The Recruit cover art

The Recruit Details

2003 Certificate 12
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 17,371 members

James Clayton is fired up. A bartender by night and computer hacker in the few hours of daylight for which he manages to leave his water bed, the kid is flying high, on a roll with a laid-back lifestyle that suits him just fine. Played by an agile Colin Farrell, Clayton is also a heartthrob with his five o'clock shadow and .. Read more

Starring Colin Farrell, Al Pacino, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht
Director Roger Donaldson
Genres Action/Adventure, Thriller

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The Recruit cover art

The Recruit

James Clayton is fired up. A bartender by night and computer hacker in the few hours of daylight for which he manages to leave his water bed, the kid is flying high, on a roll with a laid-back lifestyle that suits him just fine. Played by an agile Colin Farrell, Clayton is also a heartthrob with his five o'clock shadow and chiseled pecks. A cushy job offer from Dell computers peaks his interest in securing a professional career, and at the same moment he meets Walter Burke (Al Pacino), a recruiter from the CIA. Though Clayton's better judgement tells him to stay away from the shady Burke, he is curious to learn whatever he can about his father, who was also a CIA agent, killed in the line of duty. Clayton is sent to an intensive CIA training camp called "The Farm," where he quickly learns the gravity of his decision as he undergoes gruelling tests of physical, mental, and psychological strength. His romantic interest in the gorgeous, tough-as-nails Layla (Bridget Moynahan), a fellow trainee, becomes a weakness as the pressure of the tests steadily increases. Finally, without warning, Clayton is thrown into action as he and Burke go head-to-head in a mission that is more dangerous than either of them realize. With top-notch performances from a sly Pacino and a pumped-up Farrell, THE RECRUIT's best moments come from the intensity resonating between its characters. In addition, the settings and training activities at "The Farm" give intriguing insights into CIA recruitment and initiation.

Starring Colin Farrell, Al Pacino, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Eugene Lipinski
Director Roger Donaldson
Studio TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO
Run time DVD: 1 hr 50 mins
Blu-ray: 1 hr 50 mins
Certificate Certificate 12
Collections 100 Top Thrillers
Genres Action/Adventure, Thriller
Language DVD: English
Blu-ray: English
Released DVD: 18 Aug 2003
Blu-ray: 21 Jan 2008
Production year: 2003
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (2) of The Recruit

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  • 2 stars out of 5

    “Nothing is what it seems”, says Al Pacino, giving another gruff, seen-it-all performance — this time as veteran CIA agent Walter Burke who recruits cocksure computer whizzkid James Clayton (Colin Farrell). The same could be said about the plot of this thriller, an escapist diversion from No Way Out director Roger Donaldson. Most of the action takes place in “The Farm”, a CIA training facility where would-be agents are taught hi-tech espionage and survival skills, and where Clayton meets and falls for enigmatic rival Layla (Bridget Moynahan). Clayton's relationship with his grizzled mentor is then put to the test when Burke tells him that Layla is a mole and orders him — by any means necessary — to find out who she's working for. What follows is completely predictable.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006
  • 1 stars out of 4

    Despite an oft repeated mantra 'nothing is what it seems', a half-alert audience will be ahead of the agents in working out the villain of this paranoid thriller that begins well before succumbing to the usual conspiracy theories.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of The Recruit

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  • 33 out of 38 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    explosive thriller

    in an era where a countrys' first line of defence ,intelligence is most important,comes an explosive thriller staring al pacino and colin farrell.James clayton(farell) might not have the attitude of a typical recruit,but he is one of the most smartest graduating seniors in the country-and he's just the person walter burke(pacino) wants in his agency.James regards the CIA's mission as an intriguing alternative to ordinary life,but before he becomes an opps officer,James has to survive the agencys secret training ground,where green recruits are moulded into seasonedc veterans.Burke teaches him the ropes and rules,james rises through the ranks and falls for layla(Moynahan),one of his fellow recruits.But just when james questions his role and his cat and mouse relationship with his mentor, burke taps him for a special assignment to root out a mole.As the suspense builds towards a gripping climax,it soon becomes clear that the CIA'S old maxims are true.'Trust no one' and 'nothing is what it seems'.

    A trully outstanding film ,edge of seat action start to finnish. a must to see

      • A customer from wales ,mold
      • Posted 06 Nov 2003 19:33

  • Most recent members' review of The Recruit

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  • 3 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    A second rate CIA thriller

    In this second-rate thriller Colin Farrell (‘Phone Booth’) plays a rookie CIA operative who is recruited into the organisation by Al Pacino. During the rigours of the formal training he meets the film's ‘love interest’ in the form of the pretty Bridget Moynahan (TV: ‘Sex and the City’) with whom he is paired. When Farrell flunks the training things look grim, but his career is resurrected by Pacino. Get ready for agents, double-agents and some other agents who never really explained themselves properly. Yawn.

    ‘The Recruit’ is not a great film. There are too many “Oh, come’” and ”That wouldn’t happen” bits in it, not to mention silly computer scenes which always leave me thinking why don’t they just use a PC? I suppose the actors do the best they can with the ropey script, but you can’t help thinking they did this film for the pay-day, especially the great Al Pacino. My disappointment was compounded by the fact that Colin Farrell was excellent in 2002’s ‘Phone Booth’ and that Pacino is normally first rate. Shame.

    OK, for a rainy Sunday but you won’t be telling anyone about this over a pint. I flicked the DVD player's ‘Time Remaining’ feature on pretty near the beginning, which is surely a bad sign.

    Andy Moore

      • AndyMoore from Isle of Wight
      • Posted 26 Oct 2003 15:03

  • News and features

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    88 Minutes

    88 Minutes

    • 29 Sep 2008

    You wait years for a new Al Pacino movie – and then two turkeys come out back to back. The misleadingly titled 88 Minutes (it lasts 108 minutes and feels much longer) was filmed three years ago, before last week’s not-quite-so-terrible-in-retrospect Righteous Kill. The fact that Mr Pacino would agree to work with director Jon Avnet again after this is trashy, tacky, ridiculous thriller is quite mindboggling, but then Al hasn’t had a great millennium lately (S1m0ne, People I... Read more

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Rating breakdown

17,371 Member ratings
  • 100
1,124
  • 90
1,451
  • 80
2,792
  • 70
3,277
  • 60
3,927
  • 50
2,230
  • 40
1,301
  • 30
750
  • 20
358
  • 10
161

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      • Computer genius, James Clayton, is one of the cleverest graduating seniors in the U.S. He is persuaded to try out for the CIA by enrolling in 'The Farm' - a secret training ground for new recruits. ...
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      • James Clayton is fired up. A bartender by night and computer hacker in the few hours of daylight for which he manages to leave his water bed, the kid is flying high, on a roll with a laid-back ...