The Art of War (2000) Christian Duguay

Production Budget: $40 million Gross: about $34 million

Neil Shaw (Wesley Snipes) is a covert operative for the United Nations (yeah just go with it *rolls eyes*).  Anyway Shaw is assigned for one last job against the Chinese ambassador that goes horribly wrong.  Shaw now has to find out who betrayed him and who wanted the ambassador dead.

For the longest time my review was about one sentence: this is a very bland and mediocre action movie.  Buuuuuuut I couldn’t just leave it at that I guess.   I suppose I will take a little time and ask what the hell happened to Wesley Snipes?  Well, tax evasion, a weapons charge and a reckless driving conviction.  No,  I’m talking about his acting career.  He was a consistent actor right up to about Blade.  Then we see the downward spiral to Direct to Video or Seagal’s disease.  Sure he’s had the decent Undisputed and the old stand by of the Blade series.  But it appears that his days as a real action star are pretty much over.  Maybe its because he alone is not a big action draw or maybe he’s a huge douche in person.  I dunno.

Anyway, Art of War.  It’s a very bland and mediocre action movie.  The plot would be the same as a bad episode of Alias (so, most of the episodes on Alias).  Its clear from the onset he was set up, so it’s a little mind boggling they try to build up this surprise twist ending.  I would prefer he knew all along, and the movie turn into a revenge flick.  Instead we have to go through the motions of Shaw finding clues and piecing the lame mystery together.

The action is okay.  Snipes is a good enough martial artist he could do scenes like this in his sleep.  Being 2000, we have to have the obligatory “rip off the Matrix” scene which is freaking stupid.  The problem is the action is put on the back burner for the lame intrigue plot.  So we don’t really get enough action to really satisfy people coming in for a mindless but fun movie.

There is nothing else to really talk about here.  The acting is serviceable, the music is fine, and there is nothing too insipid.  I didn’t hate this, but it was one big MEH movie.  I wouldn’t ask you guys to waste your time with this one.  I guess this movie wasn’t that bad of a failure though.  There are two direct to video sequels to this.  I guess it did well on DVD.