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MOVIES / ON DVD / THE RECRUIT
The Recruit

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The Recruit (2003)

42%
25%
66%
N/A
N/A
N/A
42 %
Reviews Counted: 163 Fresh: 69  Rotten:94 Average Rating: 5.5/10
 
Consensus: This polished thriller is engaging until it takes one twist too many into the predictable.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins

Synopsis: James Clayton is fired up. A bartender by night and computer hacker in the few hours of daylight for which he manages to leave his water bed, the kid is flying high, on a roll with a laid-back lifestyle that suits him just fine. Played by an agile Colin Farrell, Clayton is also a heartthrob with his... James Clayton is fired up. A bartender by night and computer hacker in the few hours of daylight for which he manages to leave his water bed, the kid is flying high, on a roll with a laid-back lifestyle that suits him just fine. Played by an agile Colin Farrell, Clayton is also a heartthrob with his five o'clock shadow and chiseled pecks. A cushy job offer from Dell computers peaks his interest in securing a professional career, and at the same moment he meets Walter Burke (Al Pacino), a recruiter from the CIA. Though Clayton's better judgement tells him to stay away from the shady Burke, he is curious to learn whatever he can about his father, who was also a CIA agent, killed in the line of duty. Clayton is sent to an intensive CIA training camp called "The Farm," where he quickly learns the gravity of his decision as he undergoes gruelling tests of physical, mental, and psychological strength. His romantic interest in the gorgeous, tough-as-nails Layla (Bridget Moynahan), a fellow trainee, becomes a weakness as the pressure of the tests steadily increases. Finally, without warning, Clayton is thrown into action as he and Burke go head-to-head in a mission that is more dangerous than either of them realize. With top-notch performances from a sly Pacino and a pumped-up Farrell, THE RECRUIT's best moments come from the intensity resonating between its characters. In addition, the settings and training activities at "The Farm" give intriguing insights into CIA recruitment and initiation. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht

Director: Roger Donaldson
Screenwriter: Kurt Wimmer, Mitch Glazer, Roger Towne
Producer: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jeff Apple

DVD Info

Release:

Mar 6, 2008

[DVD Details]

Blu-ray Disc Features:

  • Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, Spanish
  • Uncompressed 5.1 - English

Additional Release Material:

  • Audio Commentary - Roger Donaldson - Director; Colin Farrell - Actor
  • Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Roger Donaldson and Colin Farrell
  • Featurette - SPY SCHOOL: INSIDE THE CIA

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
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Ratings Image
N/A

A standard-issue spy game with all the layered complexity of Ludo.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/19/03
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
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Ratings Image
1.5/4

The plot announces that it's going to gyp us around, not because it has other things to offer, but out of the hope that we will let it off the hook.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/20/03
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
03/25/03
Guardian [UK]
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
03/23/03
FilmFour.com
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
03/22/03
This is London
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N/A

It's hackwork -- competently crafted and sufficiently fast-paced to keep your attention, but rendered forgettable by the absence of depth and ambition in the writing.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/22/03
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]
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1/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
03/22/03
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
03/02/03
Alan Morrison
Empire Magazine
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3/5

Farrell ... holds everything together with sheer star magnetism.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/25/03
Nev Pierce
BBC
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
01/20/03
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
2/4

Watchable only for its star power and scarce caffeine kicks...awfully predictable. [Blu-Ray]

Full Review | comment Comment
06/01/08
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews
Ratings Image
3/4

Many would believe Pacino could do no wrong but he has. The Recruit serves only to ignite a pilot light in the imagination of espionage lovers everywhere.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/08/06
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy
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3/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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3/4

The film still makes a diverting entertainment in spite of its obviousness.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/08/05
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies
Ratings Image
B-

Pacino's puppet-stringing of his recruit is reminiscent of Peter O'Toole's manipulative character in 1980's 'The Stunt Man.'

Full Review | comment Comment
10/15/04
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan
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8/10

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Full Review | comment Comment
10/07/04
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
05/19/04
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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3/4

Director Roger Donaldson ... again shows a knack for creating intrigue and paranoia.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/06/04
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
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3/5

Pacino doesn’t upstage Farrell, but there’s the sense he’s daring him to keep up, and Farrell does. Their scenes together crackle.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/04/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
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