The Art of War is the story of Neil Shaw, a United Nations agent who leads a small team of covert operatives. Formally not acknowledged to exist by the UN, the team are sent undercover to employ unorthodox methods to influence participation in key United Nations negotiations. The Art of War ... Read review
Poorly received on its theatrical release,The Artof Waris a film which deserves a second ... more
look. Plot-wise it's a routinely complicated thriller full of double-crosses and sudden shifts of perspective, as Wesley Snipes, secret fixer for the UN, tries to ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
He is both agent and weapon - a critical line of defence for the Secretary General of the ... more
United Nations. He does not even officially exist. Acclaimed action star Wesley Snipes (Blade, US Marshals) is Neil Shaw, an American agent who must uncover an in...
A group of murdered Chinese refugees are found in a container in the New York harbour, ... more
setting off a bizarre and mysterious chain of events leading to the murder of the Chinese U.N. Ambassador. When secret U.N. operative Neil Shaw (Wesley Snipes) is accused of the crime, he must go underground- in effect, vanish from his own life, to solve the mystery and clear his name. He can trust no one except a beautiful U.N. translator (Matiko) who may hold the key to a global conspiracy of cataclysmic proportions.
Widely regarded as "The Oldest Military Treatise in the World " this compact little book ... more
written more than 2 500 years ago today retains much of its original authoritative merit. American officers during World War II read it closely. The Japanese army studied the work for decades and many twentie
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The Art of War is perhaps the most influential book of strategy in the world today. This ... more
classical Chinese text is a penetrating study of organisations in conflict. Compiled over two thousand years ago by Sun Tzu a mysterious Chinese warrior-philosopher the text addresses competition and conflict on every level from the interpersonal to the international. This unique volume includes Mastering the Art of War The Lost Art of War and The Silver Sparrow Art of War.
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Production Year: 1995 - Action/Adventure - Director: Tom Clegg - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Sean Bean, Daragh O'Malley, Allie Byrne, Oliver Cotton, Emily Mortimer, Michael Cochrane
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 1996 - Action/Adventure - Director: Tom Clegg - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Daragh O'Malley, Oliver Cotton, Jason Durr, Sean Bean, Allie Byrne
Advantages: Action and violence! (grr) Disadvantages: Not terribly intelligent
The Art of War is the story of Neil Shaw, a United Nations agent who leads a small team of covert operatives. Formally not acknowledged to exist by the UN, the team are sent undercover to employ unorthodox methods to influence participation in key United Nations negotiations. The Art of War focuses on a particularly monumental trade deal which is about to be signed up between China and the USA. Negotiations are almost complete, when a group of murdered ... ...harbour. When the Chinese ambassador to the USA is assassinated at a dinner function it is clear that certain parties are determined to undermine the negotiations and prevent the deal from foreclosing. Whilst working undercover at the dinner party, Shaw gives chase to the ambassador’s assassin, only to find himself accused of the murder. Things steadily go from bad to worse as Shaw works undercover to try and find out who is behind the whole ... more
The Art of War is the story of Neil Shaw, a United Nations agent who leads a small team of covert operatives. Formally not acknowledged to exist by the UN, the team are sent undercover to employ unorthodox methods to influence participation in key United Nations negotiations. The Art of War focuses on a particularly monumental trade deal which is about to be signed up between China and the USA. Negotiations are almost complete, when a group of murdered Chinese refugees is found in a container in New York harbour. When the Chinese ambassador to the USA is assassinated at a dinner function it is clear that certain parties are determined to undermine the negotiations and prevent the deal from foreclosing. Whilst working undercover at the dinner party, Shaw gives chase to the ambassador’s assassin, only to find himself accused of the murder. Things steadily go from bad to worse as Shaw works undercover to try and find out who is behind the whole plot. Needless to say, things are not quite what they seem to be…..
The plot of “The Art of War” becomes more and more convoluted as the film progresses, and to be honest by the time the two hour running time had finished I’m not sure I fully appreciated everything that had happened. That aside I found plenty to like about this film, and found it generally very enjoyable to watch.
