Amazon.com

This intense thriller is a work of fiction with a factual basis. Aidan Quinn stars as Annibal Ramirez, an American naval officer with a striking resemblance to real-life international terrorist Carlos "the Jackal" Sanchez, the scourge of innocent people all over the world in the 1970s and '80s. Mistaken for Sanchez by the Israeli Mossad, Ramirez is arrested but subsequently recruited by the Mossad and the CIA to pose as Sanchez and set him up as a traitor to his underwriters. Ramirez leaves his family, receives training in all aspects of Sanchez's life, and is pulled into the netherworld of terrorism and espionage. Director Christian Duguay (Screamers) wisely emphasizes character growth over obligatory action, drawing compelling portraits of an American intelligence official (Donald Sutherland) preoccupied with Sanchez, his Israeli counterpart (Ben Kingsley), and Ramirez himself, a man whose identity has merged with a monster's. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Amazon.com

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. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Decent but nothing spectacular.
The Art of War is a stylish action film that trys too hard to follow the trend and style of recent blockbusters. The actions are mostly reminisant of John Woo films (such as Hard Boiled, Face Off, or Mission Impossible 2). For the most part, they are fairly good if un-inspired. The climax however is simply atrocious. It's an utter (...) of the last gun-fight in the Matrix with both men dodging bullets right and left. Aside from being a rather tired (...), it simply doesn't work. The characters don't posses any supernatural powers and so it's really hard to buy that they are dodging bullets.

Another problem is the films awful plot. For some reason, the Wesley Snipes character seems to have ESP. In one scene, he comes into a room where his partner had been beaten and murdered. Then, just by looking at the room, he sees everything replay in his head. In another scene, the character sees some guy coming out of a resturant. He notices that the asian guys is carrying a back-pack. He then drives through the resurant, grabs the back-pack, and throws it out the window where upon it explodes. Talk about police intuition (or maybe all asian guys carry bombs). As before, this wouldn't be a problem if the character actually had ESP but it's just kind of dumb here.

Wesley despatching badies in cool movie
You know you will always get top class action and style when Wesley Snipes is involved in any movie. Wesley is both a convincing actor and superb martial artist, which is what makes his movies so unique. The Art of war is maybe a bit too complicated but its engrossing stuff - political conspiracies, incredibly slick action scenes - wow, is all I can say!

Overlooked and underrated
"The Art of War" was a pleasant surprise when I rented it. Once you get past the admitedly far-fetched premise that the UN has its own covert ops teams, it emerges as a spy movie that remembers how to be a spy movie. Rather than going the James Bond/Mission Impossible route of pitting a super-human spy agaisnt a supervillian, "The Art of War" serves up old-fashioned twists, turns, secrets, lies, betrayals, and assassination attempts.

Another nice thing about this movie is that it seems to understand the nature of post-Cold War politics. Nations now clash with treaties, trade agreements, and capitalist aspirations. By addressing issues such as the WTO, human traficking, and China's emerging status as an economic superpower, I got the distinct impression that the screenwriters actually read the newspaper. Ultimately, the plot doesn't quite hold up, but it's an admirable effort.

Snipes does a great job, never lightening the tone by playing to the cheap seats. By playing it straight he makes the film that much more believable. His fight scenes--including the end shootout feating slow-mo bullet-time--are both thrilling and plausible in a way that "The Matrix's" cgi-enhanced action can't manage.

Finally, the film just *looks* great. Director of Photography Pierre Gill plausibly passes off a lot of Canadian locations as Hong Kong and New York. He gives these cities a glossy sheen, a convincing grittiness, and a neon readiance, depending upon the scene.

All in all, I think if the movie had featured Tom Cruise or Keanu Reeves it would have been much better received. Too bad, since Snipes blows both of them off the screen. This one is definitely worth a look.

Snipes very under-rated actor of our time!!!
What's with the hate? I watched this movie numerous times. I liked it the first time but the movie gets better after you see it a few times because you start to pick things up that you missed. I am big fan of action films and this movie delivers, yes it predictable at times but what movie isn't. I thought the actors did a pretty good job also. The film also ended on a good note makes you feel good especially with the nice musical score the films has. Wish they would of actually made a score soundtrack for the film.

