Written by Mr. Mouseburger 19th Mar 2009

Submitted by Heinz

The Freddy Forsyth classic gets the American treatment in this remake. The Jackal is a killer among killers, a master of his craft, so it is a curiosity why he moved from using a sniper rifle (as in the original film, and the book) which would have been a nice and discreet method of killing his prey, to using a mounted heavy machine gun that fires a gazillion rounds a minute, would not look out of place on a Navy battleship and where each bullet has enough explosives to blow up a small country.

Still, all that is moot, as by this point in the film, his plan to assassinate the First Lady has been foiled by wily ex-IRA bomber Declan Mulqueen, and so the Jackal needs to find an escape route in the ensuing chaos. As is belaboured throughout the film, this man is an expert at pre-planning though and so, donning a policeman's cap, he proceeds towards the subway and escape. Unfortunately for him though, the luck of the Irish is with Mulqueen, and he spots the Jackal eaily in the mass of people milling around.

It should be pointed out at this point that there is history between Mulqueen and the Jackal. Mulqueen is a man hellbent on revenge against the Jackal, as he sees the Jackal as responsible for killing the unborn child of him and Isabella Zanconia.

Giving chase,  Mulqueen seemingly has the Jackal cornered. But to show his complete amorality, and further alienate the character from the audience (who might otherwise think him quite cool), the Jackal grabs a young girl and makes the girl, at gunpoint, plead with Declan to save her life by laying down his weapon.

Declan, who is one of those good IRA types (Yeah, he made some bombs, but he wouldn't kill anyone with them), is forced to put down his weapon in order to prevent the Jackal from hurting her. Now that he is defenceless, the Jackal comes out into the open and prepares to shoot Declan.

*bang*

A gunshot rings out. But it is not from the Jackal's gun. Isabella, Declan's old flame appears from behind the Jackal,  and we realise that she has shot him in the neck. The Jackal's first mistake, in a world that does not tolerate mistakes and he has paid for it with his life. He falls down, in slow motion, and is dead. End of the film, right?


Yeah, right! No way is a character this cool is not going to die in such a wussy way! While Isabella embraces Mulqueen in relief at the fact that the danger is now over. The Jackel opens his eyes, pulls another gun and slowly aims it at Isabella, in an attempt to take another one of Declan's women away from him. However, Mulqueen notices this and proves the quicker of the two, firing several bullets into the Jackal, killing him once and for all. To be sure,to be sure!