"Sabotage" Review

When you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, what comes to mind? Explosions, one-liners, bombastic action, and a carefree bad-ass charisma. We don't watch Schwarzenegger films to see masterpieces (excluding "Terminator 2"). Films like "Commando", "Predator", and "End Of Days" are ridiculous, overblown, cheesy action pictures; it's Schwarzenegger's tough yet happy-go-lucky demeanor that appeals us to him. His movies are silly fun, that's what we love. So based on this analysis, what's the worst sin a Schwarzenegger film can commit? Boredom. Let's talk about Sabotage.

Schwarzenegger plays John "Breacher" Wharton, a DEA agent in charge of an elite team of soldiers. They do drug busts, repossess illegally-obtained money, capture high-profile criminals, the works. On one of their missions, $10 million is taken from the scene, the DEA interrogating the team mercilessly. They deny it all, but after one of the agents is brutally murdered, it's up to Wharton and an investigative officer (Olivia Williams) to find the money and murderer before it's too late for the rest.

The premise isn't my problem: I enjoy the idea of Schwarzenegger in a team. Movies like "The Expendables" series show the potential for a team of macho men saving the day from the bad guys, and with established stars Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, and Joe Manganiello, the idea can work. The problem lies in execution.

The first ten minutes and the last ten minutes feel like a Schwarzenegger film: high-octane action, car chases, one-liners, lots of posing. The rest plods through a mix of Clue and a buddy-cop film, following the officer and her wise-cracking partner (Harold Perrineau) as they muddle through DEA bureaucracy and whatever scraps they can find to piece together the mystery. We sit through long stretches of dialogue, meandering from crime scene to office to DEA building, occasionally getting to see Wharton and his team as they sling expletive humor at each other. The few scenes breaking up monotony either provide anti-climactic action or crime scenes caked in gore. The former bores me, the latter isn't given emotional context, meant only for a cheap audience gasp.

Now, as I mentioned, the first and last ten minutes of the film stick to the formula we know and love, and for the most part, it's executed well. The team blows holes through the bad guys, electric guitars blare as punches fly, a bullet storm rocking the room, missing their heads by a fraction of an inch. The last battles build adequately, utilizing different cinematography to give the scenes a grittier feel. By all means, the climax is the best part; it got the audience to cry a unison "OH!" These scenes satisfy the action junkie in me. It's too bad I had to sit through an hour and twenty minutes of an uninspired plot to get to them.

And ultimately, that's the problem. Sabotage is an hour and forty-nine minutes long that feels like three. A confused, meandering plot, awkward editing, and lackluster acting leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I wanted to get it over with, and while the cast seems like they were having fun, it wasn't enough. I don't think you need the influence to skip this one, but by all means, do. Thank you all for reading, I'm the Man Without A Plan, signing off.

Sabotage trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVOCbK3s8Yo