For those of you who enjoy this film genre, let me start by saying you'll most likely like this movie. It is gritty, tough, and full of action, tattoos, and guns. Ultimately, the plot is a compelling one with a couple of twists an turns. However, the dialogue is clunky, the characters are only skin deep, and the story unfolds like a rusty lawn chair. While I enjoyed the movie, if I'm being honest,I must admit that I was more than a bit disappointed. With Ayer at the helm, I had much higher expectations.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been doing about one film per year since the 2010 when he took on the role of Trench in the ridiculous testosterone fest The Expendables. Ayer's films all have a palpable realism to them, so when I saw Arnold was cast in the lead role of Sabotage, I wondered if he would be able to pull it off. Many of Schwarzenegger's best films had a certain over-the-top sense about them and, while admittedly campy, this cheesy quality made them fun and enjoyable. Sabotage, however, would require a different quality and unfortunately, I don't feel he adequately delivered. Much of the dialogue came off as wooden, blocky and, much to my disappointment, uninspiring.
The rest of the cast is a rowdy array of ruffians, most of whom you'll recognize from previous roles. Sam Worthington, Josh Holloway, Terrence Howard, Max Martini, and Kevin Vance make up the bulk of Arnold's team. Rounding out the group is the underrated but wonderful Mireille Enos of World War Z and AMC's The Killing. She is really good...and tough...and really good. The highlight however, was the surprisingly powerful presence of Joe Manganiello who plays Grinder. I don't know if this cat has the stuff to handle a leading role, but he was absolutely terrific here.
On a strange side note, I don't know if Ayer thinks he has figured out some magical movie formula, but his last three films have each been exactly 1hr and 49 minutes in length. #random
Sabotage will certainly be the most violent film you will see this year. (#beheading #murderbytrain #crucifixion #throatslash) But what did you expect? It's about a group of rough-neck DEA agents who hunt down vicious criminals and kick in doors of cartel safe houses for a living. Do that enough and you tend to make some enemies. As I like to say, this film is rated R for a good reason.Under no circumstances should anyone under the age of 18 see this movie.
Save your money and rent this film. Go see Captain America instead. Though I haven't see it yet, I'm almost positive it is a better choice.
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