Sabotage (2014) Reviews

• More story, less action. That is OK!

  demnarchangel2014-07-12

  The movie is not bad at all, not sure why everyone says it is. Especially when the review just says it is bad and gives no explanation other than implying there is no plot. Most of the Arnie movies are not that great, I love them still, this one has a bit more of a story that it is following, with less action. That is probably why every1 is down on it I suppose, it is different. There are a couple things going on with the main character, he is trying to get to the bottom of them both. It all unfolds nicely, but it is a bit slower than what most Arnie fans are used to. To me, that is fine. I do not understand why anyone thinks there is no story, there is more story than action. Could of used more time with the characters, probably was part of what was cut from the original 3 hour run time, but it is still a fine movie. Meaning there are much worse Arnie movies that were more successful. This is like a better version of Eraser, which I thought was only OK back then. Give it a shot, take it as it is without some type of expectations, you will not be disappointed. Unless you are not an Arnie or cop violence fan. If that is the case, then why are you reading this?

• Schwarzenegger delivers a rare dark performance in this extremely violent but ponderous cop thriller.

  caseymoviemania2014-04-03

  From TRAINING DAY (2001), DARK BLUE (2002), HARSH TIMES (2005), STREET KINGS (2008) and END OF WATCH (2012) at which he either writes, directs or doing both duties, David Ayer has crafted quite a career for himself as the go-to guy when comes to movie that explores the dark side of a law enforcement. This year is no different as Ayer explores the same territory again with SABOTAGE. But what's really interesting about his latest effort is his first-time collaboration with the former '80s and '90s king of big action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the kind of role unlike anything fans have seen him before... well, at least not since 1984's THE TERMINATOR or to certain extent, 1997's BATMAN AND ROBIN. WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT? Following a successful drug raid to steal US$10 million from the cartel's money, John "Breacher" Wharton (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his rugged team of undercover DEA task force -- James "Monster" Murray (Sam Worthington) and wife Lizzy (Mireille Enos), Joe "Grinder" Phillips (Joe Manganiello), Julius "Sugar" Edmonds (Terrence Howard), Eddie "Neck" Jordan (Josh Holloway), Tom "Pyro" Roberts (Max Martini), and Bryce "Tripod" McNeely (Kevin Vance) -- are happy to collect it later where they hide it in the sewer pipes. However, they return to discover that the drug money has gone missing. They are eventually held for investigation and everyone ends up suspended from duty. But after the authorities fail to land hard evidence against them, their superior (Martin Donovan) put them back into action. Then, one by one from Breacher's team members ends up dead in gory fashion. While trying to find out the culprit, Breacher is subsequently working with homicide investigator Caroline Brentwood (Olivia Williams) and realizes that the murders as well as the stolen drug money is actually involving one of them. THE GOOD STUFF As with other Ayer's movies, the action is brutal and gripping enough to capture your attention. Together with cinematographer Bruce McCleery, Ayer also manages to create some creative shots including the one where he utilizes small digital cameras from the tip of a gun barrel's point-of-view during a shootout. The overall cast here is engaging, with Schwarzenegger gives a daring performance as the cigar-chomping John "Breacher" Wharton with a dark past. It's certainly nice to see him willing enough to change his usual larger-than-life action image for something radically different. As the emotionally-confused and relentless Caroline Brentwood, Olivia Williams plays her role with enough gravitas to stand out on her own. The rest of the supporting actors, including Sam Worthington (sporting a shaved head and braided goatee) and Joe Manganiello (looking good with a cornrow hairstyle), are equally adequate with their respective roles but it was Mireille Enos who steals the show in SABOTAGE. Here, Enos brings an uncompromisingly fearless performance as the tortured Lizzy who is addicted to drugs. MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT(S) For all the blood, sex and profanities that showcased throughout the movie, I can't singled out a moment worth placing here. THE BAD STUFF It's a pity that the story here is major disappointment. Written by David Ayer and Skip Woods, SABOTAGE does look promising with a nifty concept that mixes Ayer's trademark gritty cop thriller with Agatha Christie-like whodunit structure (particularly her famous novel of And Then There Were None). However, the execution is rather poor or should I say, lazily constructed, as the whodunit doesn't look interesting at all. And worst, the story drags a lot throughout the movie. As exceptionally good as Schwarzenegger has put into his character, there's a nagging feeling that he looks wooden when he is required to deliver more stilted dialogues than usual. As the soft-spoken Sugar, Terrence Howard does little to make his performance worthwhile in the movie. As much as Ayer loves to showcase a lot of grits in his movie, his penchant for shaky camera-work feels rather annoying, particularly when he loves to do a lot of tight close-ups. Another flaw here is Ayer's over-the-top display of gore and violence that somehow works better for a hardcore horror movie than a gritty cop thriller. FINAL WORDS While SABOTAGE is far from both Ayer's and Schwarzenegger's best efforts, the movie remains quite a jolting cinematic experience.

