The Jackal

What differentiates The Jackal from other action/thrillers starring Bruce Willis or Richard Gere? Well, Willis gets to be the bad guy in this one, and...well, Gere gets to try out an Irish accent. Don't expect more innovations than that from this thoroughly competent and utterly generic "reworking" of the 1973 thriller The Day of the Jackal. It's strictly Espionage 101 stuff, with Willis starring as a nigh-mythological killer for hire, and Gere as a former IRA terrorist who is one of the few living people ever to see the Jackal. Between Point A and Point Z you can expect a few disguises, a few exotic international locations, a few explosions, a few chases, and a few token attempts at character development. Director Michael Caton-Jones does a solid enough job of crafting action scenes, guaranteeing that The Jackal moves fast enough to keep you from falling asleep. It's simply the kind of thriller you can play in the background, dashing off to pop up another batch of corn between bullet-riddled bodies while confident that you're not going to miss much. Diverting and instantly forgettable, The Jackal becomes a blur with a dozen other mechanical thrillers starring Willis or Gere. In case you're trying to recall later, this is the one where Gere is the bleached-blond bad guy and Willis is the sensitive former terrorist...no, wait, maybe that's the other way around. Sorry, I've forgotten already. Not recommended. (S. Renshaw)[Blu-ray Review—Apr. 27, 2010—Universal, 125 min., R, $26.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1997's The Jackal sports a good transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Michael Caton-Jones, a “making-of” featurette (47 min.), production notes, cast and crew bios, trailers, and the BD-Live function. Also included on this combo flipper disc is a bonus DVD version of the film. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for a so-so thriller remake.]