THE JACKAL
WenQing
Directed by : Micheal Caton-Jones
Main Cast : Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier
Length : 120 min approx
Rating : **
Official Website: www.thejackal.com
AYE IT'S THE CACKLE
Something about the whole feel of this movie gives me the sense that it's a little archaic. THE JACKAL is really a remake of the 1970s movie THE DAY OF THE JACKAL based on the Frederick Forsyth Cold War thriller of the same name. Maybe Michael Caton-Jones thought he could update the flick a little, inject some adrenaline into the action and put in some cool action heroes like Bruce Willis and Richared Gere for good measure. But maybe he was wrong, because the concept of the Jackal himself is a little outdated, and in reality... if I'm not wrong, he's already been caught.
![[ ]](/film/images/thejackal.jpg)
No matter though, the movie picks up the popular mythology with some aplomb. Bruce Willis is cast as the Jackal. And Richard Gere is the IRA sharpshooter who's one of the only people in the world who's seen the Jackal's face. Gere's got an affected Irish accent, and offers some "ayes" here and there for the whole impression to sink in... but somehow it doesn't seem to cut it. Brad Pitt's Irish accent is a little more convincing in THE DEVIL'S OWN. Also, Richard's gotten a little tubby for some reason, and the worst part about it is that it's obvious. So he looks a little bit worse for the wear when he tries to chase down a fitter looking Bruce Willis.
The storyline isn't too complicated. A Russian thug gets killed by a
joint KGB and FBI operation, the thug's brother gets angry and hires the Jackal to kill an American for good measure. And not just any American, it seems to be that he's going to kill the head of the FBI (great, so Mulder and Scully can finally find out what truth is actually out there). But that's a red herring, the target is really someone even more important. So Sidney Poitier and a Russian female operative go and ask Richard Gere for help because he's in an American jail and he's got no choice. And so it's a cat and mouse game from that point on.
![[ ]](/film/images/thejackal2.jpg)
But there are a few problems with THE JACKAL that seem too obvious. Like why the Jackal, if he's so good, keeps making dozens of mistakes throughout his travelling back and forth between America and Canada (why is he travelling back and forth anyway? I think it's to show off how many disguises Brucey can snuggle into). Why does the Jackal go and commission his murder weapon to be made by a two-bit dealer in America when he might as well make it himself? Why does the Jackal use only one spacewagon to travel around (with only a dozen coats of paint to wash off so that it can pretend to be another vehicle)? Why does the Jackal go and kill so many people on the way to the big hit when that would lead everyone to him? Questions unanswered, except maybe to say that it's important to plug up the film with images and action.
But the movie has some good points. Like the pounding soundtrack, and some of the songs Brucey listens to (especially the one he uses as he kills some FBI and KGB agents). Also the opening sequence of the film's titles which looks a little like a politicised opening title of SEVEN. Also the big gun Brucey uses is one of the stars of the show... check out the size of those bullets! Also Brucey's disguises are pretty cool too, although you can't help but see him underneath all of it. It's not as convincing as John Malkovich in IN THE LINE OF FIRE, but it'll do when no one else seems to be compelling in the whole movie. To tell you the truth, I was sort of on the Jackal's side myself, almost hoping he'd pull off the big hit. He's so much more fun than Richard.
With Richard, the whole plot gets contrived. He's got a lost love who's now married and used to be his partner in crime in the IRA. She's also a target of the Jackal. But Richard's sort of fallen for the KGB girl too, though there's no room for it in the movie, and it isn't even hinted at throughout the film. And when the gal gets into a complication with the Jackal (read : he shoots her), the Jackal (who has been described cold as ice) tells the KGB girl to tell Richard that he can't protect his women. It's a bit of a stretch, but I guess as far as Cold War updates go, it's vaguely forgivable.
But all in all, THE JACKAL really isn't that great. It could've been, but the loopholes with the plot and the overwhelming sense that it's outdated just paralyse it in the end. And maybe like me, you'll be cheering for Brucey too, but to no avail.
The Flying Inkpot's Rating System
* Wait for the TV2 broadcast.
** A little creaky, but still better than staying at home with Gotcha!
*** Pretty good, bring a friend.
**** Amazing, potent stuff.
***** Perfection. See it twice.
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