• The Ultimate Movie Review! - http://tss5078.blogspot.com - @tss5078

  Tss50782014-11-25

  Arnold is back, and at 67 years old he hasn't missed a beat. Sabotage is the Governor's third starring role since returning from his stint in politics, and it's easily his best one to date. Schwarzenegger stars as Breacher, the commander of an elite DEA swat team, who agrees to help his under appreciated team take part in the theft of millions of dollars, from a top cartel boss. The heist goes relatively smoothly, but when the team goes to retrieve their money, they discover that one of them double crossed the rest and had stolen the pay day. Everyone is upset and trying to figure out who it was, when the cartel shows up looking for retribution. As the cartel picks off the team one by one, the remaining members have to ban together to try and stop them, except this time, they have to do it knowing that one of them is a trader. Arnold isn't doing the crazy stunts or fighting scenes that he's become synonymous for, he's in more of a leadership role in this film, but he's still the man when it comes to action films. Here he's paired with the Killing's Mireille Enos, who as the only female member of the team, gives an amazing performance. I'm used to her always playing these quiet, reserved, troubled characters, and it was a real treat to see her break out as the wild girl on a team full of men. Sabotage is the rarest of Action films, as it is one with a great storyline, that is as gripping as any drama. The film isn't just about killing people and blowing things up, it has plenty of that, but in the case of Sabotage, there is a reason for all of it, and this film will really keep you on the edge of your seat.

• Don't care about others, this is an Arnold COME BACK!!

  zsappenfield2014-07-08

  The whole cast was great don't get me wrong, and i enjoyed the plot of the whole film, as much as it could have been a little longer with a few more, twists and turns, it still got the point with lots of gun fire, lots of "breaching" and lots of cussing for no reason. Arnold himself being team leader, did a great job, and finished his mission no matter what, i enjoyed the hell out of this film and i think it was a come back for Arnold, it wasn't a flop (in my head, again most people are posting that it was crap and Arnold is done, blah blah blah) This movie had everything going for it, action packed, lots of good actors, lots of crazy gun fights, lots of cussing and dirty jokes, i saw a review that said this is a "guilty pleasure for manly men".....honestly its just a guilty pleasure for anyone who likes action movies and Arnold surrounded by a group of good actors, i hope to see him doing more movies like this (unlike the expendables, which i am not the biggest fan of) this movie was more about him and less about the other actors, i think anyone who is an action movie fan, and an Arnold fan....would enjoy this....so give it a shot. seriously :)

• Delivers as an Action/Crime Thriller with one of Arnold's Best Performances To Date!

  Rebel_With_A_Cause_942014-03-28

  Don't listen to the critics! Go see this movie if you are an Arnold fan! Unlike The Last Stand and Bullet to the Head, this is a straight up dark gritty crime thriller with some great action sequences. While most of the team was unlikable, all of the cast gave good performances aside from Olivia Williams who's accent was pretty bad. The story was good and had enough twist and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the film. The action scenes were fantastic and the violence was incredibly brutal and gory! This is one of the most violent mainstream movies I've seen in a long time! Trust me when I say this movie earned it's R rating! I loved how David Ayer managed to combine the genres of action, crime drama, and western elements together while keeping the tone ultra dark and gritty. Arnolds performance here is also one of the best of his career in my opinion. If I had any complaints it's that it is true the characters are very unlikeable and while they are suppose to be, you do get tired of their crudeness pretty fast. Very good movie and defiantly worth seeing on the big screen! Don't listen to the critics! If you are a fan of action/crime movies you will enjoy this!