There's virtually nothing original about his film, from the high-tech gadgetry to the over-blown set pieces. It's all filmed and acted with a certain level of skill-- never dull, frequently quite exciting. But each increasingly improbable action sequence is so obviously staged just for a movie that you're surprised the characters don't start looking around for the cameras. The plot features every action formula imaginable, from the requisite male-bonding-by-basketball scene to handcuffing the gorgeous girl to the car steering wheel to protect her from herself! And as the conspiracy grows to epic proportions (with a whopping body count), major plot holes tip us off to the story's Big Twist. All that aside, Snipes is extremely watchable as the guy left out on a limb who survives by his wits (with help from electronic gizmos galore). And this is Archer's most interesting role in years--she obviously loved every minute of it.
[18--violence, themes, language] 27.Nov.00