Review of Sabotage (2014) by Jeffrey M — 31 Oct 2014

Visceral, relentlessly violent, gritty, and abrasive, Sabotage proves to be the very definition of a mixed bag by talented director David Ayer. In it, we find an elite DEA task force hot off an internal scandal involving a missing $10 million, only to be mysteriously killed in stunning fashion. Led by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the group struggles to make sense of the killings and keep the force together.

Training Day and End of Watch director David Ayer brings his skill for building semi-realist narratives with an audacious sense of brutality to bear with Sabotage. The film becomes oddly absorbing and even a bit compelling for much of its run. This can be explained by Ayer's skill at narrative momentum and pace, along with a sort of tension that builds. He introduces storylines and always keeps them in the background, yet still progresses ahead, creating a film that we're never exactly sure what's going on, but we feel like we want to know. This is helped by some surprising performances, including one of the better roles for Arnold Schwarzenegger, who actually has what one could consider an actual performance here. The on screen chemistry between the cast is pretty good, and all seem to inhibit their roles well. In short, for much of the film's run, it's fast paced, brutal, and engaging.

Somewhere along the line, probably just over half way through, the film's effectiveness starts to wane. What was originally audacious brutality boarders on senseless depravity. The plot mechanisms start to fall apart, and the narrative focus seems lost. The result is a third act that almost completely undermines what came before it, with an absurd twist, numerous plot holes, and countless storylines left out to dry. It's as if Ayer's cleverness got the better of him.

Overall there's enough here to like, but not by much.

3/5 Stars.