The Art of War (2000)

The Long Review:

Once in a while, a movie comes along that tickles your senses and widens your eyes. No, we're not talking sexual here. We're talking clever and fancy, like The Art of War. With a complex plot and jaw-dropping choreography, it's a film worthy of some oohs and aahs.

Let's start with the plot. Can we say complicated? It's about a U.N. super spy, Neil Shaw (Wesley Snipes), whose job is pretty cool…if your idea of a good time is getting shot at or actually getting shot on a weekly basis and pretty much having no identity. Things get very interesting when he gets framed for the assassination of a Chinese ambassador. To prove that he's no criminal (as in he's only killed people he was supposed to), he has to go against the U.S. government, a powerful Chinese businessman, and the Triad, all the while being a fugitive. So basically, he's screwed.

And we enjoy watching him get screwed. (No, not that way!) As in watching him try to solve the big mystery of who's responsible for the big mess he's in, to catch the real bad guy (or guys…yep, we're careful not to give away any spoilers), and to outmaneuver the folks who are out to get him. There's so much adrenaline and excitement, it almost makes you wish you were in Neil Shaw's shoes, unleashing whoop-ass on the deserving few. Almost. Not quite. But really, this plot is a roller coaster ride, with twists, turns, red herrings, and dead ends…left, right, and center. Just when you think you have things figured out, something new comes up. You get clues along the way, but you're so awed by what you see on the screen, that you don't really pay attention.

So what is it that you see that just makes you go, "Ay, chihuahua?" It's Wesley Snipes' moves in those well-choreographed fight scenes. This guy obviously trained hard and long for his martial arts ability to grow like that (right alongside his muscles. He's huge!!); his kicks are definitely higher, his limbs more agile, and his execution virtually perfect...making for some incredibly entertaining fight scenes. We're definitely impressed. Hiiii…yah!!

Aside from the mind-boggling plot and the eye-popping choreography, The Art of War also has a fairly decent cast. Marie Matiko plays Julia Fang, a U.N. interpreter with attitude who becomes Shaw's perky yet mouthy sidekick after she finds herself right smack in the middle of his mess. Anne Archer and Donald Sutherland are convincing as official political figures and all the things associated with politics. And there's the ultimate big bad tycoon, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. He plays the part of villain so well, you feel like kicking his dog. We don't think we've ever seen this guy play someone nice. We'd probably be bothered if he did.

Speaking of which, there are a couple of things that bothered us about The Art of War. Some scenes, although nice and pretty to watch, drag on for too long. We know that the filmmakers want us to be entertained, but c'mon. You can have too much of a good thing. And there are some inconsistencies to the plot. As in things that can never happen and things that should not happen. That takes something away from the movie. Tsk-tsk. Shame, shame.

But overall, this is a good movie. It has a big supply of the good stuff that it keeps dishing out: suspense, action, and some pretty awesome moves. You come out of the theatre satisfied because you know you got a good deal; your eyes wide open to "certain" possibilities and your senses tingling. Ooohh….ahhhh….Now that's entertainment.

Ebert's satisfaction:

ebert says	moviegurus say
n/a	n/a
n/a	n/a
n/a	n/a