Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

The Jackal

also known as “The Jackal (Chacal),” “Der Schakal,” “El chacal,” “Le chacal,” “O Chacal,” “Sakal,” “Schakalen,” See more »
MPA Rating: R-Rating (MPA) for strong violence and language.

Reviewed by: Linda A. Krueger
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Very Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Action Crime Drama
Length: 2 hr. 4 min.
Year of Release: 1997
USA Release: November 14, 1997
Copyright, Universal Studiosclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Universal Studios Copyright, Universal Studios
Relevant Issues
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Murder in the Bible

Death

Terrorism

Copyright, Universal Studios
Featuring Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier, Diane Venora, Mathilda May, Tess Harper
Director Michael Caton-Jones — “Rob Roy” (1995), This Boy's Life (1993)
Producer Michael Caton-Jones
Terence A. Clegg
See all »
Distributor

Set in the post cold war era, “The Jackal” opens with overlapping sound and video bites documenting the rise of Communism in the Soviet Union, the demolition of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent rise of organized crime in the former Soviet Union. The action begins with a cooperative effort between the FBI and Russian police to arrest a Russian mobster who they have followed to a Moscow nightclub. A fight ensues and the criminal is killed. When word of his death reaches his brother, another notorious criminal, the Jackal is retained to exact revenge on the United States.

The Jackal, a professional assassin who thoroughly enjoys his work, is armed with multiple identities and moves freely between Eurpoe, Canada and the United States as he methodically prepares for his assignment. When the joint FBI—Russian forces learn that the Jackal has been engaged by the Russian crime boss, they are forced to contact the only man who can identify the Jackal—Mulqueen, an IRA terrorist who is conveniently imprisoned in the States.

With Mulqueen’s help they are soon hot on the Jackal’s trail, with too few twists and turns and too many unanswered questions on the way.

The R rating is for graphic violence and language. There is no gratuitous violence, except in illuminating the Jackal’s phychological profile. There is no sex or nudity.

Espionage fans, as well as fans of Bruce Willis and Richard Gere, might enjoy this movie, if they can get past the largely predictable story line.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
This movie was BAD! The first minutes only have horrible curse words and scenes of violence. One guy gets an axe in his head, UGH! It ran way too long and I was totally uninterested in it. The only thing that I liked was how Bruce Willis changed from one character to the next—that really stretches an actors' abilities. Otherwise skip this one.
Anonymous
…This movie had NO Christian value whatsoever, it advocated via Bruce Willis’ stardom homosexuality for men… and the consistent use of profane language was impossible. Perhaps you didn’t notice, since you did not mention it, the excessive number of times when my God and my Saviour’s names were used as a gratuitous vulgarity.
Mrs. KJ Therrell
Hey—this is a remake of “Day of The Jackal,” the 1970’s classic. Good thing the original producers sued during this production to have “Day Of” removed from the title. What’s next—a “Manchurian Candidate” remake?
Brian
I thought that this movie was one of Willis’s and Gere’s worst movies. It was just another one of those assassin movies everyone is making now. The scene where Willis kisses another guy totally disgusted me! I mean what is this world coming to when every movie you go to see has someone either gay acting gay or doing gay acts. It’s just disgusting that’s all!

If you don’t see this movie, it’s no big loss! I really wish that I had not gone to see this one and don’t recommend it to anyone unless you want to see some bad acting and people getting their arms legs heads whatever else blown off!
Daniel

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