Hired by a powerful member of the Russian mafia to avenge an FBI sting that left his brother dead, a psychopathic hitman known only as The Jackal proves an elusive target for the people charged with the task of bringing him down: a deputy FBI director, a Russian MVK Major, and a jailed IRA terrorist who can recognize him.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• The Jackal: Bruce Willis
• Declan Mulqueen: Richard Gere
• Carter Preston: Sidney Poitier
• Major Valentina Koslova: Diane Venora
• FBI Agent T. I. Witherspoon: J.K. Simmons
• Isabella Zanconia: Mathilda May
• FBI Director Donald Brown: John Cunningham
• Ian Lamont: Jack Black
• Douglas: Stephen Spinella
• The First Lady: Tess Harper
• Terek Murad: David Hayman
• Ghazzi Murad: Ravil Isyanov
• Maggie: Maggie Castle
• FBI Agent McMurphy: Richard Lineback
• Speaker: Karen Kirschenbauer
• Akashi: Daniel Dae Kim
• Beaufres: Serge Houde
• Woolburton: Leslie Phillips
• George Decker: Steve Bassett
• Victor Politovsky: Yuri Stepanov
• Alexander Radzinski: Jonathan Aris
• General Belinko: Richard Cubison
• Ambassador Koldin: Bob Kingdom
• Vasilov: Peter Sullivan
• Dave: John Harrington Bland
• Davis: Terry Loughlin
• Dennehey: Walt MacPherson
• Green Beret Colonel: Jim Grimshaw
• Surgeon General: Terrence Currier
• Jamaican Girl: Sophie Okonedo
• Man in Video: Michael Caton-Jones
• Woman in Video: Laura Viederman
• Paramedic: Gregory Porter Miller
• NSC Representative: Murphy Guyer
• Bored Teenage Clerk: Philip LeMaistre
• CIA Representative #1: James McCauley
• Doctor: Victor Sobchak
• Immigration Officer: Serge Christianssens
• Interrogator: Boris Boscovic
• Prison Guard: Ewan Bailey
• Woman with Champagne #1: Danette Alberico
• Woman with Champagne #2: Debra Gano
• Law Clerk: Pamela Poitier
• Washington Cop: Eddie Bo Smith Jr.
• CIA Representative #2: Dan Ziskie
• Reporter: Gayle Jessup
• Medic: Bill Collins
• Pilot: David Gene Gibbs
• Co-Pilot: James M. Helkey
• Himself: Larry King

Film Crew:

• Producer: Michael Caton-Jones
• Screenplay: Chuck Pfarrer
• Producer: Sean Daniel
• Producer: James Jacks
• Producer: Kevin Jarre
• Director of Photography: Karl Walter Lindenlaub
• Editor: Jim Clark
• Casting: Ellen Chenoweth
• Production Design: Michael White
• Executive In Charge Of Production: Terence A. Clegg
• Executive Producer: Mark Gordon
• Executive Producer: Gary Levinsohn
• Executive Producer: Hal Lieberman
• Associate Producer: Sean T. Stratton
• Original Music Composer: Carter Burwell
• Art Direction: Raymond Dupuis
• Art Direction: Ricky Eyres
• Art Direction: John Fenner
• Art Direction: Bruton Jones
• Set Decoration: Kate J. Sullivan
• Costume Design: Albert Wolsky
• Art Department Coordinator: Stephanie Wertlake
• Assistant Art Director: Dennis Bosher
• Construction Coordinator: Ray Barrett
• Greensman: Mark David Kersey
• Leadman: Michael D. Harrell
• Location Scout: Tom Trigo
• Painter: Michael R. Clark
• Standby Painter: Charles Cottrell
• Camera Operator: Martin Hume
• Camera Technician: Arwell Roberts
• First Assistant Camera: Simon Hume
• Key Grip: Kelly R. Borisy
• Grip: Michael Adams
• Aerial Director of Photography: Larry Blanford
• Steadicam Operator: Alf Tramontin
• Still Photographer: Eli Reed
• Assistant Costume Designer: Lorraine Z. Calvert
• Costume Supervisor: William A. Campbell
• Hairstylist: Eithné Fennel
• Key Hair Stylist: Kathe Swanson
• Makeup Artist: Felicity Bowring
• Set Costumer: Scheris Shephard
• Set Dressing Artist: Pamela M. Rogers
• Carpenter: Stephen McGregor
• CG Supervisor: Ole Dieter Sturm
• Driver: Vito G. Balenzano
• Picture Car Coordinator: Tom Moore
• Post Production Assistant: Barclay Crenshaw
• Propmaker: Debbie Nolan
