Product Details

• Actors: Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Kenneth Mitchell
• Directors: Roger Donaldson
• Writers: Kurt Wimmer, Mitch Glazer, Roger Towne
• Producers: Gary Barber, Jeff Apple, Jonathan Glickman, Megan Wolpert
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English, Persian, Russian
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• VHS Release Date: May 27, 2003
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (158 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008X5J0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,615 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"Nothing is as it seems" in The Recruit, a guessing-game thriller that employs plot twists and conflicting loyalties as its primary raison d'être. Surrounded by potential deception, a newly recruited CIA officer (Colin Farrell) must determine if his manipulative instructor (Al Pacino) is being honest when he identifies Farrell's fellow recruit and love interest (Bridget Moynihan) as an enemy "mole" assigned to steal a dangerous computer virus from CIA headquarters. While claiming to offer an insider's look at CIA training methods, this engrossing yet ultimately predictable plot is pure Hollywood fantasy; any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental, leaving the perpetually unshaven and scruffily coiffed Farrell to fend for himself in Pacino's cynical arena while tracing his familial roots in the spy game. Wearing its cleverness on its sleeve, The Recruit is an adequately elaborate puzzle of perceptions. "Everything is a test," as Farrell soon realizes, and attentive viewers will enjoy piecing it all together. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker

Colin Farrell, the young Irish actor, has dark, hurting eyes, stubble on his upper lip and chin, and a slender, lithe body. He can't miss as a star, and he gives promise of knowing what he's up to as an actor. He's also the only interesting thing in "The Recruit," yet another paranoid thriller. This one is about training for the C.I.A., and it also stars Al Pacino in his domineering-satanic mode, complete with an opera-house Mephistopheles beard and glittering eyes. The Australian-born filmmaker Roger Donaldson has always been a competent director, but he doesn't have the wit to rise above a bad script, which, in this movie, leaves the unfortunate impression that the recruits are training less for intelligence work than for future appearances in action movies. -David Denby
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hoo Ha! Same Al, different movie., January 29, 2003

By 

Paul M. Varga "Tauren Guard" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
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Al Pacino may not be the most versatile actor in the world, but he is a good actor; and, he proves it in this movie.

Al plays a 'scout' for the CIA looking for a few good spies. He finds bartender and computer hacker extraordinaire (how's THAT for a double career) played by Colin Farrell. The first spy talent seems to be keeping your 5 o'clock shadow exactly the same throughout the entire movie. :)

Colin and several other spy wannabes are chosen and sent to a training camp called 'The Farm' where Colin meets a delicious recruit played by Bridget Moynahan (NOTE: calling them by their character names just slows me down). Bridget quickly learns the spy trait at crying at the drop of a hat.

Without blabbing off too much more of the storyline, Al gives Colin an assignment that prepares him quite well for the life of a CIA agent.

There are several plot twists in this movie but not so many that it gives you a migraine. About the only thing that does is the constant verbal reminder in the film that "nothing is as it seems".

Overall, great acting all around and very good action scenes. The PG-13 rating is well deserved since it isn't overly bloody or violent.. i.e. it isn't going to put an idea into your teenager to go out and do something stupid.

Movie warnings: almost but not quite nudity (backless Bridget in a shower scene), sex with WAY too many covers, and profanity (mostly by the audience complaining about the covers).

Is it worth seeing? For matinee prices, definitely. For evening prices, yes, if you're into thriller movies.

And, just like in the movie, "PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONES." :)

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You've seen it before, but you'll see it one more time, March 10, 2003

By 

J R Zullo (São Paulo, Brazil) - See all my reviews

"The recruit" is like this: Collin Farrell is James Clayton. He's graduated top of his class in MIT, he's a computer wizard, he's developed a revolucionary software and he's currently working as a bartender in Boston. Hmmm. Al Pacino is Walter Burke, a CIA recruiter and instructor who claims to have an eye for good talented fresh spies. So, Walter Burke recruits James Clayton to work with CIA.

At some point of the movie, Al Pacino's character says: "Nothing is what it seems". This is what "The recruit" is about. Deceiving. Of course, it's a good thriller, lots of action scenes, interesting psychological (even if it's very shallow) aspects, a love affair between two of the main characters, a good car-chase scene, etc. Even so, the script is very formulaic, following a pattern that has done well previous times. There are plot twists every time, but every time you see them coming.

Colin Farrell seems to be the star of the moment. Although in this movie the producers tried to fix him an image of never-shave-bad-boy-baby-face, he's competent and talented, giving credibility to his scenes. Al Pacino has to take care: he's starting to repeat himself. His character Walter Burke is like his character in "Donnie Brasco", "The insider", "Carlito's way", etc. But, still, his mere presence is motive to watch this movie. This is Bridget Moynahan's most-time-on-screen movie, and her career should get going well if she keeps it like this.

There are a lot of plot-holes and things that make the viewers role their eyes, so this is the "put your brain in neutral" kind of movie.

Watch and have fun.

Grade 8.0/10

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing is as it Seems, February 3, 2003

By 

W. Russell "warussl" (Camarillo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Al Pacino delivers another great performance as a veteran CIA operative tasked with scouting and training young agent hopefuls. He recruits a MIT computer genius played by Colin Farrell. Colin is sent with other agent hopefuls to the CIA training facility known as the farm. Here they learn the basics of espionage, weapons, and survival. Only the best are selected to go on as CIA agents while others are weeded out. In the course of his stay at the farm, Colin falls for another agent recruit played by Bridget Moynahan. This is the type of movie that has a lot of plot twists, so too deep of an explanation could ruin the surprise. Suffice it to say that "nothing is as it seems". If you like spy thrillers and/or are a Pacino fan, this movie is recommended.