Sabotage

I seem to have a knack for stumbling upon obscure little movies, which is how I ended up watching this entry in the Canon of Dacascos. Some endorsement, I know, but this surprised me for a low-budget actioner in a decade rampant with them.

The plot, with its blatant chess metaphors and convoluted twists, is a lot of nonsense, as is par for the course. However, now and again the script shows flashes of genuine intelligence and attention to detail that offset the boilerplate dialogue. Even at just under 100 minutes it drags a few times - a couple of action scenes back-to-back followed by stretches of exposition - but never becomes outright boring. Those action scenes are fairly routine affairs, with a bit too liberal use of John Woo level slow-mo. However, there are a couple good uses of pre-Matrix bullet cam, even if the effects haven't dated very well.

Mark Dacascos has always had an interesting screen presence without being much of an actual actor. Fortunately, the movie recognizes this and surrounds him with a strong supporting cast, including a delightfully hammy Tony Todd and vets Graham Greene and the late John Neville. Unfortunately, it also doesn't play to his strengths - there are only a couple of fight scenes, which are not only painfully brief and sloppily edited, there's a sense they aren't even necessary. The role doesn't embarrass Dacascos in any way, but it's not particularly suited to him either. A pre-Matrix Carrie-Anne Moss does decent work as a co-lead, even if the script isn't particularly interested in her as a character either. Todd gives the best performance in a walk, by virtue of not caring how far over the top he's going or how often his exaggerated accent just kinda wanders off.

This is an efficient enough time-waster that functions best as a stepping stone for its two leads to bigger and better things. It's kind of the same for viewers: there are definitely better and worse action films out there, and this does a decent job bridging the gap.

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.

If you're looking for a Saturday night action flick with a lot of stuff blowing up, martial arts and a bunch of one-liners you're in the wrong place. However if you came seeking a slow burn thriller with slightly more story and good performances, 'Sabotage' delivers.

Michael Bishop (Mark Dacascos) a disgraced former Navy Seal finds himself doing private bodyguard work three years after a failed mission in Bosnia. When Sherwood (Tony Todd) an assassin from his past targets his clients, Bishop gets thrust back into a world he thought he had left behind. Louise Castle (Carrie-Anne Moss) the local FBI agent in charge gets swept up in the dark proceedings of murder & lies.

The proceedings have a down to earth feel and generally satisfy. It never goes over the top, gets overly complicated or goes off the rails. There's the standard bit of investigating and getting to the bottom of things with a chess angle played out both literally and figuratively.

Dacascos is in top form as a level headed ex-military man with skills and smarts. Willing and able to use a gun, but more than apt to use his brain first. Carrie-Anne Moss is tough, but vulnerable. Happily there's no cliché romance subplot. Tony Todd is effective in his sparse appearances as a mercenary for hire who relishes his job, dislikes amateurs. Supporting players in Graham Greene & John Neville have interesting angles to play and are just great all around actors who've appeared in a bunch of fine films. With great screen presence they elevate the somewhat pedestrian dialog given to them.

I'll acknowledge the contrived nature of the story. The sequence of events, how all the same players came together past and present, but this was a hidden gem for me in the 90's. Much like another Dacascos title - 'Drive' - but for different reasons. This Canadian filmed action trip won't appeal to everyone and didn't make a blimp when it was originally released, but I enjoyed it.

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!

Well i saw this movie last week, and it didn't blow me away, but it was quite a good movie. It had a fairly good story as far as movies like this goes, and the action was kind of cool. I especially noticed the filming in the action scenes. Cool filming. Favorite part: When they get shot at the airport.

If you are a Marc Dacascos fan, you better see this one. But be aware, not as much fighting in this one.