It's like this movie decided the original needed a higher body count, more shootouts, bigger guns, and an overbearing score, mixed with a few new characters, only one of whom I gave a small amount of care for. Die Umsetzung der Romanvorlage von Frederick Forsythe ist noch immer ein exzellenter, schnörkelloser Thriller, der nicht zuletzt, weil er seine Story gradlinig erzählt, dem späteren Remake mit Bruce Willis und Richard Gere haushoch überlegen ist. The Jackal Critics Consensus. (de) The Jackal is a 1997 American political action thriller film directed by Michael Caton-Jones, and starring Bruce Willis, Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier (in his final film appearance to date). Der Film ist eine freie Neuverfilmung des gleichnamigen Films von Fred Zinnemann aus dem Jahr 1973, der auf dem Roman Der Schakal von Frederick Forsyth basiert. As a remake, this is a 1/5, but as an overall film, it gets a 1.5/5 because it is at least enjoyable at a few times. The Day of the Jackal (1971) is a thriller novel by English author Frederick Forsyth about a professional assassin who is contracted by the OAS, a French dissident paramilitary organisation, to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France.. The Jackal is a relatively simple chase thriller incapable of adding thrills or excitement as the plot chugs along. it's very boring and very long. this movie is 2 1/2 hours long.. i fell a sleep a handful of times and there's no music in the whole thing.