The plot lacks any sense of direction, and is told in such a reckless manner that it practically derails itself.
The Art of War (2000)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:80
Fresh:13
Rotten:67
Average Rating:3.9/10
Consensus: The Art of War is basically a messy recycling of well-worn action movie cliches.
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis:
A group of murdered Chinese refugees is found in a container in the New York harbor, setting off a bizarre and mysterious chain of events leading to the murder of the Chinese U.N. Ambassador. When...
A group of murdered Chinese refugees is found in a container in the New York harbor, setting off a bizarre and mysterious chain of events leading to the murder of the Chinese U.N. Ambassador. When Shaw is accused of the crime, he must go underground -- in effect, vanish from his own life, to solve the mystery and clear his name. He can trust no one except a beautiful U.N. translator (Marie Matiko) who may hold the key to a global conspiracy of cataclysmic proportions.
Wesley Snipes stars in The Art of War, an international thriller set against the high-stakes corridors of the United Nations. The film also stars Anne Archer (Clear And Present Danger, Short Cuts) as Shaw’s supervisor, Hooks, an ambitious FBI agent; Maury Chaykin (Entrapment) as Capella; Marie Matiko (The Corruptor) as Julia Fang, the U.N. translator who is Shaw’s only ally; and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Chan, the ruthless businessman Shaw suspects of being the mastermind behind the plot; with Michael Biehn (Aliens, the upcoming Cherry Falls) as Shaw’s American agent partner, Bly; and Donald Sutherland (Instinct, A Time To Kill) as U.N. Secretary General Thomas. Also featured in the cast are James Hong (Red Corner), as Ambassador Wu, and Liliana Komorowska (The Assignment) as Novak.
Directed by Christian Duguay (TV’s Joan of Arc, The Assignment) from a screenplay by Wayne Beach and Simon Davis Barry and story by Wayne Beach, the film is produced by Nicolas Clermont (This Is My Father, Monument Avenue) for Franchise Pictures. Elie Samaha, Dan Halsted and Wesley Snipes are the executive producers. Morgan Creek Productions, Inc. and Franchise Pictures and Amen Ra Films present a Filmline International Production of a film by Christian Duguay, Wesley Snipes stars in The Art of War. The film is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Anne Archer, Maury Chaykin, Marie Matiko
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Anne Archer, Maury Chaykin, Marie Matiko, Michael Biehn, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Donald Sutherland
Director: Christian Duguay
Director: Christian Duguay
Screenwriter: Wayne Beach, Kevin Bernhardt, Simon Davis Barry
Reviews for The Art of War
The actual film is just another glossy B-movie thriller, the kind of forgettable action fare that turns up at odd hours on TV.
The Art of War is drenched with a script so incomprehensible you’d prefer Chinese water torture than wracking your brain trying to keep score.
It would be nice if Beach had done some research instead of this moronic mishmash.
Wants to be complex and snappy, but ends up messy and mostly turgid instead.
The Art of War keeps trying to distract us from the wispy inanity of what's going on by blowing something up every time we pause to reflect or wonder.
As directed by Christian Duguay with two left feet and no visual sense, Art of War fails to deliver even as a stock action film.
The Art of War manages to entertain without being enriching, and, at least in some circles, that's the definition of what a summer film is supposed to accomplish.
I chose to enjoy this film as an action-packed popcorn ride starring badass Wesley Snipes kicking butt all over the place, and by God ... it worked!
The Art of War seems to be processed through some demented kaleidoscope, suggesting a film that might exist while the one that does is giving you a headache.
The film is a too-loud, poorly directed and seriously overedited addition to the tired genre of double-crossing international conspiracy movies.
Overly plotted and too coincidence-ridden for a story that’s basically about nothing, this is a film that almost is not there.
Latest News for The Art of War
August 13, 2008:
What The Hell Happened To Wesley Snipes?
In the first part of a new Rotten Tomatoes feature, we examine the career ups and downs of our favorite fallen celebrities -- as charted by the Tomatometer, of course, and... More...
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