The Art of Martial-Arts Film-Making!
I don't care what anybody says!...In my opinion, as far as American action-movies with martial-arts are concerned, "The Art of War" is flat out THE BEST! Forget Van Damme, forget Seagal, Snipes fights well & he's a legitimate, competent actor to boot!

This is an espionage, spy thriller with Snipes as a U.N. security agent. The plot centers around a conspiracy to thwart American-Chinese trade negotiations. There are double & triple crosses galore & this film has the feel of an updated film-noir classic, MTV style.

If you like well-made martial-arts films as much as I do, "The Art of War" is for you! ... Read more

Reviews (35)

One of the best modern low budget sci/fi flicks.
Screamers takes the idea from Philip K. Dick's story "The Second Variety", and puts it on another planet set in the future. Yes, this is low budget, but it works. Screamers is basically a post apocalyptic sci/fi film that fans of the genre should probably enjoy. Maybe if this film had a huge budget it could probably have outclassed even The Matrix. The story is easy to follow, but it's very intriguing. If you go into this movie expecting tons of action... forget about that. The dialogue in the film is well done, and the atmosphere is pretty grim. Great acting as usual from Peter Weller, our rugged hero on the desolate planet Sirius 6b. Roy Dupuis was not in this film for very long, but this was one of his best performances ever. You may remember him from the La Femme Nikita show on USA. In this movie he plays an N.E.B. solider who is like a cross between the Terminator, and Shakespeare. While many movies have cheap one liners, he uses famous quotes instead, giving this a more intelligent feel all around. This is creative low budget sci/fi, and not for all tastes.

Philip K. Dick Does It Again
A movie that I rented this weekend was Screamers staring Peter Weller, Roy Dupuis and Jennifer Rubin. I was expecting some sort of monster movie but what I got was a bit different. Now I have to buy a copy.

Based on Philip K. Dick's short story Second Variety, this story plays on the theme of what is real. A mining colony on Sirius 6B went on strike because of radiation released by the mining operations. The company did not like that and the two have been at war for ten years. The miners managed to survive by creating screamers, underground flying buzz saws. Now the company wants peace. Both sides have found out that the war is a lie and want to band together. The trouble is the screamers have an automatic production facility and it has started turning out new versions.

Properly advertised this could have been a pretty big film, but it wasn't. Instead it was lost in obscurity. But if you like Philip K. Dick, the man behind Total Recall and Blade Runner, then you will get a kick out of this movie (and all of the surprise twists in the plot).

A blade runner style investigation of humanity
If you look at this movie as a version of "Aliens", you're missing most of the theme here. The movie isn't about "people fighting robots". It is how people initially create mindless devices to slay other humans. These devices grow on their own from spinning blades, to crawling lizards, to simple happy children, to "help me!" heart-string-tugging hurt soldiers, all the way up to Shakespeare-quoting men and real-love-feeling women.

When the robots reach that human-like point of development, they no longer simply focus on breeding and staying alive as a collective race. Now the ROBOTS start slaying each other for reasons that humans find all to understandable - love and personal desire.

Yes, there's the tension as you keep thinking "what will the NEXT robot look like". You begin to examine the actions of each character, wondering if he or she is a robot too. The line between "real human" and "mechanical device" becomes blurred. At one point Hendricksson grabs Jessica's hand and slices it open on purpose, to see if she really is human or a robot. She bleeds, and he apologizes profusely - leading to them falling in love. But of course the blood was fake - this was merely the next evolution in the robot progression. And it brings to mind the classic line, "If you prick us, do we not bleed?" (Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 1). Given the large number of other Shakespeare quotes in the movie, the symbolism was quite apt.

It was impressive that Hendricksson treats the people around him with casual disregard many times - but the robots are showing emotions. The humans are often brusque and untalkative - but the robots make insightful comments drawing from Shakespeare and other great thinkers. It is almost the robots who are the better race here - they have managed to wipe all the humans off the planet, evolved themselves to higher levels, and have their sights set on Planet Earth next. In that sense, Screamers is VERY much like Blade Runner, making us really think about how we would differ from intelligent robots - and if we would measure up. A movie to watch over many times.

