Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Jackal Blu-ray Movie Review

A decent '90s genre pic earns an average Blu-ray release...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown April 27, 2010

Henry Fonda in Once Upon a Time in the West. Denzel Washington in Training Day. Edward Norton in Primal Fear. Kathy Bates in Misery. Robin Williams in Insomnia. Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. Tom Hanks in The Road to Perdition. Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. Tom Cruise in Collateral. Brad Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James. And, most recently, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. I don't know what it is that inspires great actors to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight, but it has produced some of cinema's most deliciously devilish baddies. Bruce Willis' first major stab at big-screen villainy -- director Michael Caton-Jones' The Jackal -- isn't nearly as meaty or, for that matter, memorable, nor has it withstood the test of time, but fans of '90s action thrillers shouldn't be so eager to pass it by. Cheesy? At times. Dated? Most definitely. Flawed? Now more than ever. But is it entertaining? In a word, absolutely.

"A man like this doesn't make mistakes."

Based on the acclaimed novel by Jane Austen, The Jackal tells the wind-swept love story of a young Victorian woman of privilege who... eh, who am I kidding? The Jackal is a fun but formulaic game of cat and mouse that pits an icy-veined American assassin against a former IRA sniper. The assassin, known only as the Jackal (Bruce Willis), has never been photographed, caught on tape, or officially identified; a problem that leaves the FBI scrambling for answers when they learn the agency's Director (John Cunningham) is being targeted by the Russian mafia. After exhausting all options, Deputy Director Carter Preston (Sidney Poitier) and Russian Major Valentina Koslova (Diane Venora) track down the only man who can identify the Jackal, a prisoner and eagle-eyed Irish gunman named Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere). Racing to stop the Jackal from exacting the Russian mob's vengeance, Preston, Koslova, and Mulqueen have to uncover the assassin's whereabouts, discover how he plans to reenter the United States, and stop him before he can cash in on his contract. Meanwhile, the Jackal hires a local criminal (Jack Black) to construct a strange device, acquire a minivan and a long-range weapon, contend with a gang of international hijackers, and complete his mission on schedule. It all leads to a bullet-riddled endgame that leaves no one unscathed.

Whether Willis is sweating beneath a bushy faux-stache, waddling into a warehouse with a pillow strapped around his waist, or poisoning a tailing henchman with a cool but oh-so-convenient can of spray-on death, The Jackal revels in all the chintzy genre conventions of the '90s. Screenwriter Chuck Pfarrer smears action into his script whenever tensions begin to lag, giving Caton-Jones ample opportunity to drop Willis in as many disguises as possible. Gere chews through page after page of dense dialogue with lightning-tongued finesse, softening his consonants and sharpening his vowels until settling on an accent straight out of a Dublin souvenir shop. Venora, fresh off her heart-wrenching performance in Heat, works overtime to remind us that her character is a very Russian fish out of very Russian waters. She chomps down on her lines with the heavy-handed urgency of an amateur, undermining Koslova's tragic roots with every lumbering word. And yet the film's most troublesome qualities prove to be its most endearing. Willis, Gere, and Venora may draw their share of laughs some thirteen years after The Jackal scurried out of theaters, but they also sell the weight of an otherwise weightless plot. Willis winds his stone-cold villain as tightly as he once wound his high-strung John McClaine, forging a legitimately menacing antagonist in the process. (His scenes with Black are worth the price of admission alone.) Elsewhere, Gere taps into a welcome vulnerability that allows Mulqueen's backstory to fuel his every word and expression. Like Poitier, Gere moves with poise, precision, and purpose, elevating the material even when it's determined to flounder. And Koslova? Once you get past her iron accent and rubbery facial scars, you'll find a more thoughtful performance than her nightclub tussle and subsequent boys-club antics initially suggest.

If only the same could be said of Caton-Jones stiffly staged action beats and Pfarrer's thin string of clues. Mulqueen is released from prison to provide first-hand information to the authorities, but he doesn't offer up any unobtainable theories or sharp analysis that a headstrong FBI agent wouldn't presume if presented with the same evidence. The Jackal will be using multiple identities, sneaking into the country by taking advantage of holes in border security, and looking for a way to transport a weapon he's assembling? Tell us something we don't know. Granted, Pfarrer goes to great lengths to reiterate the fact that Mulqueen is one of the only people who've seen the assassin's face, but more valuable deductions and relevant experience would have at least made the procedural aspects of the film more engaging. (Although Gere's reaction to every minivan he spots is priceless, almost as priceless as Mark Walberg's reaction to a plastic houseplant in The Happening.) Other plot holes and blind-faith contrivances abound, and several second-act developments feel tacked on and, frankly, unnecessary. But for every misstep, Caton-Jones and Pfarrer take a step in the right direction. The Jackal's wits, wiles, and weaponry are certainly formidable, Mulqueen becomes a more and more intriguing protagonist as the story meanders along, and the climactic assassination attempt (as well as its smart plot twist, ensuing chase sequence, and well-conceived closing scenes) allow the film to end on a high note. The Jackal hasn't aged as well as other '90s action thrillers and its flaws are more obvious now than ever. Even so, there's still some life in its crumbling bones... at least enough to make it worth renting.

