The Art of War

Though The Art of War ultimately comes off as a fairly generic thriller, the film, anchored by Wesley Snipes’ charismatic performance and several unexpectedly enthralling action sequences, does manage to hold one’s interest through the course of its admittedly overlong running time. Snipes plays Neil Shaw, a covert operative who finds himself caught up in a wide-reaching conspiracy involving a dead ambassador and a complex trade agreement between the United States and China. Screenwriters Wayne Beach and Simon Barry have infused The Art of War with a storyline that’s often absurdly complicated, as the pair place a continuing emphasis on the political manoeuvrings of the various supporting characters (including Donald Sutherland’s Douglas Thomas and Anne Archer’s Eleanor Hooks). And because the majority of this stuff isn’t even remotely as intriguing as Beach and Barry clearly believe it to be, there’s little doubt that the film’s midsection, which has been bogged down with meaningless, relentless blather, tends to limp along between the increasingly sparse bursts of violence. It’s a testament to the effectiveness of the various performances and Christian Duguay’s stylish directorial choices that The Art of War nevertheless remains kind of watchable even through its dull spots, with the amped-up finale, in which Shaw and the central villain engage in a bullet-dodging, entirely over-the-top battle, ensuring that the movie does end on an admittedly positive note.

**1/2 out of ****