The Art of War (DVD, 2000)

The Art of War is the first action movie with a hero who works for the United Nations--the U.N. Covert Operations Unit, to be specific. Who knew there was such a thing? Wesley Snipes plays Shaw, their top operative, who's unafraid of dropping several stories from one ledge of a skyscraper to another. When the Chinese ambassador is assassinated, it threatens the stability of an impending trade agreement that the secretary-general (played by Donald Sutherland) has worked so hard to achieve. Shaw gets arrested for the assassination, but who's really responsible? Is it the wily Chinese capitalist? A seemingly affable FBI agent? Only a lovely U.N. interpreter (Marie Matiko) believes he's innocent, especially when someone tries to knock her off and Shaw is the only person she can turn to... well, you get the idea. The script is neither original nor comprehensible, but that's not why you'd want to watch a movie like The Art of War--it's the action. And the action is pretty good, particularly earlier on when the confusions of the plot don't matter as much. Michael Biehn (The Terminator, The Rock) does a serviceable job as one of Shaw's associates, Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction, Clear and Present Danger) tries to seem complicated as the head of the Covert Operations Unit, and Maury Chaykin (The Mask of Zorro, Devil in a Blue Dress) is dependable as ever as the FBI guy.
While on assignment during a UN trade meeting, the Ambassador to China is suddenly killed by an assassin's bullet. Unable to speak of his true identity, top agent Neil Shaw has been set-up for the murder and on the run to prove his innocence.

I enjoyed this DVD and believe it is one of the best Wesley Snipes' movies he's made to date. The interesting story line and character acting combined with a lot of action scenes throughout the movie kept my attention from beginning to end. I won't ruin the movie for others by giving away the specific story details; but, I will say that it is a story about a "war" from a different angle than I expected to see when I purchased the DVD with no advance knowledge of the storyline. If you are a fan of Wesley Snipes movies or a fan of action movies of any kind, I highly recommend this DVD. You will not be disappointed if you purchase it.

I like the on going action in this movie. You have the art of war II, but I happen to like this movie better because of main character Wesley Snipes.

Wesley Snipes has had the misfortune to be lumped in amongst B-Grade actors such as Van Damme, Seagal and Chuck Norris with most of his films in recent years. "The Art of War" is a refreshing turn, though a bit older, in that it thrives most on uncertainty of what the audience sees and hears, and relies less on the 'blow-'em-up-with-a-He-Man-gri​n' type movies that Snipes has fallen prey to in recent years. A solid mystery thriller that keeps you enthralled from start to finish. Check it out for sure.

great movie love action wesley snipes was pretty good in this movie. Over all the movie is very recommendale to anyone who likes action and good story line.