Predictable and Cliche, "Sabotage" Unsurprisingly Disappoints

Griffin Conlogue ‘15 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

What an interesting turn in the career of Sabotage director David Ayer. After last years’ End of Watch impressed viewers and critics alike, his next film came with moderately high expectations.
Needless to say, it came nowhere near meeting said expectations. Overall, it had a very enjoyable first 10 minutes, and then it was essentially unwatchable. The plot was so predictable that it made for a very unenjoyable experience. What could have been an interesting look at a close-knit team of DEA agents turned into a gore-fest that had many in the theater laughing at moments that were unintentionally funny.
Sabotage is about an elite team of DEA operatives, led by Breacher (Arnold Schwarzenegger). A very high octane and compelling first act was sharply met with an unbearable middle and a lame attempt at an interesting conclusion. Outside of Schwarzenegger and co-star Joe Manganiello, strong performances are hard to come by. Mireille Enos and Olivia Williams give particularly poor performances as the only two female characters in this testosterone-filled film. Their overacting and bland characters bog down the story, which is unfortunate because they are both relatively talented actresses. Neither really add any positives to the film, and both have poor chemistry with their costars. The cast is filled with many actors who have stood out before, but most seemed to either be phoning it in or trying too hard here.

Perhaps most of the blame should be placed on the shoulders of the film’s scribe, Skip Woods. Perhaps the worst screenwriter working today, his screenplay for Sabotage is so full of clichés and poorly written characters that it is no wonder the final product was so terrible. Woods is mostly known for writing the abysmal Hitman film, as well as being the writer on X-Men Origins: Wolverine and A Good Day to Die Hard, both of which are easily considered the worst films in their respective franchises. The man just can’t write a good script, and this film is no exception
It is hard to overlook the glaring issue in this action film. The action packed moments are outweighed by the boring ones, and the overall stupidity of the plot and dialogue make for a boring and predictable ride. Disappointing box office returns and poor word of mouth has left this dud dead on arrival.
Overall Grade: D+

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