The Art of War

Reviewed by:
Ben Lerman

The secret agent accused of a crime he did not commit is not exactly territory untraveled by action films. In order to make us forget that we’ve been down this road before, The Art of War takes us down a tortuous path of political posturing. In fact, if you can follow the international intrigue, you’re probably a secret agent yourself. When the characters finally shut up and fight, the movie comes through with a couple of gruesome kills. Even so, the flick falls flat. The martial arts stylings of Wesley Snipes made us laugh, and the neglectful miscasting of Donald Sutherland made us weep. For every scene the sultry Marie Matiko heats up, the tired Anne Archer cools you down. If you’re hooked on political action thrillers, you will see this film, but be warned: It won’t be as satisfying as renting Patriot Games for the fourth time.

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