Hollywood continued to spin terrorist redemption and assassin antihero yarns in the run-up to 9/11.

Major Koslova (Venora) bemoans life as gorgeous with a barely visible scar. Jack Black explodes in a shower of blood. Mulqueen's (Gere) rancid Dublin accent poorly fits his presumed Provisional IRA profile. His boring backstory and gormless acting almost ruin the film. The Jackal himself (Willis), a hyper-prepared nut-storm, drives up the score with brutal cool and fun disguises.

Watching this thriller did not totally constitute a waste of my time, but it runs too long, and the plot needs work.