• Property Master: Philip McDonald
• Set Production Assistant: Heidi Gilbert
• Stand In: Debbie Lane
• Stunt Coordinator: Joe Dunne
• Stunts: Howard ‘Stick’ Baines
• Transportation Captain: Bob Foster
• Transportation Coordinator: Dick Moore
• Unit Production Manager: Leila Kirkpatrick
• Unit Publicist: Sandy O’Neill
• Video Assist Operator: Lester Dunton
• First Assistant Director: Bill Westley
• Script Supervisor: Libbie Barr
• Color Timer: Phil Hetos
• First Assistant Editor: Eric O. Schusterman
• Best Boy Electric: Bernard Arseneau
• Electrician: Matthew Brookman
• Gaffer: Eddie Knight
• Location Manager: Keith Hatcher
• Production Accountant: Dorothy Precious
• Production Coordinator: Pat McCarthy
• Production Manager: François Sylvestre
• ADR Supervisor: Mark Auguste
• Boom Operator: Paul Cridlin
• Assistant Sound Editor: Catherine Calleson
• Music Editor: Todd Kasow
• Music Consultant: Paul Gillon
• Orchestrator: Sonny Kompanek
• Sound Effects Editor: Noah Blough
• Supervising Sound Editor: Richard King
• Animation Supervisor: Richard Malzahn
• Digital Compositors: David S. Williams Jr.
• Special Effects Supervisor: Yves De Bono
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Tricia Owen
• Unit Manager: Michel Chauvin
• Thanks: Lisa Banes
• Production Sound Mixer: David John
• Electrician: Mark ‘Rocky’ Evans
• Dialogue Editor: Michael Haight
• Dialogue Editor: James Matheny
• Dialogue Editor: William Jacobs
• Grip: Tom Barrett
• Costume Assistant: Minni Härkönen
• Key Set Costumer: Tommy Boyer
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Martin Krauka
• Second Assistant Director: Adam Goodman
• Second Unit Director: Buddy Joe Hooker
• Third Assistant Director: Jane Burgess
• Assistant Property Master: Jean Simard
• Construction Buyer: Jack Dyer
• Graphic Designer: Peter Menich
• Storyboard Artist: John Greaves
• Swing: Alain Gonzalez
• Title Designer: Simon Taylor
• ADR Editor: Cliff Latimer
• ADR Mixer: Weldon Brown
• Additional Sound Re-Recordist: Gary Alexander
• Foley Mixer: Nerses Gezalyan
• Special Effects Technician: Mark Griffin
• Stunt Double: Terry Jackson
• Stunt Driver: Tom Delmar
• Best Boy Grip: Jamie Lagerhausen
• Camera Trainee: Ciro Candia
• Dolly Grip: Andreas Crawford
• Second Assistant Camera: Mik Allen
• ADR Voice Casting: Terri Douglas
• Casting Assistant: Mercedes Kelso
• Wardrobe Assistant: David Crossman
• Assistant Editor: Katie Hedrich
• Negative Cutter: Gary Burritt
• Assistant Location Manager: Denis Paquette
• Location Assistant: Andrew L. Lanier
• Assistant Accountant: Michael Beaudin
• Assistant Production Coordinator: Guylaine Boucher
• Catering: Robin Demetriou
• Dialogue Coach: Brendan Gunn
• Digital Effects Producer: Emma Ibbetson
• Digital Supervisor: Richard Patterson
• Extras Casting Assistant: Katie Conkey
• Key Set Production Assistant: Rick Kelly
• Payroll Accountant: Kelly Stultz
• Pilot: David Gene Gibbs
• Production Assistant: Beth-Anne Uston
• Pyrotechnician: David Hill
• Weapons Master: John Sprague
• Prosthetics: Gary Archer
• Stunts: Linda Perlin
• Stunts: Erik Stabenau
• Stunts: Jodi Michelle Pynn
• Draughtsman: Alan Hook

Movie Reviews:

• Wuchak: Globetrotting pursuit of a master-of-disguise assassin
• RELEASED IN 1997 and directed by Michael Caton-Jones, “The Jackal” is an international crime thriller about a joint FBI/MVD mission (led by Sidney Poitier and Diane Venora) that enlists the aid of an imprisoned IRA combatant (Richard Gere) to stop a brutal master-of-disguise assassin known as The Jackal (Bruce Willis) from completing a big hit in Washington DC. This was a loose remake of the film “The Day of the Jackal” (1973), which was based on the 1971 novel by Frederick Forsyth.
