The Art of War (2000)
Average Rating: 3.9/10
Reviews Counted: 80
Fresh: 13 | Rotten: 67
The Art of War is basically a messy recycling of well-worn action movie cliches.
Average Rating: 3.8/10
Critic Reviews: 26
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 20
The Art of War is basically a messy recycling of well-worn action movie cliches.
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Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 26,283
My Rating
Movie Info
A spy who has convinced much of the world he doesn't exist now must prove that he does in order to save thousands of lives in this thriller. After the assassination of Wu (James Hong), China's ambassador to the United Nations, in the midst of negotiations on a trade pact, FBI agent Neil Shaw (Wesley Snipes) is assigned to ferret out the killer by his superior, Eleanor Hooks (Anne Archer). But Shaw soon discovers that he's now considered a key suspect in the murder, and is the subject of a
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Cast
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Wesley Snipes
Neil Shaw -
Anne Archer
Eleanor Hooks -
Maury Chaykin
Cappella -
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
David Chan -
Donald Sutherland
Douglas Thomas -
Michael Biehn
Bly -
Marie Matiko
Julia -
Liliana Komorowska
Novak -
James Hong
Ambassador Wu -
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All Critics (94) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (13) | Rotten (70) | DVD (19)
In this pretentiously titled international thriller, which is sloppily directed, Wesley Snipes plays an American agent who gets involved in the emerging relations between China and the Western world, with a shaky U.N. placed right in the middle.
Quickly falls into B-picture visual cliche, accompanied by leaden dialogue, as it simplifies its ambitious story for the sake of too many shootouts and overblown chases.
A disgustingly violent morass of high-tech beatings and killings.
The film is a too-loud, poorly directed and seriously overedited addition to the tired genre of double-crossing international conspiracy movies.
...[features] several unexpectedly enthralling action sequences...
...so contrived and formulaic, in spite of a few obvious detours, it's clearly a road we've taken before.
Sun Tzu believed that becoming predictable would lead to disaster. Apparently, the creators of The Art of War couldn't be bothered to take him to heart.
If Wesley Snipes were TWICE as cool as he thinks he is...this movie would still stink.
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August 13, 2008:
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Top Critic
Snipes plays a covert UN Agent whose job is to assist the UN on issue which are deemed "necessary" - from espionage to outright blackmail, which is evident in the introduction .
I think people kept on saying the plot was confusing and noone understood what was going on. Sorry people, but you're a little silly, you obviously know what "The Art of War" is, and its no mystrey why a movie is titled so. It becomes FULLY clear in the climax when things are explained through some smart dialouge - and the plot was simple really, the method of execution complex, but high effective... the only problem being is Snipes was learning quick that someone was forcing him to chase shadows and false leads and he was the bait.
Anyways, if you're wondering why its so confusing, because Snipes' character is supposed to portray confusion and helplesness in being cut off and abandoned, with Chinese gangsters, police and the FBI hot on his heels. If you're confused, good, watch it again and try to put the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle - every scene, every image has a meaning, it does take some concentration.
Though its not 100% perfect, it was a matter of a new style of filming and idea which never really reached the full potential until The Bourne Identity and its successors kicked ass at the box office.
It also interesting to see things like new technology back in 2000, like touch screen PDA's and wireless internet which only became consumer friendly in 2005, 5 years from when the movie was released.
Anyways, the action is slick, the cast above average, i think Michael Biehn was the standout support. The final fight scene was expllosvie and smoother than your average, something unqiue and obviously set the trend.
Anyway, I think a lot of movies afterwards really borrowed something from The Art of War, and I believe a lot of people canned it because of the Snipes name and the fact it was mainly a European production and Indie movie release.
Well, if you like movies like this and wanted to see where it all started for the new millenium, this is the one to watch.