The Jackal - Collector's Edition
|
Our Price: $9.99 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Jackal - Collector's Edition
Movie Review: In between "Super movie" and "I regret renting it."
Summary: 3 Stars
This is an OK movie. It has its memorable moments, and the fight scenes are pretty good to a point. But there are also a lot of very boring parts. This movie is pretty good in terms of fights, quotes, and determination, but along with a reasonable amount of boredom, it is not nearly as gruesome as a shoot-em up/beat-em up movie is meant to be. It has blood here and there, some scenes more than others, but there are plenty of R-Rated thrillers that are better not only in terms of blood, violence, and language, but also better period. Overall, this movie is average, and if I had my choice, I MIGHT see my favorite scenes of it again. See this flick only if every other movie sucks or if you can find absolutely nothing to do.Movie Review: I liked it...alright 2 and 1/2 stars
Summary: 2 Stars
Let me first start off by saying that Richard Gere is in my opinion a very so, so actor and in this movie, his crazy irish accent bugged me.and seemed forced. But, still, it's a descent movie thanks to Bruce Willis, perfect for the vilain in this movie. Jack Black also makes a short cameo but Bruce makes sure he doesn't stay alive for long.
The movie is basically about a prisoner released from prison to track down a man that only him and his girlfriend can identify.
And then, comes a very average move with some good scenes. all resulting around Bruce Willis. The problem for me is that at times, I wasn't cheering Richard Gere on whatsoever. That could have to do with his acting. On the other hand, Willis is great and very effective and also..very cool.
But, what looks like it's going to be a good suspense movie ends out being like all action movies. and that my friend is something I seriously am tired of. Now, that I think of it, I own this movie. You know what that means. Hello Blockbuster!
Movie Review: Two plus Four equals Three
Summary: 3 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Remake Without Connection to Original, but Not Bad
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Sydney Poitier is the original "Banana in the Tailpipe" guy
Summary: 1 Stars
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