MOVIE FACTS 

GENRE: ACTION/ADVENTURE
DIRECTOR: CHRISTIAN DUGUAY
CAST:  WESLEY SNIPES, MARIE MATIKO, ANNE ARCHER, DONALD SUTHERLAND, MAURY CHAYKIN, MICHAEL BIEHN...
YEAR: 2000
DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROTHERS
RATING :

MOVIE REVIEW ()             REVIEW BY JERM
THE ART OF MAKING MOVIES: A RECIPE FOR MEDIOCRITY!  ADD 1 CUP OF BIG BAD
GUY, 2 CUPS OF SUPER SMART SECRET AGENT, 1 ½ TABLESPOONS OF CONSPIRACY, 3
OZ. OF NUDITY, MIX UNTIL SLIGHTLY LUMPY, ADD $40M AND BAKE.  WHAT DO YOU
GET? WELL, IN THE SPIRIT OF SUCH OTHER MEDIOCRE MOVIES AS MOST WANTED (1997)
AND U.S. MARSHALS (1998) WE HAVE: THE ART OF WAR.  ONCE AGAIN WE'RE THROWN A
TYPICAL SUPER SECRET DEADLY AGENT WHO'S BEING FRAMED FOR A MURDER HE
DIDN'T'T COMMIT.  SNIPES PLAYS SHAW, OUR FALL GUY FOR THE MOVIE.  TRYING TO
BE ORIGINAL, THE MOVIE IS SET AROUND A HISTORIC TRADE NEGOTIATION THAT IS
BEING OVERSEEN BY THE UNITED NATIONS.  THE CHIEF AMBASSADOR IS ASSASSINATED
AND SHAW IS FRAMED.  NOW AGAINST ALL ODDS, SHAW MUST UNRAVEL THE CONSPIRACY
AND FIGHT TO CLEAR HIS NAME: CUE MUSIC, HIT THE CREDITS, AND WATCH THE MONEY
ROLL IN.  NOW WHILE THE MOVIE DOES HAVE SOME GOOD ACTION IN IT, IT'S NOT
ENOUGH TO COVER THE "DONE A MILLION TIMES" STORY AND BAD ACTING BY HALF THE
CAST.  SNIPES IS GOOD, HE PLAYS HIS CHARACTER AS IF HE'S IN A $100M SUMMER
BLOCKBUSTER.  THE OTHER CHARACTERS PLAY LIKE THEY'RE READING THEIR LINES OFF
OF A CUE CARD.  DIRECTION IS ACCEPTABLE, THE DIRECTOR DOES USE FLASHBACKS
VERY NICELY AND HE ALSO HAS A GOOD FEEL FOR A GUN FIGHT.

DVD REVIEW ()
IN CONTINUING WITH WARNER BROTHERS BAD DVD RELEASE RECORD, WE HAVE
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING INTERESTING ON THIS POOR DVD.  A TRAILER AND BIOS.
WARNER DID, ALTHOUGH, FIND THE TIME TO ADD TRAILERS FOR A COUPLE OF IT'S
OTHER MOVIES, BUT DIDN'T'T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT TOO MUCH ELSE.  THE SURROUNDS
ARE OCCUPIED THROUGH MOST OF THE MOVIE WITH MUSIC.  DIALOG NEEDED TO BE
PUMPED UP A LITTLE, YOU FIND YOURSELF PLAYING WITH THE VOLUME DURING THE
MOVIE, TRYING TO COMPENSATE FOR LOW DIALOG AND REALLY LOUD ACTION SEQUENCES.
PICTURE IS, OF COURSE, GREAT.  VERDICT: RENT IT FOR THE ACTION, BUT DON'T
EXPECT MUCH ELSE.

facts :
RUNTIME: 117 MIN
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH (DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1)
RATING: R
SUBTITLES: ENGLISH
REWATCH: 2X
 

 

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