie Diane Venora - on a race against time to jar his aim.

It's a good job this works so well as a machine-made movie, because its grasp of political realities is nebulous. We're expected to sympathise with Gere and his Basque separatist sweetie (Mathilda May) because they're passionate believers in their causes, and despise the Jackal for being merely a professional killer, though it's hard to argue that in real life fanatics are less dangerous than mercenaries. And the vision of the American government is as squeaky-clean as any 1950s propaganda movie, with Poitier cast as an upright Yank surrounded by shifty foreigners.

The use of a safely fictional character as prime target makes it less fascinating than the icy original. The step away from reality takes the film almost into science fiction, with an improbably unwieldy hi-tech assassination machine, but Willis (in a series of guises that show off his versatility, even to the extent of snogging a man in a gay bar) keeps the Jackal on track. Gere, with the usual dodgy Hollywood Irish accent, is a bit of a plank, but there's a scene-stealing supporting performance from the underrated Venora, whose confrontation mid-picture with the villain is arguably more impressive than the final star-on-star chase through the Washington subway. It clips the bull rather than going dead centre, but still rates as a good shot.

The Jackal – This ‘Jackal’ Set to Have Its Day

With its strong premise, a couple of fine performances and highly polished tooling, "The Jackal" scores as an involving high-tech thriller that occasionally hits peaks of pulsating excitement. Proficient without being genuinely inspired, and sometimes far-fetched in its plotting, this exceedingly lavish updating of a well-known novel and film stands as a solidly commercial male-oriented suspenser that, aside from two sci-fi epics, has the adult action field pretty much to itself from mid-November until the new James Bond opens a month later. International prospects could be even stronger.

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

• Remember Me 14 years ago
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With its strong premise, a couple of fine performances and highly polished tooling, “The Jackal” scores as an involving high-tech thriller that occasionally hits peaks of pulsating excitement. Proficient without being genuinely inspired, and sometimes far-fetched in its plotting, this exceedingly lavish updating of a well-known novel and film stands as a solidly commercial male-oriented suspenser that, aside from two sci-fi epics, has the adult action field pretty much to itself from mid-November until the new James Bond opens a month later. International prospects could be even stronger.

Based officially on Kenneth Ross’ screenplay for the late Fred Zinnemann’s fine 1973 film “The Day of the Jackal” (and, through the absence of any mention in the credits, pointedly not on Frederick Forsyth’s bestselling novel), Chuck Pfarrer’s adaptation takes the central character, that of an ice-cold, perfectionist professional assassin preparing for an elaborate political killing , and positions it with adequate plausibility in a contemporary context.

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Original novel and film dealt with an attempt on Charles De Gaulle’s life instigated by disaffected army reactionaries. Current outing opens in the new Moscow, where FBI deputy director Carter Preston (Sidney Poitier) joins with the Russians, led by intelligence officer Valentina Koslova (Diane Venora), in storming into a disco and nailing an important figure in the Russian Mafia.

In response, the criminal’s even more powerful brother declares war on the FBI and immediately hires the Jackal (Bruce Willis) to take out an unidentified top American political figure. The firm, calculated way the Jackal sets the terms of his employment says everything the audience needs to know about this cool customer: He demands $ 70 million for his services, will operate entirely alone, and will disappear forever upon completion of the job.

The Jackal’s solitary ways, skill with disguises and utter perfectionism make him exceedingly difficult to identify, much less to track, which forces the FBI to desperate measures when it learns that the assassin is probably gunning for the director of the FBI. The only people known to the agency who may actually have met the Jackal are a former Basque terrorist, Isabella (Mathilda May), now living quietly in Virginia, and IRA operative Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere), Isabella’s former lover, now serving a long prison sentence in the U.S.

Initially balky, the Irishman is persuaded to help the American authorities, in part due to promises of future leniency and perhaps a bit due to the unstated but pronounced resemblance of Valentina, with whom he will be working closely, to Isabella.