Visually, there are many extremely impressive sequences. The director managed to create a great sense of atmosphere at several points during the film – notably whilst Shaw was chasing an unknown assailant through torrential rain. The set pieces used in the opening sequences of the film are colourful and lavish, and the whole film has an extremely energetic, vibrant feel. Many of Shaw’s stunts and moves could easily have been seen in a James Bond movie, but the character of Shaw is fundamentally more straight-laced – no cheesy quips or gags crop up at all. In light of this, I was rather disappointed with a couple of technically very poor sequences which involved very unconvincing super imposure. There is even one of those cringe worthy sequences when two characters are sat in a car which is supposed to be driving along but is quite clearly in a studio.
The film has quite a high level of violence, some of it quite graphic although all in keeping with the plot and tone of the film. There are a number of fight sequences involving Shaw which are consistently well choreographed, with just a touch of humour thrown in. The climax of the film is a one on one fight between Shaw and his adversary which I thought was excellent. The scene combines a breathtaking exchange of gun fire between the two men, with some stylish shots of bullets cutting through the air at reduced speeds, balanced against frantic hand-to-hand combat. Snipes moves extremely well and it was quite apparent that he had employed some of the martial arts skills that he had picked up in Blade.
Although Shaw becomes involved with a beautiful UN worker, the relationship that he develops with his female companion is no more than a friendship, which came as something of a relief to me – I was quite surprised that the director had resisted the temptation to introduce a love interest. However, I wasn’t totally convinced with the characterisation of Shaw - despite the fact that he was an undercover agent for a peace-keeping agency he seemed to have a tendency to kill people far too readily, and I felt that the film-makers needed to build on the fact that he didn’t work for the military or the FBI. The concept of who he was and what he was doing was quite original, but his methodology was rather cliched. In fact, the film does suffer from a rather heavy dose of cliches. It’s not long before Snipes is bouncing around a basketball court (do all black Americans do this?) and the revelation of the bad guys is actually rather predictable.
The film benefits from a strong cast and good performances all round. Snipes is as impressive as usual and carries the lead role very convincingly. Anne Archer camps things up suitably as Shaw’s female director of operations and Donald Sutherland is well cast as the Secretary-General, desperately trying to do the right thing. Marie Matiko wins the award for “Strangest Accent of The Year” with a subtle blend of American, English and Japanese, but her Oriental attitude was a refreshing change from the screaming blonde one might normally find in such films. I also liked the amicable FBI agent Capella played by Maury Chaykin who appears to be the only police man with any intellect in the whole movie, and continually crosses paths with Shaw.
I watched the movie on DVD which had a very limited range of extra features – a theatrical trailer was about the best that they could stretch to, but the quality of the soundtrack makes this film worth viewing on DVD, as there is a good mix of contemporary street sounds which helps keep the pace and strength of the film going.
As far as action movies go The Art of War is better than average. I doubt this will convert those who really don’t like gung-ho action movies but I found the film very entertaining. Recommended – with a pinch of salt!
Advantages: Hi-tech, fast-paced action sequences Disadvantages: cliched at times, a bit predictable
The Art of War was arguably a cinematic flop a few years back but it didn't deter me from purchasing the DVD when it came out. All I had seen or heard of the film up until that point was a trailer I saw with a friend when we went to the cinema to see another film.
The film stars the always cool-headed Wesley Snipes as Neil Shaw. He is both agent and weapon for the United Nations. He runs a small covert unit that doen't exist, performing operations ... ...interests for the UN in general. They use unorthodox methods to get negotiations on track and resolutions in the bag. Their latest mission involves them surveying a hopeful trade agreement between superpowers America and China. But when the Chinese ambassador is assassinated and a container full of dead Chinese refugees is found in NYC Harbour, things don't look so good.
Shaw (Snipes - "Blade", "Demolition Man") is pinned down with the murder of ...
DarkMark 07.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Art Of War (DVD)
Advantages: Great viewing pleasure Disadvantages: only minor defects
The Art of War is the story of Neil Shaw, a United Nations agent who leads a small team of covert operatives. Formally not acknowledged to exist by the UN, the team are sent undercover to employ unorthodox methods to influence participation in key United Nations negotiations. The Art of War focuses on a particularly monumental trade deal which is about to be signed up between China and the USA. Negotiations are almost complete, when a group of murdered ... ...harbour. When the Chinese ambassador to the USA is assassinated at a dinner function it is clear that certain parties are determined to undermine the negotiations and prevent the deal from foreclosing. Whilst working undercover at the dinner party, Shaw gives chase to the ambassador’s assassin, only to find himself accused of the murder. Things steadily go from bad to worse as Shaw works undercover to try and find out who is behind the whole ...