VISUAL STUNNER
THE STORY: Based on Philip Dick's short story, SCREAMERS plot becomes very convoluted at times, and I found myself wondering just what the heck was going on; however, as the movie progressed, it's storyline became more cohesive, and I found myself understanding it. Score: 3
THE CAST: Peter Weller is both likeable and dislikeable at the same time; he doesnt' seem to possess a wide range of emotions, and his laconic behavior tends to weaken his performance; Jennifer Rubin does okay, but doesn't seem to possess a lot of energy; Roy DuPuis and Andrew Lauer are excellent---DuPuis with his hypnotic blue eyes is quite sinister as Becker, and Lauer with his gungho militarism is brilliant as the grunt. Score: 3
THE EFFECTS AND SETTING: Marvelous; some of the nicest vistas and landscapes captured in some time; effects are above average, I think. Score: 5

Great science fiction movie
Peter Weller is one of those actors you either love or hate. I know my opinions about him vary widely depending on which film I see him in. I thought "Buckaroo Banzai" a ridiculous waste of time largely because I couldn't stand Weller's smarmy performance as a brain surgeon/rock musician who takes time out to save the world. Even his turn as the doomed Officer Murphy in "Robocop" gives the audience little incentive to appreciate this actor, mainly because he undergoes the transformation into cyborg so rapidly. I admit I did enjoy his turn as a sadistic, drug dealing dad in "Firstborn." Then there is the 1995 science fiction film "Screamers," a movie where Weller really comes into his own as a gruff, laconic soldier attempting to battle his way off a distant planet. Based on a book from the science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick, "Screamers" is definitely a low budget film, but it is one of the more effective B movies I have seen recently.

The age-old battle between management and labor finally erupts into open warfare when the corporations involved in mining operations on distant planets decide to strike back when miners refuse to work after a spate of radiation induced deaths. The managers--now formed into an economic bloc called the NEB--decided to retaliate with atomic strikes on mining bases on Sirius 6-B, thereby turning the planet into a desolate plain populated by increasingly diminishing numbers of soldiers on both sides. The commander of the "good" guys, if there are any good guys, is Hendricksson (Weller), a miner turned soldier rapidly tiring of the attrition warfare raging on the planet. A message that the war may soon be over allows Hendricksson and his men a brief respite from their miseries until a shuttle crash lands near their base. The only survivor of this mission tells Hendricksson some disturbing news about the situation on earth, information that contradicts what he thought he knew about the cease-fire. In an effort to discover just what in the heck is going on, Weller's character, with the survivor from the shuttle crash in tow, sets out across the planet's surface to meet with the leader of the enemy forces. It is a risky mission but a necessary one. If things go well, Hendricksson and his fellow soldiers may yet get off this miserable ball of dirt.

Significantly complicating matters are the screamers, nasty little pieces of military hardware cooked up on earth for the miners to use against the NEB forces. Essentially, these tools of death are small machines bristling with saws and razors that cruise beneath the soil looking for unprotected soldiers. Only a grunt wearing a special bracelet that sends an "I'm O.K." signal to the screamer will be safe; all others are fair game. Even worse, after some ten years in use the screamers have somehow mutated underneath the earth, so much so that even the miners know little about the devices anymore. Not only does Hendricksson have to trek through the dangerous landscape of Sirius-B, he also must worry about what the screamers are doing. By the way, the radiation levels on the planet are still so high that anyone venturing outside for an extended period of time must smoke a special type of cigarette to neutralize the toxins building up in the body. By the time Hendricksson reaches the enemy base he realizes things are going on that bode ill for himself and his men. Mutated screamers wiped out NEB headquarters except for three hardy souls who somehow managed to survive. When Hendricksson makes a horrible discovery about his own base, he resolves to get off the planet any way he can. The conclusion to the movie is well done, to say the least, as is the entire movie. I enjoyed "Screamers."

