Art of War

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height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><B>DVD <script language="JavaScript"> function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write("<a href=javascript:popUp('http://buybox.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=reelmoviecriticc&link_code=xsc&creative=23424&camp=2025&path=/dt/assoc/tg/aa/xml/assoc/-/B00003CXMV/reelmoviecriticc/ref=ac_bb1_,_amazon')><img src=http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/remote-buy-box/buy1.gif border=0 alt='Buy from Amazon.com' ></a>"); document.close(); </script> <noscript> <form method="POST" action="http://buybox.amazon.com/o/dt/assoc/handle-buy-box=B00003CXMV"> <input type="hidden" name="asin.B00003CXMV" value="1"> <input type="hidden" name="tag-value" value="reelmoviecriticc"> <input type="hidden" name="tag_value" value="reelmoviecriticc"> <input type="image" name="submit.add-to-cart" value="Buy from Amazon.com" border="0" alt="Buy from Amazon.com" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/add-to-cart.gif"> </form> </noscript>  </B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>The Art of War</B> ***1/2 (R)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By George O. Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> Snipes Eclipses Cruise </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Neil: Wesley Snipes</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Julia: Marie Matiko</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Eleanor Hooks: Anne Archer</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Cappella: Maury Chaykin</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Shaw: Donald Sutherland</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Director: Christian Duguay</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: A <I>MI: 2</I> type undercover agent for the United Nations (UN) performs dirty tricks to manipulate public opinion so that a devious foreign policy can be implemented.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> <I>MI:2</I> was the best fun and action film of the summer until <I>The Art of War</I> was released. The action is non-stop; the plot is more realistic; each character has their own special charm; and it's all wrapped with an action edge that has to be seen to be appreciated. You can expect action on par with <I>MI:2,</I> <I>The World Is Not Enough</I>, <I>Entrapment </I>and <I>Gone in 60 Seconds</I>. Where <I>The Art of War</I> is better, is when Neil (Wesley Snipes) has to take out the enemy. He is cold blooded, and judging by the reaction of the fans in the theater, they love it. </div> <bR> <div> Neil uses his skills to manipulate a high ranking military officer in Hong Kong to the bargaining table, with sexual and political blackmail amid the good times of a New Years eve party. There is plenty of kung fu fighting, and escapes that you usually must wait until mid way through other action films to see, so don't be late. </div> <bR> <div> Back in New York, recuperating from his near fatal escape in Hong Kong, Neil is called back into duty for a low impact mission. Eleanor Hooks (Anne Archer), Neil's boss, is an assistant at the UN, working for Director Shaw (Donald Sutherland). Shaw wants to manipulate political events on a trade treaty with the Chinese. Things don't go as planned and Neil gets blamed for the assassination of the Chinese ambassador to the UN.  NYPD Detective Cappella (Maury Chaykin), has a TV's Columbo type relationship with Neil, and they eventually work toward bringing the real killers to justice.  Along the way there are innumerable double crosses that keep the story moving as fast as the action, yet it's not confusing. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: <I>The Art of War</I> is primarily about American and Chinese relations. It establishes that focus by starting out in Hong Kong and ending up in New York City at the UN. As in <I>One Night Stand</I> where Snipes' wife is Asian, a potential romance with a Chinese woman is in the making here. Julia (Marie Matiko) becomes Neil's reluctant buddy as they escape the bad guys who want to kill them, because he's a physical threat and because she knows too much. It was refreshing to see so many Asians in a film whose subject was not ethnicity per se. </div> <bR> <div> As in <I>The Cell</I>, we get inside a person's mind. In this case it's done with creative flashbacks. Unlike many other action films, everything that happens in <I>The Art of War</I> adds something to the story, even though it has many clichés. This action film has all the makings of a series. Agent Neil is serious. He cares for his friends and is righteous. I'd recommend Snipes as the new James Bond, were it not for the fact that he has created a totally new character, and taken that genre to a higher level. The others are still very good, but he's that much better. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> R (sex; violence; nudity; language)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2000</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Wesley Snipes: "Blade"</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Marie Matiko: "Mystery Men"</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Anne Archer: "Rules of Engagement"</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Maury Chaykin: "Entrapment"</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Donald Sutherland: "Space Cowboys"</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Christian Duguay: "The Assignment"</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="502" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="496"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="496" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>