zkonedog As a fan of the action/thriller genre, I have seen my share of this fare. "The Recruit" occupies a spot near the top of my list due to its fast-moving plot and bevy of twists/turns.The basic plot of this film focuses on a fresh crop of CIA wannabes. One cadet in particular (Colin Farrell) catches the eye of the lead instructor (Al Pacino), and is given a top-secret assignment far beyond his supposed experience level. From there, the stakes only continue to escalate as the cadet struggles to complete his mission.The hallmark of this movie is that just when you think you have a bead on it, it throws you another curveball. Some of the other Amazon reviewers have commented that the plot twists seemed predictable or inconsistent, but I couldn't disagree more. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire film and never felt cheated or jerked around.The acting is also sound all around. Pacino may be kind of a nut, but he sure can act (he almost steals the show in this case). Farrell is adept as the young cadet who wants something more than a 9-5 employment. Bridget Moynahan also turns in a good performance as a potential love interest for Farrell's character.Thus, I highly recommend "The Recruit" to any and all fans of action/thrillers. The acting is good enough to suck you in, while the hairpin-turn plot twists will keep you guessing until the very end.

Python Hyena The Recruit (2003): Dir: Roger Donaldson / Cast: Colin Farrell, Al Pacino, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Kenneth Mitchell: Total mind game where viewers are sent through the same sort of manipulation as the hero. The title seems to suggest recuperation of our past. Colin Farrell seeks answers regarding his father who was a C.I.A. agent who died in 1990. An encounter with Al Pacino has him asking more questions but instead he is trained as a C.I.A. agent. He assigns Farrell to find out who a fellow trainee is working for and from there he is led deceit, betrayal and near death situations. Setup gives backgrounds then the screenplay delivers numerous effective plot twists until unveiling a mindless conventional climax. Directed by Roger Donaldson after having directed such crap as Species and Dante's Peak. Farrell presents emotional confusion and frustration as he is sucked into the past. He survives out of luck and intellect. Pacino succeeds as a connection to the past who tests Farrell for a mission that will reveal certain people as something other than what they are presenting. Bridget Moynahan makes a great impression as a female recruit whom Farrell is ordered to follow. The romantic elements are obvious. Gabriel Macht is too brief as a trainee, and other roles are pretty much standard issue for this sort of film. Plays like an episodic crime show and that's not a compliment. Score: 5 ½ / 10

namashi_1 'The Recruit' isn't the finest thriller you must've seen in the early 2000's, but its a worthy watch nonetheless. Engaging & well-acted, this box-office hit definitely isn't without merit! 'The Recruit' Synopsis: A brilliant young CIA trainee is asked by his mentor to help find a mole in the Agency.'The Recruit' has a terrific first-hour, as all the sequences as well as its characters motives, succeed in keeping you engaged & thrilled. The second-hour is slightly problematic, thats mainly because the twists in this hour lack shock-value. The identity of the culprit doesn't come as a shock & that certainly isn't a good thing for a thriller. Nonetheless, the pace is nicely maintained almost throughout.Roger Towne, Kurt Wimmer & Mitch Glazer's Screenplay is superb in parts, but loose at times. A better finale, would've only enhanced the overall impact. Roger Donaldson's Direction is stylish. Stuart Dryburgh's Cinematography is eye-filling. David Rosenbloom's Editing is fair.Performance-Wise: Al Pacino owns 'The Recruit'. The Thespian ignites the screen on fire & dominates every frame he's in. Colin Farrell is excellent. He's so good in here! Bridget Moynahan is first-rate, matching up-to Pacino & Farrell at every step.On the wholes, 'The Recruit' works, despite some flaws. Watch it!

Jafar Iqbal I can't help but love watching Al Pacino act. It's a joy, really. Like most of us, it started with 'The Godfather'. But you have those other gems, like 'Dog Day Afternoon', and 'Scent Of A Woman', and 'Heat', and 'Serpico'. I could go on. But like that other amazing Italian-American actor, Robert DeNiro, Pacino has developed the bad habit of acting in substandard films.Which brings me onto 'The Recruit'. Al Pacino's in it, but we're actually following Colin Farrell, who plays James Clayton. James is a brilliant young CIA trainee who is asked by his mentor Walter Burke – that's Pacino – to find and stop a mole in the Agency.It's probably a bit harsh of me to say 'The Recruit' is substandard. It's not terrible to watch, and it's actually quite good in parts. There's a real chemistry between Pacino and Farrell. You expect Pacino to be great (he is), but Farrell really holds his own too. You can track his improvement as an actor through his filmography, and this is more towards the better end of his performances. Not quite 'In Bruges', but still strong.While the idea of CIA training and top-secret recruiting is exciting, it doesn't quite translate into a great film. At least, it doesn't translate into this film being great. It makes some for some nice first-half set pieces as the trainees are put through their paces. Once the tone of the film changes, though, it becomes less interesting, and slightly predictable.I also really don't believe the relationship between James and Layla (Bridget Moynahan). They seem to fall in love instantly and it doesn't work. Bridget Moynahan doesn't work at all, really. It could have been much better if it was a better actor. Sorry, Bridget.Overall though, the film is decent. Not really much more than that. Some great acting, yes, but it isn't enough here. First half promise is not lived up to in the second half, and that's a bit of a shame.