The movie is a lighter on the action than you would expect from a movie about an intergalactic war, and a little cheap on the set pieces, but director Christian Duguay wisely works within his budget to create a movie loaded with bleakness and despair. The snowy, desolate atmosphere of the nearly abandoned planet looks like it was shot on the dark side of the moon (it was Canada, apparently). The interior shots of the enemy base and the desperate escape the characters make from this fortress added even more claustrophobic mood to the movie. When the end of the film finally rolls around, you find yourself praying that Weller's character will escape from the planet and finally make his way back to earth. Throw in dashes of gory violence, the interesting effects work of the screamers, and Weller's hard-bitten performance and you have the makings of a minor cult classic. I have never read anything written by Philip K. Dick, so I cannot speak to the compatibility of this movie with the story it came from, but "Screamers" functions exceedingly well as a stand alone picture.

The DVD doesn't offer very many extras, unfortunately. Only a trailer for the film and a choice between fullscreen and widescreen presentations graces this disc. A commentary from Weller would have been nice but is not a necessity in order to enjoy the film. Watching "Screamers" makes me want to check out some of Philip K. Dick's books. I have heard great things about him, along with some weird things about his personal life, which gives me reason to believe reading some of his writings would be worthwhile. In the meantime, I will probably rewatch "Screamers" a time or two. ... Read more

Reviews (103)

Best Movie I have ever seen.
This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Joan of Arc was played perfectly by LeeLee Sobieski. I only have one complaint about the movie and that is the part where Joan of Arc is telling the guard to get away from her. You will know what part I am talking about when you see it. Anyways It made me think if that really happened, So now I am on a quest to find out if it happened.

A realistic portrayal of a Christian giant
It's very difficult, when looking at Joan of Arc, to separate the truth from the hundreds of myths, but this portrayal by LeeLee Sobieski is as close as we can get. Some things were left out, particularly in the trial, but a brilliant work nonetheless. While Joan would be a fairly easy character to portray, Sobieski plays the part with such a passion and fire that Joan literally comes to life again. Truly tremendous stuff that keeps the central focus of Joan's life in the foreground continually.

OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!! A must see mini-series!
A well choosen cast. Leelee Sobieski played the part with such feeling. I really felt I was there and a part of it. The music of Charlotte Church is unforgettable and up lifting.

If this movie doesn't move you, you are void of mental mass.
Only one other movie has stirred me (The Thornbirds) so much. The cinemetography and the actors chosen to portray the characters in this story of the legendary French heroine are feats so rare, big screen "suits" should take notice. This movie could not have been done any better, even if everyone involved were asked to do it again! The passion in Leelee Sobieski's eyes, evident by the great camera angles, as she tried to tempt fate, made me realize the conviction of her character.

One of the best movies I've ever seen.
This movie was so terrific!!! Usually, movies have to be very emtional to make me cry, and this one succeeded. It was very touching. I loved how the actress who played Joan portrayed her. She was able to switch from different emotions so quickly. After I watched this movie on CBS I really began to be interested in Joan of Arc's life. She is a true mortar and a true heroine! This movie is truly unforgettable!!!! I give it two thumbs up! ... Read more

Description

An FBI bomb expert tracks down terrorists armed with exploding water. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Ron Silver, Ben Cross and Lisa Eillbacher. Year: 1992 Director: Christian Duguay Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Ron Silver, Ben Cross ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Highly recommended
"Live Wire" is a very good movie, a must for all Pierce Brosnan fans. There was a lot of violence, but it's a movie about violence, so I suppose it's to be expected. If you liked Brosnan before he was Bond, then get this video.

Live Wire is HOT!
Pierce Brosnan plays a very human bomb squad expert who is on the track of an explosive substance thats undetectable. His charector is also dealing with a marital seperation. Some of the scenes in this movie are some of the sexiest on film!

