The Jackal 1997, Rated R

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Starring Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, et al.

One hyphenate writers absolutely hate to hear mentioned is "plot-points". In layman's terms, "plot-points" is the term used to describe any sort of problem any one person might have with a given script's plot. For example, if we were watching a movie about espionage and counter terrorism and learned that the United States' top scientists and researchers were unable to crack a code that is ultimately deciphered by an eight year old boy, it would probably be argued that said script has several sticky plot-points.

There are only three times in a given script's life when the words "plot-point" will ever be uttered: 1) when studio executives discuss the acquisition of a given script, 2) when a producer or director wants the screenwriter to make a few adjustments, or 3) when film critics watch a horrifically bad movie and criticize the makers of the movie for not dealing with the problematic plot-points.

Ultimately, not dealing with plot-points will spell disaster for any film, regardless of subject or genre. Sticky plot-points have a way of reminding the audience that what they are watching is, in fact, a work of fiction, and upon realizing this, both the smoothness and realistic nature of the material has been compromised. And director Michael Caton-Jones' and writer Kenneth Ross' update of the 1973 classic, Day of the Jackal, has more problematic plot-points than any other main stream movie in the last five years.

Bruce Willis stars here as the titular character; a notoriously ruthless and competent hitman nicknamed The Jackal. Contracted to assassinate a high ranking government official, the FBI calls upon the only living man to have ever knowingly seen the Jackal, imprisoned Irish bomber, Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere). Working hand in hand with agent Carter Preston (Sidney Poitier), Mulqueen begins tracking down the Jackal, hoping to find him before he has completed his latest job.

On the surface, the plot summary doesn't seem too outlandish or troublesome. However, what made The Jackal so terrible abysmal was the complete lack of brains and street smarts that Ross gave to the character of the Jackal.

Being the most feared and best known terrorist in the world, the Jackal commands a paycheck of a whopping $70 million for each job he performs, with half of that sum being paid up-front, in cash. With $35 million snugly in his pocket, the Jackal determines that he is in need of a new passport to enter the United States, so he promptly gets one... pick-pocketing an elderly man at the airport.

A word to those would-be terrorists reading this publication: this is not a good idea. For $35 million dollars, I would expect that I could buy any identity that I so desired to, up to and including that of Keanu Reeves.

As the movie comes to its lurching conclusion, we spot the Jackal sitting some 20 feet from a remote accessed weapon that he spent some $500,000 to purchase.

Another word to those would-be terrorists still reading: if you spend $500,000 on a remote accessible weapon, your best bet is to be sitting in Tahiti, sipping Mai-Tai's when it's time to commit a heinous crime--sitting right next to the weapon sometimes can alert others to your guilt.

Caton-Jones' style of direction is acceptable, but the unrhythmic nature of consistently cutting between two different people in differing locations across America--the Jackal working on his assassination and Mulqueen tracking the Jackal's whereabouts--slowed the progression of this material even further.

Willis is normally solid in his action films, but such is not the case here, with him having a hard time overcoming the lack of character development in the Jackal and speaking as rarely as Arnold Schwarzenegger in his earlier films.

Poorly crafted and choppier than the Java Sea during a typhoon in the late fall, The Jackal was a horrid attempt to recreate the passion and adrenaline rush included in the original.

A final note to those would-be terrorists: If you're paid $35 million in cash up front to assassinate someone, hire your own hitman for $10 million to do the job for you, it's much easier that way... and believable.