The Jackal Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Jackal makes its high definition debut with a stocky 1080p/VC-1 transfer; a somewhat dated presentation reminiscent of those that graced many a Blu-ray and HD DVD catalog release in 2007. First, the good. Overall color and clarity are stronger than they've been before (a visit with the DVD version of the film reveals just how much), black levels are deeper, and textures are sharper and more refined. Grain, though slightly soupy, is intact as well, and the image doesn't show signs of over-processing. Detail isn't beyond reproach, mind you -- softness rears its head, several establishing shots show signs of wear, and some slight, intermittent smearing raises a few red flags -- but edges are generally crisp and clean. Moreover, serious aliasing, artifacting, banding, and unintentional source noise are nowhere to be found. Which leads us to the... let's just say not-so-good. Crush sometimes thwarts Mulqueen's efforts (especially in the first half of the film), delineation is inconsistent, skintones are occasionally flushed, nighttime sequences are a wee bit murky, ringing appears here and there, and sporadic print damage is apparent in several shots. Whether the majority of these issues trace back to the original print or a hit-or-miss master is unclear (although I suspect the chief culprit to be the former rather than the latter). My advice? Wait a few weeks, pick it up on sale, and try to focus on the transfer's more noteworthy traits. This is the best treatment anyone is likely to see for a long time.

The Jackal Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Thankfully, Universal's faithful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is more reliable, handily trumps its lossy Dolby Digital counterpart, and adds some much-needed value to the release. The Jackal has always offered a rather front-heavy experience by design, but it's far from flat. The soundfield opens up when called upon -- a crowded Russian nightclub, a prison yard, an empty parking garage, an open field, a sailing event, a political rally, and a climactic subway-tunnel chase all stand out -- allowing the mix to make a favorable impression. Acoustics are decidedly decent (particularly for a catalog actioner), ambience is involving (albeit somewhat contrived), and the rear speakers' most aggressive outbursts should earn some respect. LFE output is steady and stalwart as well, lending the film's late-90s action beats suitable presence and punch. Though a tad listless whenever the FBI's guns are holstered and Willis' personal cannon is nestled in its bed, dynamics are more than adequate on the whole, Carter Burwell's score packs notable heat, and the hearty tut-tut-tut of machine gun fire is given ample opportunity to leave its mark. Issues? As crisp and clean it often is, dialogue is occasionally overwhelmed by the soundscape, a handful of lines are buried in the ensuing chaos, and prioritization is hit-or-miss. Still, the majority of the track's shortcomings either trace back to the film's original elements or are so minor that they don't become a significant distraction. All in all, The Jackal sounds better than it ever has and as good as it probably ever will.

The Jackal Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray edition of The Jackal doesn't include any special features... at least not on Side A of Universal's BD-59 Flipper Disc. For whatever reason, director Michael Caton-Jones' commentary can only be found alongside the DVD version of the film, meaning fans will have to endure a standard definition marathon to get the skinny on the production. Considering how easily the audio track could have been ported to the BD layer as well, its absence is quite a disappointment. Also available on the flipside of the disc is a decent "Making Of" EPK that offers a glimpse behind the scenes and all the remaining content from the Collector's Edition DVD. (A theatrical trailer is accessible from the main menu, and a series of deleted scenes and an alternate ending can be found in the documentary's chapter menu.) A special thanks to forum member "Filmmaker" for letting us know these additional features are at least somewhere on the disc!

The Jackal Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Jackal is an entertaining little late-90s diversion that, guilty pleasure or no, deserves to survive the harsh terrain of the 21st century. Is its action as tight and thrilling as the decade's best? Not quite. Are its performances the stuff of legend? Hardly. Is its script inventive and unpredictable? Erm... maybe I should be asking different questions. How often do you get to see Bruce Willis don six disguises in a minute? How often do you get to see Jack Black scream bloody murder at the sight of a mangled stump? How often do you get to watch Richard Gere struggle with an Irish accent while Sidney Poitier, J.K. Simmons, a cossack-throated Diane Venora, and a bleach-haired Willis stare on? Simply put, The Jackal is a tasty slice of nostalgia sure to slap a grin on your face. Its Blu-ray release? Not so much. While a relatively satisfying DTS-HD Master Audio track will prove to be a boon for fans, the release is hindered by an average video transfer and an arguably non-existent supplemental package (the only special features to be found are on the standard DVD side of Universal's BD-59 Flipper disc). Ah well, if you absolutely must own a copy of The Jackal, this is definitely the version to own.