The Recruit

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Bradley M @RT04941057 May 6 Disclaimer: this is a rant meant for people who have seen the movie (spoilers ahead). In the movie The Recruit, senior CIA agent Walter Burke is a trainer of new CIA recruits. Burke however is disgruntled; he has turned coat, and made a deal with a foreign government for $3 million dollars in exchange for a CIA-developed computer virus called ICE-9. Among Burke's most recent recruits are Clayton and Layla. After CIA recruitment training is complete, Burke puts his plan to steal the virus into motion. The plan... Burke tells Layla to perform a penetration test on Langley, and try to smuggle out ICE-9 (Layla believes ICE-9 is just some benign app). Burke then tells Clayton to stop Layla!? Again, Burke wants Clayton to find out who Layla is taking orders from, and stop her. It makes zero sense. Burke's master plan is to secretly steal ICE-9 using Layla, while having Clayton try to stop her. The villain's genius plan boils down to: Run an op then actively sabotage your own op. See more shane O @Shanes_DVD_Shack Mar 29 A solid thriller , good acting , good twist an enjoyable watch See more Ray C @RT17651982 Dec 8 A rather dull and uninspired little espionage thriller. The Recruit has a handful of decent twists but falls apart by the finale. Al Pacino is definitely the highlight however. See more Matthew T @RT18266008 Nov 17 A rather underrated espionage thriller - I am shocked by its RT rating and dismissive comments by critics! A witty script, fantastic stars, and possibly Pacino's last truly great performance (he is contractually obliged to get a 2 minute onscreen rant to himself in any given movie and this one doesn't disappoint). This movie truly embodies its maxim - that nothing is what it seems. It is not predictable at all. I genuinely started to lose track of what was real and what wasn't. Note that this is 'realistic' spy work - not James Bond. Don't expect gadgets and explosions and lasers from space. But its understated nature is what makes this movie so uniquely charming. I can't think of a movie that has done this better. Spy Game? No Way Out? I prefer this. It's in that ballpark. It's telling that other successful spy movies like Kingsman have borrowed much from The Recruit. My only criticism is that, after the training section which is awesome, it does enter a duller, greyer, slower burn phase - which is appropriate to the story but might turn off some viewers. The last act however more than makes up for it. And look out for an early Harvey Spectre ;) See more Daniel S @RT37151421 Sep 29 Hack the Planet... With Gobbledygook! So, here’s the deal.. The Recruit throws you right into the CIA’s secret world where nothing and no one can be trusted. Colin Farrell plays James Clayton, a young computer genius pulled into the spy game by Al Pacino’s slick mentor figure, Walter Burke. Alongside fellow recruit Layla (Bridget Moynahan), he dives headfirst into a training ground called “The Farm,” where you get all the James Bond.. style action: combat, spy tricks, and high-stakes mind games. The movie definitely knows how to keep you guessing.. twists keep dropping left and right, and it’s a constant cat-and-mole chase that’ll have you wondering who’s actually pulling the strings. Farrell brings the heat, showing why he was one of the hottest rising stars of the early 2000s, and Pacino, as always, is a blast to watch. But let’s be real: the plot tries to be super clever and ends up kinda messy. It leans too hard on hacking jargon and spy-tech mumbo jumbo, while the “trust no one” theme feels a little predictable after the third twist. It’s entertaining, sure, but not exactly groundbreaking. Think of it as a fun, slightly over-the-top popcorn flick that’ll pass a chill evening.. not a spy classic. ⭐ Verdict: If you’re here for Pacino’s charisma or Farrell’s rising-star energy, The Recruit delivers enough to keep you hooked. Just don’t expect flawless storytelling.. this is more of a stylish, twisty ride than a deep dive into spy drama. See more J T @UtahRondo 06/14/2025 I enjoyed this movie. I thought it had a little too much predictability. But it kept you guessing just enough that it worked. I thought the 3 mains were really good. Good movie. See more Read all reviews

The Recruit

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