Watch The Art of War 3: Retribution

The Art of War franchise started with Wesley Snipes in a film that was a minor draw at the the box office in the year 2000, but far more interesting to hungry action fans worldwide. Its cat-and-mouse style of storytelling and inventive gun-play made it enough for a sequel and now a third entry with a new lead in Treach of the hip-hop group Naughty-by-Nature. He equips himself with the tough-guy swagger needed to portray Snipes' Neil Shaw character in replacement.

Here in Retribution, Shaw's covert-agent expertise is matched with a green partner played by Warren Derosa. Together, they race to stop North Korean extremists from procuring a nuclear weapon. Along the journey, Neil Shaw finds himself framed and having to go into hiding. Playboy model, Sung Hi Lee, stars as a love interest whose energy with Treach is expanded upon in the third act.

The film avoids flashy camera tricks for a more neatly-shot arrangement due to director Gerry Lively taking the helm. There is a campy angle to proceedings as well, something quite-expected by those who enjoy such direct-to-video actioners. Retribution showcases several fight scenes with practiced choreography and keeps the shoot-out scenes flowing at a well-driven pace.