This term was
popularized in
Apocalypse Now. It describes
Capt. Willard's (
Martin Sheen)'s mission. He's sent into the
jungles of
Vietnam to
terminate Col. Kurtz.
The main difference in translation from the book, Heart of Darkness, to the movie is that (in the book) Marlow is not on a mission to terminate Kurtz; Kurtz merely dies while Marlow brings him back to the colony. Part of Marlow does want him dead, however.
Just in Hollywood terms, it makes the story a lot easier to understand if Willard knows his motive. One of the harder things to grasp in the book is what propels Marlow along at all; mainly it's just morbid curiosity. This wouldn't go over well in a Vietnam war flick.