When a film is not screened for critics, it's usually a pretty bad sign. Thus I wasn't expecting a great deal from the new Wesley Snipes action opus Art of War.

Wesley Snipes plays a man who does undercover work for the United Nations and finds his life turned upside down when he is accused of assassinating a Chinese politician. Fortunately, he manages to escape custody. While on the run, he tries to piece together what has actually happened (Fugitive anyone?)

Director Christian Duguay has a lot of potential. Many of his scenes have a graceful flow that bring to mind the work of John McTiernan (Die Hard). On the other hand, some of the action sequences are way over the top, while the plot tries to be grounded in realism. Duguay also seems very interested in technology. This film has more spying gizmos than Tony Scott's Enemy of the State.

Art of War also tends to be too complex for it's own good. It starts off moderately intriguing, but soon becomes bogged down by far too many characters and unnecessary plotlines. The identity of the film's real villain also becomes painfully obvious. To top it off, the film's climax offers a fist fight that is just plain ludicrous. Stuck in the middle of all this is the underrated Snipes. He adds a humanity to this film that gives it a much needed boost.

Although shades of The Fugitive are apparent in Art of War, it really owes more to Mission: Impossible with it's high tech devices and it's spy thriller flavor. Unfortunately, it's not as strong as those films, but it does offer a good Snipes vehicle and a director to possibly look for in the future.