Brosnon is electrifying as a loose cannon with brains.
This movie is very underated, I happen to think it is better than every James Bond movie Bronson has made except for Golden Eye. Bronson's character in this movie has more depth than Bond's character which allowes Bronson to show of his acting talents and a wider range of emotions. In this movie he plays a capable, resoursful, tough, independent, bomb specialist. However, he is also a haunted drunk with a temper. Bronson's child drowned in a pool at their home while he was supposed to be watching her. The guilt has turned him into a hollow shell of the man he was. His wife has seperated from him and is now dating a senator who she works for. The senator, played by Ron Silver, is a great character. Silver does a supreb job of being sleazy and arrogant in this movie. The plot of this movie is unrealistic but intriguing nonetheless. Somehow a middle eastern terrorist/arms dealer has succeded in developing an explosive that exists in liquid form. For instance it looks like water but if you drink it you explode. The scenes where people explode are CRAZY!!! People get it really bad in this movie. The villian in this film is great, I have never heard of Ben Cross before and have never seen him in anything since this film and I do not know why since he plays such a great villian. His screen presence is astounding, he has even more presence than Brosnon. I lot of people gave this movie bad reviews but from reading what they wrote it seems to me that they had trouble following the plot. A lot happens in this movie very quickly and the plot involves a United States governent sponsored arms deal gone bad. In truth the movie could have spent more time detailing exactly what went wrong between the senators and the arms dealer (Ben Cross). Ben Cross's assistant is the guy who played the father on Ressecurtion Boulvd. (the Showtime orginal series about boxing) and he is good as a terrorist. I liked the fact that Bronson is pretty much the only good guy in the film, the senators are bad, and so is the arms dealer. Lots of intense action scenes, horrible death, etc. Good direction, script, acting, etc. The evil people in this movie get what is coming to them in the end, the senator especially.

One hot movie
Anybody who is a fan of Pierce Brosnan should definitely get a copy of the Unrated Version of Live Wire. It's worth the price of the movie just for the hot love scenes(and I mean hot!) between Pierce and Lisa Eilbacher.. .

BOMB
"Live Wire" wasn't able to make it into the theaters. That's because this is strictly second rate. The storyline alternates between being laughable and being predictable. Pierce Brosnan portrays a bomb expert who usually works for the FBI but also does some side work for the local police. His marriage is on the rocks because he allowed their young daughter to drown in the pool. How nice. The incident is shown only in flashback and seems almost trivial the way in which it is presented. Brosnan ends up becoming involved with an investigation into exploding politicians. Yup...that's right. Certain senators end up combusting in a big way after drinking what appears to be water. The end of the movie borrows more than a little inspiration from the TV show "MacGyver". This movie never really finds its place and contains your standard action sequences and rather poor special effects. Brosnan is much more impressive as Bond. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Pornographic Garbage
I'd rather get my story ideas from sixth graders than from the sorry bunch that wrote these tasteless, unimaginative episodes. This is the industry at its average -- slightly better than reality plant shows.

If this is the kind of stuff that turns you on, you should up your dosage of Prozac.

I could have written better stuff. And chances are, you could too.

Four Vampire Shorts
This is a collection of episodes from the Showtime show "The Hunger" by Ridley Scott. Each of these episodes about vampires is introduced by Terrence Stamp. They are based on stories by horror writers such as Brian Lumley and Ron Dee.

In Fly By Night we see an unusual vampire. The vampire and a woman suffering shell-shock are locked up in a hospital's padded room. She recognizes the vampire for what he is and tries to help him, hoping he can help her. A little confusing (how did everyone die in the flashback?).

A Matter of Style has a young man discover that he is a vampire. He is assigned a mentor who tries to teach him the ropes (shape-changing, killing and even sex). A fun story.

Necros is another different type of vampire. A man falls for a beautiful woman who is in the company of an old man that some call Necros. Some say his is a vampire while others claim he is the devil himself. A strange tale but with a major hole (what happened to the earlier disappearances?).

Footsteps is an arty tale of a woman plagued by her nature to kill and those who always seem to track her down (it is not clear if she is vampire, werewolf, or something else). But in Paris she meets a strange man who may be able to redirect her future.

As this is a Showtime show, there is plenty of nudity and sex so these tales are not suitable for all.

Stylish, erotic horror
This is not the vampire movie with David Bowie, Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve, but rather a collection of 4 episodes from the 1997-1998 and 1999-2000 Showtime series "The Hunger".

