Review of The Art of War III: Retribution

I have seen the original "The Art Of War", as well as the first sequel, and I found both of them to be passable exercises in entertainment. However, the third time is not the charm. The budget has been slashed, which probably explains why Wesley Snipes did not return. Anthony 'Treach' Criss is not a satisfactory replacement for Snipes. While he's not awful, he's awfully bland and lacking Snipes' charisma. But the reduced budget also gives the movie a cheap feeling. It is VERY obvious that the South Korean set story was not actually filmed in Korea (I should know - I lived in South Korea for a year.) The action sequences are sloppy and lacking excitement. As for the script, there's a real sense of deja-vu here, even if you can't immediately think of where you've seen these plot elements before. There is a twist near the end, though many viewers will be able to guess it before it occurs. If this is what the series has been reduced to, I really hope there is not a part four.