This is a fun little suspense flick.  Pacino gets to be over the top, and that's always fun to watch.  He does it so often these days that one has to wonder if maybe, just maybe, something snapped and that's how he is all the time.  Here's how the Masked Reviewer imagines Al Pacino at the dinner table: "Pass the salt!  What's the matter with you?  I'm sitting here, trying to eat my scrambled eggs, and you, you sit there, with your fork, looking at me like I'm some kind of freak!  Well, I'm no freak.  I'm no freak!  Why do you not have the common courtesy to give a man his salt?!  Huh?!"  One might think Al Pacino could cut back a little on the salt in his diet.  Of course, it is his intensity that makes him fun to watch.

Colin Farrell plays an American.  He's good with accents.  You hardly can tell that he's...you know.  Irish.  Shhhh.

Bridget Moynahan is hot.  Hubba-bubba.  And she puts in a fine performance herself.  But, even if she didn't have a single line, she'd be worth watching.  Is that wrong to say?  That's not to imply that the Masked Reviewer is objectifying her, but rather that her acting is so strong, she could find a way to move you without saying a single word.  Certainly, some parts of the Masked Reviewer were moved more than others.

The plot is far-fetched and kind of goofy, but this film doesn't take itself too seriously.  It isn't trying to be a realistic depiction of CIA recruitment, it's a fine marginally suspenseful flick. 

DVD Extra Features: Commentary tracks by Farrell and the director.  A "never before seen look into the CIA".  But, if you watch it, they'll probably know and come after you. 

Expectation from the Title:  First, he was the cruit.  Then, the accident.  Now, after a difficult personal struggle, he is: the recruit.

Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything): Spies always look very presentable. 

The Pros: Fun, interesting as you go along.

The Cons: Not deep or moving in any meaningful way.