Twists and turns at every corner fill the spy thriller “The Recruit” with action and suspense. James Clayton (Colin Farell) is a smart computer techie who graduated from MIT at the top of his class.

Before getting a high paying job from wealthy technology suitors, he is visited by Walter Burke (Al Pacino) who tempts Clayton to join him at the CIA.

Immediately, Clayton, along with several other CIA recruits, are sent to the Farm, a CIA training facility, where he learns how to lie, cheat, and never get caught. There he meets the beautiful trainee Layla (Bridget Moynahan) and is instantly attracted to her.

Training at the Farm proves to be extremely difficult and those who survive are chosen to work for the CIA. What follows is an elaborate and dangerous game in which one spy is following another.

The story weaves in and out of dangerous situations and is at times quite confusing. The action sequences are spectacular, especially those held during the training of the recruits at the Farm.

The daunting Al Pacino does a great job of playing the intimidating Walter Burke. He waltzes in and out of secret offices, downloading information off of computers and chasing the bad guys.

Farell’s previous movies included “Tigerland,” “Minority Report” and “Hart’s War,” but his roles were relatively small. In “The Recruit” Farell takes the lead role and breaks out his talent and good looks as techie turned spy. His next thriller coming out soon is “Phone Booth.”

Moynahan also plays her role well as a charming trainee who attracts the attention and heart of Farell. Director Ronald Donaldson created a high speed thriller with dramatic surprises at every turn. Donaldson knows his way around thrillers, as he proved with “No Way Out” and “Thirteen Days.”

Overall, the movie is exciting with high speed chases and thrills along the way and quite worthy of being checked out.