Sabotage

This is a very good movie. Good story, excellent action sequences. Tony Todd makes an awsome villian. Mark Dacascos is good as usual. Don't expect anything like DRIVE though. Mark has just one short fight scene. But that doesn't matter because this isn't a kung fu movie. It's a thriller, and a damn good one at that!

In my opinion, this film is a hidden gem. Although some may find the plot line a trifle tortuous, this is more than compensated for by the film's realistic feel and likeable cast.

As the film is not effects-heavy (thanks to a lower than blockbuster budget) attention has instead been paid to creating a believable environment rather than a showy one. The film appears to have the benefit of a good military advisor - firearms & combat sequences are particularly well executed and accurately represented.

Directional cues are used to good effect to allow us to follow the hero's train of thought in pivotal situations, and I was particularly pleased not to see the usual overindulgent "victim setup" sequences which tend to plague many films in this genre.

Neither is this a film which plays down to the audience by stating and restating the obvious; it's refreshing to watch a film which actually credits the viewer with some degree of independent thought!

Although "Sabotage" definitely inclines more towards Len Deighton than Ian Fleming, Mark Dacascos makes a very credible leading man, with his character having just enough background development to lend credibility to his actions, rather than swamping us with "flawed hero" cliches.

This film was obviously never going to break any box office records, but it does show very clearly that you can still have a good film without resorting to the visual overkill of big budget effects.

This is a good fun action classic. Don't expect too much of a plot, sit back and enjoy the ride. Quite well filmed too.

Surprisingly good action film. Far better than some big budget films that somehow made it into the theaters but should have gone straight to video.

Surprisingly upscale cast. Carrie Anne Moss of future Matrix fame. Also excellent veteran character actors such as Graham Greene.

Good sniper-themed films are few and far between. The original Day of the Jackal, Sniper, Shooter, Quigley Down Under, Enemy at the Gates. You can pretty much list them on the fingers of one hand.

Admittedly Sabotage makes a few technical gaffes regarding the nitty-gritty of how snipers operate. But if one is willing to overlook them, Sabotage is actually one of the better sniper-themed films around.

Lots of "gun porn" for firearms freaks. Lots of intrigue, double-crosses and triple-crosses for thriller fans. Satisfying conclusion. I disagree with those who say the ending was an anti-climax.

It even has some of the earliest uses of "bullet time." Judicious use too, used appropriately. Not overkill.

This is a fine example of the kind of films I like to see Mark Dacascos in. Mark plays an ex black ops leader. After being double crossed and left for dead, he resurfaces as a bodyguard for high profile political figures. After his client is assassinated he uncovers a web of arms dealing, corrupt cia officials and a strange link between his past as a black ops member and his clients murder. This film offers some of the earliest examples of the highly overused "bullet time " effect as well as some brief but well staged fight sequences. This is one of the best examples of a low budget film that pulls out all the stops.