As Declan gives Preston and Valentina whatever tips he can about the Jackal’s likely m.o., the predator himself methodically goes about the business of preparing his ambitious and intricate plan. Changing his look at every stop, the Jackal expands his array of phony passports in London, and in Quebec orders a custom-made computerized system with which to operate the enormous Gatling gun he will employ on his deadly mission.

Main body of the picture crosscuts between the stealthy activities of the Jackal as he moves ever closer to his prey in Washington, D.C., and the more anxious maneuvers of the FBI-Irish-Russian team. On balance, the former prove the more intriguing, in part because of the inevitable fascination that surrounds an implacable, diabolical criminal, and also due to Willis’ first-class work. The Jackal turns out to be an excellent role for the actor, who suggests an enormous store of implied menace, certitude and skill through astutely judged minimalist means.

Although Willis soft-pedals the thespian aspects of his various impersonations, he does have some fun with a few scenes. Most surprising and humorous is his cruising in a D.C. gay bar and kissing of a clean-cut pickup (Stephen Spinella), the relevance of which comes clear only much later.

The film’s above-the-title star power burns brightest when the Jackal and Declan come face to face for the first time; Willis’ and Gere’s stares and body language do virtually all the talking before the guns start blazing in the Chicago yacht harbor. The Jackal manages to elude the government’s net this time and he proceeds with his plan, but he knows from this point on that he’s being hunted, which inevitably affects his behavior and increases the chances that he’ll slip up.

Pic has not one but two action climaxes, one at the very public assassination site and a subsequent chase and shootout in the Washington subway. Director Michael Caton-Jones handles all the physical incident and gradual noose-tightening quite capably, even if most of the moves have been seen before and lack any real invention or originality. The film’s sporadic attempts to be stylistically edgy — the jagged “Seven”-ish opening credits, the spurts of aggressively metallic music — come off as affected, and there is a tag-along quality to much of what Gere is required to do that diminishes the interest in, and force of, his role.

Gere was clearly an odd choice to play an Irishman, and there are certainly any number of actors out there who would have been more plausible in the role. But this actually reps one of Gere’s least preening and self-absorbed performances, and he is not obliged to carry the film entirely on his shoulders.

Poitier is a pleasure to watch, but the film’s real standout performance comes from Venora. No-nonsense in a Russian military manner and sounding like Greta Garbo in “Ninotchka,” her Valentina has obviously survived many battles and shows unmentioned evidence of it in the disfiguring scars on the side of her face. The actress invests her character with courage, smarts and a force of will that prevails over her seen-it-all world-weariness, and the film comes most alive when she is taking an active role in the drama.

Location lensing in Moscow, Helsinki, London, Montreal and environs, Chicago, the Washington-Virginia area and the Carolinas provides the film with an enormous and colorful backdrop enhanced by Karl Walter Lindenlaub’s excellent widescreen lensing and Michael White’s varied and detailed production design. Willis’ disguises are amusing, and Jim Clark’s editing moves the action along at a fine clip.

• Production: A Universal release of a Mutual Film Co. presentation of an Alphaville production. Produced by James Jacks, Sean Daniel, Michael Caton-Jones, Kevin Jarre. Executive producers, Terence Clegg, Hal Lieberman, Gary Levinsohn, Mark Gordon. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Screenplay and screen story, Chuck Pfarrer, based on the motion picture screenplay "The Day of the Jackal" by Kenneth Ross.
• Crew: Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen), Karl Walter Lindenlaub; editor, Jim Clark; music, Carter Burwell; production design, Michael White; art direction, Ricky Eyres, John Fenner; set decoration, Kate Sullivan; costume design, Albert Wolsky; sound (DTS), David John; special visual effects, Illusion Arts, Syd Dutton, Bill Taylor; assistant director, Bill Westley; casting, Ellen Chenoweth. Reviewed at Universal Studios, Universal City, Nov. 4, 1997. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 124 MIN.
• With: The Jackal ..... Bruce Willis Declan Mulqueen ..... Richard Gere Cater Preston ..... Sidney Poitier Valentina Koslova ..... Diane Venora The First Lady ..... Tess Harper Witherspoon ..... J.K. Simmons Isabella ..... Mathilda May Douglas ..... Stephen Spinella McMurphy ..... Richard Lineback Lamont ..... Jack Black Donald Brown ..... John Cunningham Terek Murad ..... David Hayman George Decker ..... Steve Bassett Ghazzi Murad ..... Ravil Isyanov Beaufres ..... Serge Houde