• The first act is too convoluted for my tastes as the story globetrots from Moscow to Helsinki to Canada to the USA. But the movie finds its footing and settles into an entertaining political action flick not far removed from the tone of “The Saint” with Val Kilmer, released the same year. Both films are from the same genre, have the same tone, were made for the same amount ($60 million), feature an antagonist who’s a master-of-disguise and are named after that person. While both movies made roughly the same in North America ($55-60 million), “The Jackal” proved more popular worldwide, making almost $160 million, which was $50 million more than “The Saint.” IMHO “The Jackal” is the more all-around entertaining picture.
• Critics love to lambaste this movie because (1.) it deviates too much from the original film and (2.) because of the mounting nonsensical elements. But (1.) “The Jackal” was made to stand on its own in late 90’s cinema and (2.) why do other action thrillers like James Bond get a pass when it comes to ridiculous plot holes? Besides, many of the supposed nonsensical moments can easily be cleared up if you pay attention to the details; not all of them, of course, but many of them.
• What I don’t like is the disingenuousness of many of the criticisms. For instance, Roger Ebert’s opening criticism of the film was to mock the way The Jackal sneaks into the USA from Canada by purchasing a sailboat and entering a race from Mackinaw to Chicago. Ebert reasoned that there are easier ways to enter the US inconspicuously along the 3000-mile border, but he left out an important detail: The Jackal was smuggling a huge computerized machine gun and its formidable mount. THAT is why he bought the yacht and used the race as a means to enter the country unnoticeably amidst a crowd of other crafts. Aduh.
• One of the best aspects of this flick is the great cast and seeing them work together. Poitier was 69 during filming and looks very distinguished; this was incidentally his last theatrical release (although he appeared in four TV movies in the ensuing four years). Jack Black is effective in a peripheral role tailor-made for him.
• But it’s Gere and Willis who steal the show, naturally. The latter is particularly entertaining in an almost shocking departure from his typical easy-going, friendly persona. As The Jackal, Willis is relaxed, carefree, cold, malicious, cunning, calculating, smart, icy and ruthless; a charming psychopath.
• I shouldn’t close without mentioning the excellent score by Carter Burwell mixed with an edgy alternative rock soundtrack, featuring cuts by Massive Attack (“Superpredators” and “Dissolved Girl”) and the like.
• THE MOVIE RUNS 2 hour, 4 minutes and was shot in Moscow, Finland, Montreal, London, the Carolinas, Virginia and Chicago. SCREENPLAY: Chuck Pfarrer.
• GRADE: B-/C+
• JPV852: This is one I’ve seen several times over the years and while certainly not great and it is funny hearing Richard Gere with an Irish accent and the numerous hair changes with Bruce Willis, I still find it watchable and somewhat entertaining.
• That said, how the Jackal was written was a problem because while for most of the movie he’s a cold-blooded and calculating character, his actions of going after Isabella was strange to do in the midst of planning an assassination versus going for revenge (which itself didn’t make sense) after he completed his mission and got paid, and that’s not to mention giving away his true target with a line about Declan unable to protect his women, though even then not sure how Declan came to that (albeit correct) conclusion. Probably just lazy script writing.
• However, there are some cool shots (in the days when they used helicopters for aerial shots compared to using drones) and the direction from Michael Caton-Jones was solid. **3.0/5**