Product Details

• Actors: Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland, Ben Kingsley, Claudia Ferri, Céline Bonnier
• Directors: Christian Duguay
• Writers: Dan Gordon, Sabi H. Shabtai
• Producers: David Saunders, Franco Battista, Joseph Newton Cohen, Josée Bernard, Stefan Wodoslawsky
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: March 17, 1998
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0767806743
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,487 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Assignment" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This intense thriller is a work of fiction with a factual basis. Aidan Quinn stars as Annibal Ramirez, an American naval officer with a striking resemblance to real-life international terrorist Carlos "the Jackal" Sanchez, the scourge of innocent people all over the world in the 1970s and '80s. Mistaken for Sanchez by the Israeli Mossad, Ramirez is arrested but subsequently recruited by the Mossad and the CIA to pose as Sanchez and set him up as a traitor to his underwriters. Ramirez leaves his family, receives training in all aspects of Sanchez's life, and is pulled into the netherworld of terrorism and espionage. Director Christian Duguay (Screamers) wisely emphasizes character growth over obligatory action, drawing compelling portraits of an American intelligence official (Donald Sutherland) preoccupied with Sanchez, his Israeli counterpart (Ben Kingsley), and Ramirez himself, a man whose identity has merged with a monster's. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

The worlds deadliest terrorist and a devoted family man. Two men with nothing in common except the mirrors relection. For twenty years carlos and jackal led a reign of terror so brutal his capture was an international obsession. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 03/22/2005 Starring: Aidan Quinn Ben Kingsley Run time: 119 minutes Rating: R Director: Christian Duguay

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong on Action, Equally Strong on Characterization, January 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Assignment (1997) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This underappreciated flick is a good choice when an above-average dose of characterization is needed with the more typical car chases, explosions, and bleeding bad guys. The special effects are not quite as well done as in bigger names in the Hollywood action genre, but the movie is no less compelling for it. The plot is intelligent and advances at a rapid clip, but not too rapidly to appreciate that the director sees real people behind the characters. Aidan Quinn delivers a believable performance as a reluctant hero deeply tormented by one particular kill-or-be-killed scenario in which there can be no satisfying course of action. (A similar but better crafted exploration of the psychological toll of undercover-type work is seen in Johnny Depp's excellent performance as Donnie Brasco.) Donald Sutherland, on the other hand, turns in his usual tedious performance as. . . well, Donald Sutherland. Altogether, this is an action flick a cut above the norm. Be sure to watch it from beginning to end -- there are several intriguing twists 'n' turns.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This movie rocks right from the credits to the thrilling end, April 28, 2004

By	Rudolf Spoerer "dowadiddi" (Weston, FL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

So OK it's been quite a few years since this movie has been released .... but what a pleasant and intriguing surprise ... The fact that there is speculation that it is based on fact makes the movie abou the capture of the Jakal even more interesting ...

A Quinn, D Southerland and Ben Kingsley ... I mean talk about a stellar cast that DO NOT try to scene steal from each other but rather provide us with believeable and exciting characters ....

You better get the beer and popcorn ready before the movie starts since you will not want to turn off the set until you see the final surprise minutes .....

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than surprisingly good., February 4, 2000

By	John Cobb (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assignment (1997) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Two great actors (Ben Kingsley, Donald Sutherland) and one really good one (Aidan Quinn) give superb performances in this tight as a string thriller involving spies, lies, and the one and only CARLOS.

CIA man Jack Shaw (Sutherland) masterminds a plot to get Carlos, once and for all, when he stumbles upon Annabel Ramirez(Quinn) a Navy officer and a dead ringer for the Jackal.

Absolutely non-stop action and suspense, this thriller never telegraphs it's punches, twisting and turning over and over.

Highest recommendation.