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A ruthless assassin has been hired to eliminate someone at the very top of the U.S. government. Constantly changing his identity and location, he is known only as the Jackal. Everything about this hit man, including his sinister timetable, is a secret.

Aware of the Jackal's presence but uncertain of his purpose, the FBI's Deputy Director faces the biggest challenge of his career. In order to track down this cold-blooded killer, he and a by-the-book Russian intelligence officer enlist the aid of an imprisoned Irish terrorist. These unlikely allies enter a global race against the clock to stop the mysterious mercenary before he can complete his deadly assignment.

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

If a one-word review were enough to convey the experience of watching Universal's 'The Jackal,' I'd have to go with "huh." This is one of those flicks you've seen a long, long time ago – maybe in a theatre, maybe on TV – and if memory serves, it's a tense, tête-à-tête, cat n' mouse assassination thriller, right? I wish. On re-watching it, this one's just not that good. "Huh… I thought that was a better movie."

After the FBI guns down a Russian mobster, the mob's boss hires a ruthless assassin known only as The Jackal (Bruce Willis) to kill "someone" at the very top of the U.S. Government. And as it turns out, the only person who can assist the FBI's Deputy Director (Sidney Poitier) is an imprisoned IRA terrorist (Richard Gere) with a tragic, personal connection to The Jackal. The story is then told with dueling point of views, showing both The Jackal preparing for his hit, and the FBI trying to figure out where and when he will attack.

For my two cents, the split point-of-views make the movie feel long. Bruce Willis turns a fun performance as the assassin with no name. Slipping in and out of his false identities. In his calmest moments, he is a threatening figure. And then we have the FBI. Gere and Poitier. Tremendous actors doing solid work. Only we know more than they do. We know who and where The Jackal is at all times, so watching the FBI "investigate" is basically watching them play catch up. It's tedious, slow, and half the time it seems as though they're pulling clues out of thin air. Apparently, the reason for this is that – per the director's commentary – they had too long a script, which lead to a 2 hour 45 minute "rough cut". In stripping the movie back to its current running time of just over 2 hours, every scene was affected. It shows.

To counteract the fact that we know who the villain is, and what he's up to, the only mystery left for the audience to chew on is the target of the assassination itself. But we never know this person. We never feel empathy for the life at stake. As for the visual effects, these 1997 specials are really showing their age. Blue screened window plates. CGI subway trails. All looking unrealistic. That being said, the film's not terrible. There are strong performances (I really enjoyed Jack Black's cameo), but in the end, I never really connected with any of the characters, nor was I rooting for anyone to succeed. So for me, the film's just okay. The definition of a three star review. Not great. Not horrible.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

The 59GB dual layer Blu-ray / DVD flip disc is Region A locked. Side A is a 50GB dual layer Blu-ray disc, which includes the movie only. Side B is a 9GB dual layer DVD that appears to be the 1998 Collector's Edition. Video and audio reviews will only apply to the Blu-ray disc side of the film.

Video Review

This VC-1 1080p transfer (aspect ratio 2.35:1) is adequate at best. The source appears to be in fair condition for its age -- grain levels are low and it doesn't seem digitally enhanced -- but the real flaw here is all the dirt and dust, most apparent during brighter moments and optical transitions (dissolves). Colors are very drab and bland, but unlike certain sections of something like ' Pirate Radio ,' this doesn't appear to be intentional, or for dramatic purposes. The inside of a Moscow club and daylight exteriors fair best, meaning they pop and seem realistic. Along these lines, flesh tones are even, but slightly desaturated. Overall detail varies from shot to shot, but any softness seems to be more stylistic (for example, a shallow depth of field which can put the actors in focus and the background out) than a flaw of the encoding. It's definitely a step up from standard definition – in both resolution and clarity – but it's not strikingly different, nor are there any wow (3D-like) moments. It's more akin to watching a movie on HD cable or satellite.