Rolf_harris 02.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Art Of War (DVD)
Advantages: some mildly decent action Disadvantages: un-original, boring, confused, seen it all before
...me to go and see the film. Fast forward a year and thanks to my cousin's worrying weakness for poor films on dvd I have now had the chance to see it. Wesley Snipes is one of those actors who seems quite good when he's got the material (Blade, One Night Stand)but more often than not he chooses to some very mundane action films (Drop Zone, Demolition Man). The Art of War is another one of these films. I've no doubt that the original intention was to ... ...agent who is framed for the murder of a Chinese U.N ambassador. It turns out there is a plot to bring down the United Nations on the eve of a historic summit with China. With everybody out to get him the only person he can trust is a U.N translator who may have some knowledge of a global conspiracy. This is a cue for double-crossing, murder and general gun toting, car chasing action. The plot sounds like a lot of other films and is full of inplausible ...
utero 12.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Art Of War (DVD)
Advantages: Hi-tech gadgets; Action scenes Disadvantages: Very average storyline
...is forced to go on the run from, well, everybody. He plays the role with his usual blend of rippling muscles and fancy gun-slinging. The storyline is altogether less simple. A gratuitous serving of plot twists, à la Usual Suspects, keeps the audience on their toes.
The movie falls down because it takes itself far too seriously. (By the way, Usual Suspects is a much better film.) The plot is riddled with inconsistencies and often unbelievable. This ... ...a stiff upper lip throughout. The regrettably few comedy moments come mainly from the bumbling FBI agent played by Maury Chaykin.
The film's release in the US was marked by accusations of portrayed racism. Certainly, the Asian gangsters are severely stereotyped.
"The Art of War" makes for a tolerable trip to the cinema. Just don't think too much while you're there. Sun Tzu must be turning in his grave. ...
jefferson 08.12.2000 (13.01.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Art Of War (DVD)
Advantages: A good Saturday night action film Disadvantages: Predictable
...'The Art of War' in the newspaper before going ot see it and wasn't really expecting much from the film. But there was nothing else on so off I went, and it was actually worth seeing. I'd love to expain the plot to you all but I must admit, even I (guru of all knowledge!) got slightly (understatement!) lost with the highly political plot, and various sub-plots. Thankfully, there was a followable surface story that caught my attention and kept my ... ...it was entirely evident from the start who the bad guy was going to be! But, as I say, it was entertaining.
I'm not a big fan of Wesley Snipes but he showed surprising talent in this film. And it was good to see a bunch of unknowns playing lead parts and doing well.
So, don't expect ground-breaking performances or original scenes, but do give this a shot. ...
polominted 10.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Art Of War (DVD)
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Contains frequent strong violence and some coarse language
Colour
Colour
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Plot
When a container full of dead Vietnamese turns up on the docks and the ambassador for China is shot, Shaw, an operative for the United Nations, is set up for the murder...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
WARNER HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS, OPTIMUM HOME ENTERTAINMENT; ELEVATION SALES; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Release date
18/06/2001
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
D 018871
Barcode
7321900188715
Screenwriter
Wayne Beach, Simon Davis Barry, Kevin Bernhardt
Languages
Main Language
English
Subtitle Language
English
Hearing Impaired Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Trailer
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
DVD Description
THE ART OF WAR is a suspense-filled action thrill ride. Shaw (Wesley Snipes) is part of a top-secret team working for the United Nations, solving crises and helping maintain world peace. On a new mission involving security for a high-stakes trade pact between China and the United States, the Chinese ambassador is assassinated and Shaw is framed for the crime. Shaw must learn who framed him and why--in the process fighting off Chinese Triad gangsters, high-tech assassins, and the FBI. The only people who help Shaw are a beautiful Chinese translator (Marie Matiko) and a skeptical agent (Maury Chaykin). In addition to saving himself, Shaw has to race to keep the trade deal from collapsing and the United Nations from being humiliated and weakened. A tense techno-spy thriller, THE ART OF WAR boasts strong performances from Chaykin and Michael Biehn. Snipes gives a memorable portrayal as Shaw (half James Bond and half Shaft) with his own unique combination of martial arts expertise and secret agent charisma. Filmed largely in Montreal by Canadian director Christian Duguay (SCREAMERS, THE ASSIGNMENT), THE ART OF WAR is an exciting film with good fight sequences and a fast pace.
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