Produced by Ridley Scott (of "Blade Runner" and "Alien" fame) and his brother Tony, and hosted by Terence Stamp in the 1st season and David Bowie in the 2nd, the series was always well-filmed and produced but somewhat hit-or-miss in its scripts and acting. Nudity is a staple.

The Vampires DVD is the best of the four I own. It features the following episodes:

1) Fly By Night - wild man black vampire helps a woman trapped in a padded cell in his own demonic way

2) A Matter of Style - stars Chad Lowe as a virgin vampire whose mentor, Carmilla, teaches him the ropes

3) Necros - William Cobb is on vacation when he catches a glimpse of Helma, a breathtaking creature who captures his imagination. She has a companion, a frail old man who, according to folk law, is Necros, a dead thing that feeds upon the living. Should Cobb pursues his desires or heed the warnings of the town folk? A night of unbridled passion reveals the terrifing truth. Directed by "Highlander"s Russell Mulcahy from a story by Brian Lumley.

4) Footsteps - Claire is a beautiful woman who travels the world attempting to save her voracious appetite for gourmet food and the men to dine with her. She devours food and lovers all over Europe until in Paris, she meets Patrick, a vegetarian, who challenges her to her very core. How can the ultimate carnivore build a relationship with a quintessential vegetarian? From a story by Harlan Ellison.

A mixed bag
I'm a big fan of the genre and so bought this DVD on the strength of the title.

A collection of short 'vampire' stories I thought the first very erotic, until it's untimely end.

One of the stories deals with a vampire who in the throes of passion developes not only a tail, but a very long tongue which she uses to drain her lover's life-force. Very strange, but still rather sexy - but pointless - she is collecting near mummified men for her partner's bridge games !?! (I kid you not!)

A mixed bag of some interesting some erotic, but still all over I think this is worth missing.

The Hunger series is a lot of fun - serious rewatch value!
Ok - no Bowie here, this is not the movie! This disc is a collection of four 25 min episodes of first season of The Hunger. Terence Stamp is the host this season, with short cameos at the start and end to frame the story, same format as Twilight Zone/Hitchcock presents/Outer Limits etc.

As well as Stamp being *wonderful* to watch, the stories are a lot of fun - more ... than horror & fangs, but tightly told and some very fine performances from the actors. The production (from "Scott Free Productions", that would be Ridley & Tony to you) is classy - very easy on the eye throughout. Bon appetite! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Some Good Stunts Killed by Bad Editing and Silly Plot
Though I give only two stars to this film, that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. I don't care if the plot is too silly. That's OK. I don't care a British guy plays an American. Many do that in this business. But I hate when there are good materials, and when they are ruined like in this film. I mean, its stunts.

The characters -- Devon Sawa ("Final Destination"), Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Rupert Graves, Rufus Sewell, Joe Absolom, Jana Paranske -- are hired to make a promotion video for Japanese client. (Inexplicably, only Ms. Wilson-Sampras is American among the main cast. Devon Sawa is Canadian.) They are going to travel to the Alps, all camping out in the construction site of a resort hotel up on a lonely mountain. But when this rag-tag team encounter a group of terroists (don't ask me why), they are forced to use their skills for extreme sports to survive the deadly fight against them.

The story is silly, but not bad. "Cliffhanger" was silly -- you know, Sly must have been dead within five minutes with that clothes -- but not a bad actioner after all, giving a series of great stunts. And "Extreme Ops" offers some great stunts, and actors are certainly doing their jobs. See, for example, Devon Sawa hanging from the tail of the train, strapped to it by ropes. You can see people doing skateboarding on a moving train, behind a moving train, and so on.

But the drirector Christian Dugay arrange them in a meaningless way, editing so badly that you just don't know what is going on particularly in the first scenes about the canoe riding. To make matters worse, as the film reaches its climax, you will see the cheesy CGIs, a crazy soldier with bad acting, and some ridiculous tactics that the characters use to protect them from the killers, all of which tell that the film is running out of tricks, and this feeling kills the excitement this kind of film should offer.

Not so bad as some people say, but "Extreme Ops" tells us why "XXX" is a great fun -- charisma of Vin Diesel, sexy Asia Argento, and great stunts aptly shown on the screen, all of which lack here.

