The Jackal

Name: The Jackal
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Crime
Released: November 14, 1997
Duration: 124 min
Rating: 36
Cast: Bruce Willis, Richard Gere

1997

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 157 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 157 Ratings

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The Jackal

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: November 14, 1997 | R

Starring: Bruce Willis, Richard Gere

Summary: A ruthless assassin (Willis) 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. (Universal)

Director: Michael Caton-Jones

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 124 min

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy

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. Read full review

Kim Newman

It's a good job this works so well as a machine-made movie, because its grasp of political realities is nebulous. Read full review

Stephen Holden

The Jackal, like most expensive thrillers nowadays, knows how to do gadgets, pyrotechnics, underground subway chases and panicked crowd scenes. But except for Mr. Gere's uphill battle, it has only the vaguest idea of how to do people. Read full review

Maria Schneider

At best, The Jackal is an uninspired, by-the-numbers action thriller. Read full review

Roger Ebert

The Jackal, on the other hand, impressed me with its absurdity. There was scarcely a second I could take seriously. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Sporadically effective, it appears not to have particularly excited the people who made it, and that lackadaisical quality is a drawback. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Scottish director Michael Caton-Jones continues to fritter away the last traces of his talent with this ugly variant on Fred Zinnemann's 1973 original, The Day of the Jackal. Read full review

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User Reviews

WeKnowFilms

May 31, 2011

An amazing movie, a real gem. Bruce Willis stole the show, the character he played was amazing, everyone has a rush of excitement for a master of disguise. We know films and this is a must see.

3 of 14 users found this helpful311

FraserW.

Apr 3, 2006

The Jackal was an impressive movie. good rolls for the main characters and everybody played their part good. But Bruce Willis and assasinators have become a stereotype now ha

0 of 0 users found this helpful

DanneSmith

Jan 18, 2020

Underrated movie. Sure, it's a bit absurd at times. But that's what makes it entertaining.
Most characters aren't that great though. But I found it entertaining. It delivers on the points this kind of movie is made to deliver on.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

drlowdon

Dec 30, 2019

Essentially a modern day (Well, 1997 anyway) remake of The Day of the Jackal the movie revolves around a joint operation between the FBI and the MVD as they the hunt for a paid assassin. The Jackal is a curious movie in that it in manages to be both absurd yet still feel flat for theEssentially a modern day (Well, 1997 anyway) remake of The Day of the Jackal the movie revolves around a joint operation between the FBI and the MVD as they the hunt for a paid assassin. The Jackal is a curious movie in that it in manages to be both absurd yet still feel flat for the majority of it’s running time. A good chunk of the movie is spent watching The Jackal (Willis) go to what seem like extremely convoluted lengths to complete his mission whilst the various members of law enforcement, plus Richard Gere and his terrible Irish accent, sit around and then suddenly come up with a revelation of what his plan may be. Once they do catch up to him the action lacks any real tension or seemingly any consequences (everyone just carries on as normal seconds after seeing a man leap in front of a subway car!) and one particular scene involving Gere and two subway cars is just laughable. I’ll give this movie props for not being as dull as a few other movies I've watched recently but overall this is pretty damn poor...… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

JLuis_001

Jan 12, 2021

Surprisingly disappointing considering the leads, though I blame myself for setting my expectations too high.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

geewah

Jan 20, 2021

A retelling of The Day Of The Jackal, and a really poor one at that.
For an action thriller, this is dull and absurd. And that's saying something.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Jan 10, 2017

Remake foireux du film remarquable de 1973, ce Chacal de 1997 n'en reprend que la trame de base pour en faire un hamburger bien gras et bien dégueulasse : si Hollywood est (souvent) la malbouffe du cinéma en règle générale, on tient là le big mac qui dégouline de partout.

ça commence avecRemake foireux du film remarquable de 1973, ce Chacal de 1997 n'en reprend que la trame de base pour en faire un hamburger bien gras et bien dégueulasse : si Hollywood est (souvent) la malbouffe du cinéma en règle générale, on tient là le big mac qui dégouline de partout.

ça commence avec le FBI qui intervient à Moscou (oui, oui, Moscou en Russie...) en coopération avec les autorités russes, ben voyons ! ils ne doutent de rien ces scénaristes yankees à chercher leurs "brillantes" idées dans des Kinders Surprises. La fliquette russe qui collabore étroitement avec le FBI est trop "jolie", alors on lui a collé une vilaine brûlure en plastique sur la joue (une dure-à-cuire sans doute). Quant à Sidney Poitier, il a besoin d'argent.

Puis le Chacal fait son entrée en matière en la personne de... Bruce Willis ! de mieux en mieux, dites-moi, mais c'est un festival ! Cette buse de Bruce change de déguisement toutes les 5 minutes (il lui manque juste le nez rouge) et s'il tente de paraître plus sobre que d'habitude, il a toujours l'air con (sous son déguisement du jour) le petit sourire en prime... (on avait dit "sobre" Bruce, putain !).

Comme si cela ne suffisait pas, voilà le gigolo qui fait son retour avec Richard Gere qui vient rouler des mécaniques parce seul, lui, le seul, le grand Richard a vu le Chacal ! mais ouais mon biquet c'est bien.

Après, je ne sais plus, devant tant d'inepties j'ai dû user l'avance rapide jusqu'à la fin parce que l'air de rien, cette "comédie" est d'une grande mollesse. On rigole de dépit devant ces pitreries et on s'emmerde à 100 balles de l'heure. Et on pouffe, on pouffe : pfff, pfff, pfff...… Expand

0 of 7 users found this helpful07

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56	#56 Most Discussed Movie of 1997
48	#48 Most Shared Movie of 1997