On the day of his retirement, a veteran CIA agent learns that his former protégé has been arrested in China, is sentenced to die the next morning in Beijing, and that the CIA is considering letting that happen to avoid an international scandal.
Happily, beneath the film's nostalgic veneer and tooth-rattling visual and aural effects lies a mature ambiguity that's unusual for a holiday blockbuster.
– Mark Holcomb,
Village Voice,
27 Nov 2001
rotten:
A yawn, and the two glamour boys (who, by the way, look awful) are both snoring.
– Rex Reed,
New York Observer,
28 Nov 2001
rotten:
It's clever and shows great control of craft, but it doesn't care, and so it's hard for us to care about.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
30 Nov 2001
fresh:
I'll admit the main story is implausible, but the flashbacks were spectacular, and the cast is really good here.