review for Code Name: Jaguar on AllMovie

The Man Who Knew Too Much-era Jimmy Stewart would have been the ideal casting choice for naïve, earnest, and confused Stuart Dempsey, a man who is in way over his head without knowing exactly what it is he's in. But Danny Nucci manages to pull if off using his own bumbling charm. The script is tightly constructed and the story is carefully developed; in its own humble way, Code Name compares favorably to other assassination thrillers, such as The Day of the Jackal (1973). There are two rather crucial leaps of faith the viewer must accept -- that Stuart finds the note advertising the sublet in the first place, and that he is a perfect shot with a high-powered rifle. Given those leaps, Code Name: Jaguar is not without its occasional thrills. Sanchez, who absolutely smolders as Dempsey's sudden girlfriend, pulls off a cagey performance and helps add an extra dimension of mystery to the final third of the film when it looks like Dempsey may be smarter than anyone imagines. Beyond that, the fewer plot twists mentioned, the better.