Today’s quick review: The Recruit. James Clayton (Colin Farrell), a whiz kid from MIT, catches the attention of Walter Burke (Al Pacino), a CIA recruiter. James accepts Walter’s challenge and heads to the Farm, a CIA training facility, where he meets Layla Moore (Bridget Moynahan), a talented fellow recruit. But the training is rigorous, and James must decide how much he is willing to sacrifice to be a covert agent.
The Recruit is a spy thriller that follows the beginning of a young CIA agent’s career, as guided by a cynical veteran agent. In terms of quality, The Recruit is on par with a typical entry in its genre. The premise focuses not on the usual global terrorist threat but instead the CIA’s recruitment and training process. The plot unfolds nicely, with a few good twists to be had, while the cast has just enough depth to support the story.
Al Pacino is The Recruit’s biggest draw. Walter Burke is not Pacino’s most iconic character, but he is certainly a solid one. Pacino plays the role with a gruff personality and Pacino’s usual sarcasm, a flawed mentor figure who keeps his real thoughts secret. Burke provides the movie with its thematic weight, his distrust and cynicism showing James where he could wind up, as well as the limits of his knowledge.
Watch The Recruit if you are in the mood for a solid but not outstanding spy thriller. Al Pacino, a tight plot, and a decent premise make The Recruit a worthwhile watch, but the movie lacks the extra spark to make it exceptional. For a more outlandish take on a similar premise, check out Kingsman: The Secret Service.
6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a good plot and Al Pacino.