Listen, I’m contractually obligated to love Wesley Snipes. He was
the black action guy during my formative years. Not to mention White Men Can’t Jump and Too Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything are 10/10s in my book.
I’m just saying, the jobs he took definitely exhausted a formula. 90s action flick starring Wesley Snipes as Agent Whozawhatsit charged with foiling some nefarious plot or caper. Fun while you watch but ultimately pretty forgettable.
And maybe that’s not fair as that’s probably the case for most actors. Like Denzel. I felt like there was a solid 10-15 years where every role he took was some sort of detective or law enforcement agent.
For funsies, though, let’s play a game. Y’all were much better at this when I did it with the Mission: Impossible series than I thought so let’s see how well you know your Snipes 1990s action flicks!
I’ll start you off with synopses here. I got halfway through before I realized that these titles are a hell of a lot more intuitive than I would have hoped so giving you the titles would make this a bit too easy. See if you can guess the title just based on your memory. If you’re struggling, take a peek at the spoiler to see which eight Snipes flicks I’ve included (they aren’t in the proper order):
1. John Cutter (Wesley Snipes) is a former policeman flying to Los Angeles to start his new job working for the anti-terrorism unit of a major airline. However, apprehended terrorist Charles Rane is on the flight, too, being transported by the FBI. After Rane's accomplices kill the FBI agents and free him, Cutter realizes the entire flight is in danger. With the help of flight attendant Marti Slayton, Cutter tries to capture Rane and free the passengers.
2. Red, an ageing con artist, is released from prison together with the easily-led Ronnie, a young hoodlum. When their latest scam leads to the death of a US Secret Service agent, the man's partner vows revenge - but he is told he has only one week to snare the killers before he is transferred.
3. He is both agent and weapon - a critical line of defense for the Secretary General of the United Nations. He does not even officially exist. Neil Shawn(Wesley Snipes), an American agent who must uncover an international plot to bring down the United Nations on the eve of an historic summit with China. A mysterious chain of events leads to the murder of the Chinese U.N. Ambassador. When Shaw is accused of the crime, he must go underground -- in effect, vanish from his own life
4. When a prostitute is found dead in a Los Angeles skyscraper occupied by a large Japanese corporation, detectives John Conner and Web Smith (Wesley Snipes) are called in to investigate. Although Conner has previous experience working in Japan, cultural differences make their progress difficult until a security disc showing the murder turns up. Close scrutiny proves the disc has been doctored, and the detectives realize they're dealing with a cover-up as well.
5. An airplane bearing gruff U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard crashes in the wilderness. On board the same flight is Mark Sheridan (Wesley Snipes), a federal prisoner accused of double murder, who escapes during the ensuing chaos, but not before rescuing several people from the wreckage. Gerard is ordered to hunt down the fugitive along with State Department agent John Royce, and the two pursue Sheridan relentlessly, despite growing doubts about his guilt.
6. A daring prison break from an airliner at 30,000 feet leaves U.S. Marshal Pete Nessip (Wesley Snipes) mourning a brother and gunning for revenge. After being ordered to turn in his badge, he seeks out Jessie Crossman, a noted skydiver, and offers to sponsor her crew for the annual Independence Day parachuting show in Washington, D.C., if she trains him. Meanwhile, the mastermind behind the mid-air jailbreak is planning a daring computer theft on Independence Day
7. A secretary is found dead in a White House bathroom during an international crisis, and Detective Harlan Regis (Wesley Snipes) is in charge of the investigation. Despite resistance from the Secret Service, Regis partners with agent Nina Chance. As political tensions rise, they learn that the crime could be part of an elaborate cover-up. Framed as traitors, the pair and Regis' partner break into the White House to expose the true culprit
8. Charlie is a New York City transit cop with a mountain of gambling debts, and John (Wesley Snipes) is his responsible, and frequently exasperated, foster brother. They compete amicably for the affections of fellow officer Grace, but things become more serious when Charlie decides to rob the "money train" that carries the Transit Authority's daily proceeds. John must decide whether to prevent Charlie's crime or to join in on the heist
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