Apart from the video quality, it should be noted that the opening credits are window boxed. Don't become alarmed, because the image will soon fill the full width of your screen.

Audio Review

Universal delivers a solid 5.1 DTS-MA lossless soundtrack that accurately replicates the late '90s surround sound experience. Dialogue is clear. Music swirls in all five channels. Sound effects are crisp, though not aggressively directional. And there are a few action scenes with gunfire and explosions that really pack a punch. Sadly, though not surprising for an older mix, LFE never really growls or fills the room, and I found the whole mix to be a little harsh in the mid to higher frequencies. Almost to the point that it almost seemed more akin to a lossy, or more compressed, track. In the end, it's serviceable, and accurate, but not demo-worthy.

Universal offers no additional soundtracks, but includes English SDH subtitles.

Special Features

Not counting the added-value of including a DVD version of the movie, the Blu-ray disc itself is as barebones as the new ' Avatar ' Blu-ray. Both 'The Making of The Jackal' and 'Feature Commentary with Director Michael Caton-Jones' are only available on the DVD side of the disc. While it's not the end of the world for an older featurette to be available in standard definition, I can't really see myself watching any movie in high-def, and then want to step back to a lesser resolution to hear the audio commentary. But then again, I suppose the point here is to listen to the filmmaker speak, rather than enjoy the increased video capabilities of Blu-ray Disc, so perhaps that won't bother you. To me, it's an odd choice for a high-def release and as such, since no special features were technically on the Blu-ray, all 12-year-old DVD supplements were not re-reviewed. And come on! This is High-Def Digest. Not "High-Def and-that-one-included-DVD-because-we-were-too-cheap-to-port-over-these-old-extras Digest".

Final Thoughts

I remember really liking this movie during its initial release, and it's filled with a great cast delivering quality performances, but in the end 'The Jackal' is forgettable. Far from great, but a clear cut above terrible, it's an okay movie, perhaps most worth watching while doing other things (say, writing a review about watching 'The Jackal'). On its first trip to Blu-ray, the film does present itself as a value-added experience by including the DVD, but this catalogue release is visually middle of the road, adding no new HD (or otherwise) special features for owners of the DVD. Personally, there are a number of better cat n' mouse thrillers (including the original 1973 'The Day of the Jackal', or the Clint Eastwood / John Malcovich potboiler, ' In the Line of Fire '), so save your cash, or just give it a rent.

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Rotten Tomatoes® Score

Sidney Poitier is the FBI deputy director and the only one in the cast to lend this movie credibility.

A few moments of potential white-knuckle confrontations deflate, but they’re minimal; the actors do such an outstanding job of taking their roles seriously that it’s difficult not to get wrapped up in the suspense.

As suspense, it's suspenseless.

The less-than-engrossing vibe is, at least, tempered by the effectiveness of the three leads' work and a smattering of compelling sequences...

The usually reliable director Michael Caton-Jones hasn't a clue how to freshen up such stale material. If you bite your fingernails, it will only be from boredom.

The international pursuit grows borderline monotonous but there is a jump in pacing during the Washington, D.C., climax.

It delivers in the shoot-'em-up mentality, not to be taken seriously but a fun thing to watch on a Saturday afternoon.

The simple chase set-up is promising, but the follow-through is curiously lethargic and suspenseless.

A fast-paced, underrated reworking of the often-sluggish Day of the Jackal. Willis is good as the villainous title character. More enjoyable than anyone wanted to admit.

Additional Info

• Genre : Thriller
• Release Date : November 14, 1997
• Languages : English
• Captions : English
• Audio Format : Stereo

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