Nine Lives

Wesley Snipes fans expecting a fightfest will probably be disappointed with "Unstoppable" / "Nine Lives", since the martial arts quotient is very limited. But those who prefer their action films to be driven by their stories and have a touch of originality in them will probably like this more. The originality comes mostly in the form of the hallucinogenic effects of the drug that Snipes gets injected with, and the ways director David Carson merges illusions with reality. Snipes is believably haunted by his war memories, just as he is believably disoriented by the drug; an action star like, say, Steven Seagal, would hardly be able to handle this role. Playing a police detective who is also Snipes' girlfriend, Jacqueline Obradors is uncompromisingly tough, foul-mouthed and occasionally even unpleasant, and she handles it all with conviction. And Kim Coates always makes a dependable villain. The film also contains one of the funniest lines I've heard in a long time, precisely because it's so unexpected: "Hey, have you seen my pony?" (**1/2)

Sometimes you watch an action movie that kicks your adrenaline level up to the ceiling, and sometimes you feel nothing when the movie ends. Good action in the "Unstoppable" will get you excited and hold you until it's over. Snipes makes an average action movie a much better one, but Obradors makes it somewhat difficult to watch. She is simply so beautiful in this movie that it made me hard to follow the story! Thus, she draws too much of a viewer's attention. The Coates-Sheppard duo makes it an excellent combo for the bad guys pack in this movie. They are much more comic than scary. The only thing that bothers me in this movie is the "Bosnia" part. Is that possible that Hollywood movie-makers can no longer find another villain nest? Is there really such a lack of imagination among them? Overall, this is an exciting movie with good actors, decent plot and suitable turns. Perfect for watching once. Enjoy!

Slightly low-budget, but much better than a stupid vampire movie. And again, not the world-class production of the Art of War, but a decent sit-down and storyline. The big-set effects seem to have been saved for the final scenes, but nevertheless a chilling premise.

This is another freaky tale of mind manipulation weapons development and attempts at proliferation, thereof.

Don't go out of your way, but if you do, it's certainly a decent fix for any action movie buff.

Die-hard Wesley Snipes fans won't want to miss this one, however. Somewhere near the beginning of the movie, Snipes who plays Dean Cage, U.S. Army black ops soldier serial # 190405243, reminds us that he is one of the most dangerous international-level fighters both on and off camera. Thus, the hand-to-hand combat sequences alone are worth the time spent in this regard.

I like almost all Snipes' action movies. This one is not exception. Not a bad movie. Film tells us about some CIA guys who create some drug which affect human brain in a special way. People who take a shot of this drug starting see hallucinations… And these guys lookin' for a FBI agent, and wanna interrogate him with this drug. They give an injection to Cage (Snipes) by mistake, as they thought that he was FBI agent. They just didn't know that he is not an agent, he is ex-military man. Cage starts seeing his illusions and thinks that he is still at war. Now he is trying to stay alive… Not a bad movie. I like the plot, but it seems to me, that the script could be much better. I got a feeling that the screenwriter did this script during couple of days. But if you like other action movies with Snipes, I guess you'll like this one too. It's worth seeing, but only once. 3 of 5.

"Unstoppable" is an underwhelming action/drama with Snipes as a retired Special Forces badass who is unwittingly injected with a powerful hallucinogen which will result in his death unless he and his detective girlfriend (Obradors) can get their hands on the antidote before the end of the flick. A very ordinary B-flick with a messy plot, this film spends its time with Snipes hallucinating when it's convenient and not when it's not while the rest of the cast (CIA, cops, bad guys) goes through the motions with the kind of enthusiasm you expect from a crew who just wants to get paid and go home. Messy, rote, uninspired, and a big step down for Snipes who hasn't exactly been at the top of the A-list these day, "Unstoppable" is not recommendable even for action junkies. Don't waste your time. (C)