At one stage during the making of Wesley Snipes’ latest feature The Art Of War there surely must have been at least the hint of and argument about the breaking of necks, an event that happens so frequently in this movie that it became a bit of a theme. What? "Another snapped vertebra?"

I can imagine a script editor moaning. Or perhaps he found it exciting. (He would have to be a he, wouldn’t he?) "We’re breaking new ground here. This could start a new trend," he might say with a hint of cynicism.

Someone, often Snipes during a struggle, grabs someone’s head and twists it violently. There’s a loud snap or crunch. The victim slumps and is left lying listlessly, lifeless.

One particularly virulent neck wrench, and that neck was female, brought a particularly noisy gasp of appreciation from the equally obnoxious male sitting close by in the cinema, and my understanding of just who the target audience is for that sort of violence became a little more defined.

I hope this creep only lives out these fantasies in his own head, which remains perched on top of his own still patent neck, and doesn’t spend his recreational time attacking people from behind.

Anyway, The Art Of War is about an attempt to derail a U.S./Chinese trade agreement. The United Nations is in on the deal and Wesley Snipes plays Shaw who’s a sort of James Bond, Mission Impossible type hard man working secretly for the U.N..

His bosses include Eleanor Hooks, played by the usually good Anne Archer (Narrow Margin, Rules Of Engagement), and Douglas Thomas played by Donald Sutherland (Klute, Space Cowboys) There’s the competing hard man who also does covert operations for the U.N. played by Michael Biehn (The Abyss, Aliens) and the love interest/woman who needs protecting played by Marie Matiko.

Maury Chaikin does add a little depth and interest to his world weary cop routine but the rest don’t really rate a mention in what is just a car chase, bomb and fight flick, especially Anne Archer who looks particularly inept spouting admittedly lousy dialogue.

Snipes fans will only be mildly disappointed I suppose, but maybe not, because the fight and flight stuff is pretty good, even if we’ve seen nearly all of it before.

The Art Of War is however beautifully shot and lit but that’s light fare for anyone who likes a bit of inventiveness and flair in a movie.

One Well Lit Fly