Spoilers love 80’s movies made in the 90’s.

It’s rather crazy, but silly movies of the 80’s knew how to balance both the ludicrous setup with a rather amusing execution. And yes, this is a late 90’s feature, but it has all the staples of an action thriller from the previous decade. I’m aware it’s campy and there are details that have not fared better with age. A lot of the bad guys couldn’t be more cartoonish if this was a parody. And yet, I can’t see a movie from nowadays being this entertaining with the same premise. Let’s see if there’s an explanation

(Credit: Universal Pictures)

The Jackal (1997) is directed by Michael Caton-Jones. The screenplay was written by Chuck Pfarrer loosely based/inspired on the screenplay by Kenneth Ross of the earlier movie Day of The Jackal (1973). While the earlier film closely follows Frederick Forsyth’s novel in using the same political and historical setting, this one is quite a departure. In this film, the FBI and their Russian equivalent, the MVD, are cooperating to bring down a known mobster which ends up dead during the attempt. His brother, a powerful mobster himself, sends a professional hitman known only as the Jackal (Bruce Willis) to deliver vengeance. Getting wind of the threat, FBI Deputy Director Preston (Sidney Poitier) and MVD Major Valentina Koslova (Diane Venora) suspect the Jackal is after the Director of the FBI.

To track down the Jackal, the assembled team consults with imprisoned IRA member Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere). Declan’s former lover Isabella (Mathilda May) is suspected to have known the Jackal. Declan agrees if this means he will go free as long as Isabella’s location is kept secret. Meanwhile, the Jackal is on the move, having secure a false identity in Helsinki and traveling around the world looking for the parts that he needs to build a weapon. This eventually takes him to Montreal.

If we’re talking about performances, Willis as a cold blooded killer who changes identity as easily as putting on a new wig is perhaps the selling point. You kind of love to hate him. He plays a functioning sociopath scarily well. Gere’s Declan on the other hand, is a lot less convincing as the hero. If you can get past his Irish accent, he’s just sort of there for the part without adding much. Poitier adds a lot more gravity to his role as Deputy Director Preston. On the other hand, the supporting cast plays a lot of caricaturesque types of uptight russian officials or uptight american FBI agents. Also, there’s appearances of JK Simmons and Jack Black in secondary roles.

Why does it work? Well, to be honest it won’t work for everyone. There’s a nostalgia element about these action thrillers that extends from the 80’s and 90’s that is pure entertainment value. You’ll notice the small bouts of action and intersected with lulls of exposure. The film wisely ramps up the action at certain points but it doesn’t overwhelm us with it. There’s a guilty pleasure in seeing Willis’ Jackal making a fool out of customs or swindling bystanders but there’s also reminders of his cruelty. The ending, which is supposed to be in a Washington station but Montrealers will recognize the Lionel-Groulx metro station, is a shootout that by today’s standards is pretty mild but still tense.

Recommended specially for fans of 80’s and 90’s action thrillers with reservations. It’s not a particularly complex plot, but it is very solid entertainment with a heavy helping of nostalgia. Obviously, this is not the kind of movie to watch for an accurate portrayal of anybody, much less any political intrigue. For fans of the genre and the time period, it’s your cup of tea and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Worth a watch for the right audience.

That will do for now.