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Movies / On DVD / The Recruit
The Recruit

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The Recruit (2003)

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Reviews Counted:163

Fresh:70

Rotten:93

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: This polished thriller is engaging until it takes one twist too many into the predictable.

Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins

Genre: Dramas

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... 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]

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

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

Director: Roger Donaldson

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

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Reviews for The Recruit

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121 - 140 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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The first half packs some clever surprises, but eventually you'll wish you'd signed up with another movie.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
01/31/03
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

The Recruit adds little to the already overworked espionage genre, but it completes its mission, working quietly and stealthily, without drawing too much attention to itself.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
01/31/03
John Monaghan
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press

The Recruit may have a storyline as generic as its title, but in the explosive Pacino and the smoldering Farrell, it has a pair of stars who are not as easily dismissed.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
01/31/03
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

Beyond the opening frames, the whole movie has an altogether musty odour, as if those up-to-the-minute lines had simply been tacked on to a mothballed script.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
01/31/03
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

It's the kind of movie you can sit back and enjoy, as long as you don't make the mistake of thinking too much.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/31/03
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I didn't groan once, and I left with a smile on my face. That's all I can ask.

Full Review Source: Fantastica Daily | comment Comment
01/31/03
Shirley Klass
Shirley Klass
Fantastica Daily

Unlikely to be the only example of slam-bang popcorn fluff with so despairing a demeanor we’re likely to see in the near future. It’s pre-cynicized for your protection.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/31/03
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

The movie works best when the action is at 'The Farm' and the recruits are learning what it takes to play spy.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
01/31/03
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

Welcome to the CIA where a zeal to battle against evil doers is grounded in role-playing, smooth deceptions and frequent danger.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
01/31/03
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

A tense and twisty espionage thriller that tests your wits for the bulk of its run time.

Full Review Source: Eclipse Magazine | comment Comment
01/31/03
Sean O'Connell
Sean O'Connell
Eclipse Magazine

For a ringside seat at the secret CIA training process, The Recruit delivers a somewhat fascinating view. Yet, if not powered by Colin Farrell's strong performance, the predictable film would ultimately fall flat on its face.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
01/31/03
Kit Bowen
Kit Bowen
Hollywood.com

Watching James tap on a computer isn't so exciting. And neither is The Recruit.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
01/31/03
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

The mind game can be a great asset to any movie that chooses to apply it correctly, but when it's labored beyond measure and plausibility, the result is a product like The Recruit.

Full Review Source: Cinemaphile.org | comment Comment
01/31/03
David Keyes
David Keyes
Cinemaphile.org

Slick enough to be entertaining to the end, though it's never hard to guess what’s really going on, and despite all the twists there are few surprises.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
01/31/03
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

All sound and fury, signifying, it turns out, not a hell of a lot.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
01/30/03
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

A less-than-middling melodrama whose subject matter and talent never click as much as its credits portend.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
01/30/03
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today

'The major twists and turns are relentlessly predictable and register as sharply as being poked by a stick of margarine. The Recruit needs to undergo some more training from the Hollywood creativity department.'

Full Review Source: Movie Eye | comment Comment
01/30/03
Frank Ochieng
Frank Ochieng
Movie Eye

A film like this also needs a great deal of double, triple and even quadruple crossing and confusion to be effective. Yet, it never really utilizes enough of that type of material to create the sort of experience for which it's obviously aiming.

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
01/30/03
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

Preposterous CIA thriller.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/30/03
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

The Recruit epitomizes the phrase 'genre filler.'

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
01/30/03
Nick Carter
Nick Carter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
 
121 - 140 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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