It’S The Same Old Film

The Art of War (Rated R)

Why does it seem like Wesley Snipes keeps doing the same film again and again? The answer is simple: He is. His latest movie, “The Art of War,” includes elements from previous Snipes’ films such as “Murder At 1600,” “U.S. Marshals,” and yes, even “Blade.”

And while those films weren’t necessarily bad, the fact remains that “Art” is too much like those films. Snipes deserves some credit for having a good screen presence. And while he may not be the most versatile actor in the world, he’s enjoyable to watch, and his character is extremely likable.

Unfortunately, his earlier films had other actors to turn to for refuge when Snipes couldn’t deliver. In “Marshals,” he had Tommy Lee Jones. In “Blade,” he had Stephen Dorff. In “War,” he has — Anne Archer? No one else in the film can even remotely deliver the poor dialogue in decent fashion — unless you count Donald Sutherland’s 10-minute role. That leaves Snipes to fend for himself.

Sorry, Wesley, you’re good, but not that good.

The action sequences are entertaining, especially the “Matrix”-like style used in the film’s climax, but the story just doesn’t come through. The plot is way too confusing in the first hour to support the rather vague second half. It’s often tough to remember what the story is about.

“The Art of War” instead falls into a series of cliches to compensate for the plot holes. The second camera angle. The apparent good guy who is bad. The staged death. Whatever. Maybe Wesley Snipes should do a comedy-drama with Robin Williams.

Grade: C