Trivia: "Yana" is played by Liliana Komorowska, wife of director Christian Dugay, and she can be seen many of his films like "Screamers."

DOWNHILL UPHILL SIDEWAYS UPSIDE DOWN RACING
EXTREME OPS packs a real wallop with some of its outstanding mind-boggling ski/snowboard sequences. The scenery is breathtaking and there is one long tense scene involving dangling on the side of the Alps. Other than that, we have a standard plot that doesn't move quick enough and some cardboard performances particularly from Bridgette Wilson Sampras and Rupert Graves. Perennial bad boy Rufus Sewell seems lost in the role of a hero, and Devon Sawa hops around like one of the 17 year cicadas. BUT who cares? The action sequences are outstanding and it's an enjoyable diversion. Still the best ski scenes on film are from ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, and they didn't use CGI!

snowboarding mixed with bullets and action dont mix
this movie started out good but then got all mushy with the action and the gunfire. good snowboarding stunts, and the cast is great, Sawa looks a little scruffy looking. like I said, with the snowboarding and action, dont mix well and it gets muddled when the badguys come along

Extremely Bad
If someone went to the trouble of describing the plot of Extreme Ops to you, before you saw it, you would swear that it sounds like it might be a half way descent actioner. Unfortunately, the actual film isn't even that good, at that low standard.

The plot, such as it is, involves an extreme sports team, filmming a commercial, using gold medal skier Chloe Weston (Bridgette Wilson), outrunning a man made avalanche. As the director (Rufus Sewell), his cameraman Will Flaky, (Devon Sawa), and the rest of the crew settle in, they get more than they bargained for. The team inadvertantly stumble upon a Serbian warlord, and his cohorts hiding out in an unfinished resort, atop a mountain.

Sort of like Die Hard on a ski slope if you will. Now, I can accept that premise if done right. Sure, the plot is nothing new, therefore, it's all about excution. The main problem with the film is that it takes at least 50 minutes for the central plot to take hold. Up until that time, the movie concerns itself with dopey subplots about love connections, and hackneyed character conflicts. The action sequences are nicely staged but there's not enough of them to carry the film's plot. The cast somehow manages to muddle through. Poor director Christian Duquay should have seen that this film was trouble from the start.

I think Paramount knew they had a stinker on their hands and had no faith in the movie. The powers that be decided not to include any extras about the movie itself on the DVD. What else do you get, you ask? Viewers can watch Extreme Ops in either the widescreen or fullscreen formats. A trailer gallery with "previews" for Star Trek Nemesis and Abandon is all there is.

Extreme Ops isn't even a good bad film. It doesn't really qualify as a guilty pleasure either...

best sporting movie ever
i found that this movie had a great plot, excellent acting, and awesome stunts. with several plot twists, i was kept on the edge of my seat through the entire movie. the DVD is excellent, and something i would reccomend for ownership to anyone extreme enough to take it. this film is fun for all ages! the kids will love the stunts, and mom and dad will appreciate the positive, underlying messages in the content. definantly a must see, and the movie of the year, every year. ... Read more

Reviews (103)

Leelee Sobieski - the French connection
In terms of historical value, not extremely accurate - but who cares? When you get a TV movie that is this spectacular, visually lush, brilliantly acted and emotionally gripping, historical accuracy is the last thing you'll complain about.

Rarely does a TV movie come along that is as well conceived as its mega budget says it should be. Absolutely stunning battle scenes (especially for a TV production), rich location shooting and a superb cast make Joan of Arc unquestionably one of the best TV movies ever made.

But what crowns Joan of Arc as a "5 star" production is it's outstanding lead, Leelee Sobieski. Perfectly cast, Sobieski brings qualities to the French saint never seen before - an innocent, yet strong and commanding personality, a "virginial" presence, a face resembling something of a saint/angel/renaissance painting plus not to mention that she was "actually" the right age to play the legendary teenage warrior. Sobieski's performance is so exceptional, she holds the entire 4 hours together, and at the same time, leaves other Joan of Arc interpretations by the likes of Ingrid Bergman and Milla Jovavich in her wake.

