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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.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for violence, sexuality and language

Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Jan 31, 2003 Wide

Box Office: $52,724,557

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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Release:

May 27, 2003

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The Recruit
  • Academy Award(R)-Winner Al Pacino (Best Actor, SCENT OF A WOMAN, 1991) and Colin Farrell (MINORITY REPORT) take you deeper into the CIA than you've ever been before in this action-packed psychological thriller. James Clayton (Farrell), one of the smartest graduates in the country, is just the person Walter Burke (Pacino) wants in the Agency. James quickly rises through the ranks and falls for Layla (Bridget Moynahan, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS), one of his fellow recruits. But just when James starts to question his role and his cat-and-mouse relationship with his mentor, Burke taps him to root out a mole. As the suspense builds in a maze of gripping twists and turns, there are only two things James can count on -- he can't trust anyone and nothing is as it seems. It's the ultimate CIA thriller with so many surprise plot twists, you'll want to watch it again and again.
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Recruit

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
    04/29/09
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Cinema Crazed

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
    08/07/08
    Mark Halverson
    Mark Halverson
    Sacramento News & Review

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

    Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
    06/01/08
    Peter Canavese
    Peter Canavese
    Groucho Reviews

    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 Source: Oscar Guy | comment Comment
    08/08/06
    Wesley Lovell
    Wesley Lovell
    Oscar Guy
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Geoff Andrew
    Geoff Andrew
    Time Out

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Film Threat

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

    Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
    02/08/05
    Michael Dequina
    Michael Dequina
    TheMovieReport.com

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

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

    Click to read the article

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

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
    05/19/04
    Jeff Strickler
    Jeff Strickler
    Minneapolis Star Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

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

    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 Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
    01/04/04
    Daniel M. Kimmel
    Daniel M. Kimmel
    Worcester Telegram & Gazette

    Interessante até o terceiro ato, quando se perde em ‘reviravoltas’ completamente previsíveis.

    comment Comment
    11/20/03
    Pablo Villaca
    Pablo Villaca
    Cinema em Cena

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

    Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
    10/19/03
    Tim Robey
    Tim Robey
    Daily Telegraph

    Chris Owens: You're onscreen for about half a minute of The Recruit, but that half a minute was the most enjoyable experience I had all evening.

    Full Review Source: ToxicUniverse.com | comment Comment
    10/01/03
    Keith Uhlich
    Keith Uhlich
    ToxicUniverse.com

    ...plays like one of those lame straight-to-video flicks that usually star either Eric Roberts or Dean Cain...

    Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
    08/01/03
    David Nusair
    David Nusair
    Reel Film Reviews
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
    07/02/03
    Boston Phoenix

    ...so dependent on plot contrivances and so altogether preposterous, it seems an unfortunate waste of Pacino's and Farrell's acting talents.

    Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
    06/20/03
    John J. Puccio
    John J. Puccio
    DVDTown.com

    . . .the film ends as a nonentity, arriving at a conclusion that is not satisfying and completely nonsensical because it preys on our stupidity rather than that of the characters.

    Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
    06/09/03
    Todd Gilchrist
    Todd Gilchrist
    FilmStew.com

    A spy thriller with more twists in its plot than a sailor's knot.

    Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
    05/08/03
    Robert Roten
    Robert Roten
    Laramie Movie Scope
     
     
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