Film Review: Surprises Can’t Save ‘Sabotage’ From Bloody Carnage

Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 28, 2014 - 8:26am

CHICAGO – The crime thriller “Sabotage” is the least predictable and most intense of the handful of post Governator action movies Arnold Schwarzenegger has starred in. Last year’s “The Last Stand” had a sense of humor about it, along with a nod to classic Westerns, that lightened the bloody violence, but here is a gritty film that proudly displays its tattoos and adrenaline in a testosterone-laced delivery…that even has its few women posing a legitimate threat to their manly costars. While there is some humor here, it comes from R-rated bro-camaraderie, that is - the kind of jokes you crack after you’ve just turned a bad guy’s head into a squishy tomato during a drug raid.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Veteran John “Breacher” Wharton (Schwarzenegger) leads an elite team of DEA operatives who specialize in “breaching and clearing” (hence the name) drug compounds and safe houses, with the mission being to take down drug cartels. They behave more like a dysfunctional family than they do federal agents. After one high-profile raid, suspicions arise within the team when the ten million dollars they intended to steal from the cartel goes missing.

Their superiors are also suspicious and disband the team, as they continue to closely monitor everyone, especially John. John is given a cubicle while the rest of his team loaf around and get rusty playing PS4. He has feds staking out his home, following him and even joining him in the washroom. Months pass and after the internal investigation runs cold, John is reinstated and given his eager team back. That’s when things really start to go downhill.

“Sabotage” opens everywhere on March 28th. Featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway and Mireille Enos. Written by David Ayer and Skip Woods. Directed by David Ayer. Rated “R”