|
|
NEW ON VIDEO
The Washington Post; Washington, D.C.; Dec 29, 2000
Start Page: N53
ISSN: 01908286
Abstract:
United Nations covert ops specialist Neil Shaw (Wesley Snipes) is no master
of disguise: His idea of "undercover" is wearing Buddy Holly glasses
and a bad fake beard. After "The Art of War," Snipes will want to
wear a bag over his head. So convoluted it's incomprehensible and dull enough
to put Sominex out of business, "Art" purports to tell the story of
a man (Snipes) framed for murder who goes on the lam with a pretty U.N. translator
(Marie Matiko) to identify a cabal of evildoers bent on derailing some kind
of trade agreement (ohmigod, not the trade agreement!). It's no easy task considering
the good guys aren't all that good either. As Shaw's paper-pushing UN bosses,
Anne Archer and Donald Sutherland look respectively haggard and embarrassed,
while creepy Michael Biehn is the only one seeming to have fun as Shaw's one-time
partner and new worst nightmare. Contains martial arts, gunplay, brutality,
obscenity, corpses and brief glimpses of nudity.
Full Text:
Copyright The Washington Post Company Dec 29, 2000
These movies arrive on video store shelves this week.
A star (*) denotes a movie recommended by our critics.
THE ART OF WAR
(R, 2000, 117 minutes, Warner Bros.)
United Nations covert ops specialist Neil Shaw (Wesley Snipes) is no master of disguise: His idea of "undercover" is wearing Buddy Holly glasses and a bad fake beard. After "The Art of War," Snipes will want to wear a bag over his head. So convoluted it's incomprehensible and dull enough to put Sominex out of business, "Art" purports to tell the story of a man (Snipes) framed for murder who goes on the lam with a pretty U.N. translator (Marie Matiko) to identify a cabal of evildoers bent on derailing some kind of trade agreement (ohmigod, not the trade agreement!). It's no easy task considering the good guys aren't all that good either. As Shaw's paper-pushing UN bosses, Anne Archer and Donald Sutherland look respectively haggard and embarrassed, while creepy Michael Biehn is the only one seeming to have fun as Shaw's one-time partner and new worst nightmare. Contains martial arts, gunplay, brutality, obscenity, corpses and brief glimpses of nudity.
-- Michael O'Sullivan