Definitely the best TV movie I've ever, and a far better bet than Luc Besson's/Milla Jovavich's version...

Joan of Arc DVD Review: Intriguing storyline!
I remember seeing this DVD and wondering which one should I get, "Joan of Arc" which was a television movie or "The Messenger"? It was a hard decision but what drew me to purchasing this DVD was the cover. Sobieski's look as Joan of Arc looked more convincing and she looked so pure and innocent. I wondered how this person who projects innocence in the cover will play a military leader? Well, I don't know much about Leelee Sobieski and after watching this movie, now I want to watch the movies that she has appeared in because on "Joan of Arc", you get solid acting.

The long time of this movie made me wonder if it was going to drag but if anything this movie drew me in from start to finish and here is why:

The good acting by the cast members, the great scenery and the selection of Leelee Sobieski as the innocent "Maid of Lorraine". She brought something to this movie that drew you in. Her facial expressions and even the ending still stays in my mind. Wow! It's unexplainable but I love the movie. It was done very well and I'm impressed that it's a TV movie. The movie gets an A+.

What about the DVD? Well, since this is a TV movie, I didn't expect too much from the DVD. The audio was good and the video was good but at times I saw some lines on the screen on parts where there is a lot of action. The production notes were nice to see but I have to give the DVD a D- for no significant extras.

It appears Sobieski had much to say about the part according to the production notes, why not include a featurette then? Or even the television commercials or promotional features. So, yes...the extras rating gets a D-. But you know what, the movie is wonderful and it deserves to be seen and due to it's size, DVD is the way to go. "Joan of Arc" a definite A+.

This DVD is Highly recommended!

historical problems but great acting
The movie makes some cheap, ineffective attempts to give the Joan of Arc story a bit more punch - including a "prophecy" from Merlin and the mis-characterization of the 100 Years' War as a War for France's freedom from Britain.

However, there is some good acting in this movie, especially from Peter O'Toole - he brings humanity to a character that could have easily been a one-dimensional, generic bad guy.

Is it a great movie? no

Is it entertaining? Yes - and you get the bonus of watching a real pro like O'Toole show you how its done.

Maybe The Worst Film EVER (no joke)
This is a sad excuse for a movie; it's terribly uninteresting, uninspired, and bland. It may be the worst film I have ever seen, at least in along time. Technically, it's more than flawed, it's broken; shattered really. First, the acting is awful and inexcusable. Blame should be spread evenly amongst the whole cast with a huge mound piled on Leelee Sobieski for her role as Joan. As Joan, she is asked to carry the movie, and she fails miserably. She lacks charisma and screen presence; there is also the odd way in which she speaks sometimes. When reciting some of her poorly written lines, she almost closes he mouth and mumbles them out all while making a weird face. Next problem: 95 percent of the shots are close-ups. This is not an exaggeration. The shot selection isn't varied with the only change in the opening, ending, and battle scenes (sometimes). The film suffers greatly and is a result of a director and cinematographer not suitable to work on second-rate hip-hop music videos. This made-for-tv movie (very obvious) is a perfect example of everything you wouldn't want to happen in a film including some you wouldn't even think of. Included are bad costumes, unbelievable sets, and extremely weak writing. Bad special effects are also present as well as bad music at crucial times. The cameras can be jumpy, probably due to the cameramen dozing off inbetween takes (no one could blame them). Plus, the story seems stretched, and that was before I read the factual account. It seemed like all the facts were skewered with the only thing historically accurate in the name. One more thing, they are supposed to be French but nothing other then a few over pronounced French words thrown in their conversations suggest that they are. If they speak English, that's one thing. But if they all have different English accents (no French accents, not even an attempted one) but the try to throw in French words randomly in their already awkward and cheesy dialogue, that's completely different. Joan of Arc is unforgivable with all its mistakes, and there was many of them, it led to and excruciatingly bad movie that was way to long (poor editing), one of the worst that I have ever seen.

A Joan without edge...
...a too sweet Joan, an unconvincing Joan, a boring Joan. The flames were too long in coming. ... Read more