There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

This is a neat little thriller which, while made as a vehicle for the 'new' action star of the '90s, Mark Dacascos, rises above the origins and turns into an entertaining story. While the plot is nothing new - the trend of the '90s thriller is to include police corruption and conspiracy - there are some fresh twists on the tale, enough to keep the viewer constantly intrigued. The story is bolstered by some above average acting from the cast, with most of the actors and actresses being experienced. Even the female lead this time around is an interesting character, and not just a cheap Scully as is the case with so many sidekicks in today's films. Mark Dacascos acquits himself well with the role of the bodyguard, and he's quite charismatic too, not to mention athletic in the action sequences. Playing the villain with sneering intensity is Tony Todd, one of my favourite of today's actors. Todd is perfectly cast as the sinister villain, a role which he fits like a glove, and as always he's eminently watchable. Further down in the cast are Graham Greene, excellent as a corrupt official, and John Neville, who enjoys his camp turn as a wheelchair-bound homosexual.Surprisingly, the film is quite low on action sequences, specifically martial arts scenes, considering other Dacascos films like DRIVE. However what scenes there are, are interesting and well staged, and there are some varied special effects to add to the role. Notable moments include the clever ending and a scene where Dacascos sets up a lamp to turn on when someone steps outside his door. This would be a pretty boring filler scene in other films, but it's filmed in an interesting, entertaining way, as are the shootouts which serve as the main focus points for the action. SABOTAGE was never going to win any awards for brilliance, but it's a solid little thriller and has more originality and thoughtfulness than many other films I could cite which we see on the video racks today. Catch it if there's nothing better on television.

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.

Sabotage is really what you could call a surprise package. On the one had it is an low budget action film starring martial arts star Mark Dacascos, which may suggest the film will be hollow, brainless and lacking in genuine class. However the film is a surprisingly entertaining and stylish piece of cinema that betters many thrillers released by big studios. The performances are first rate and the character interactions are good with some great dialogue.The plot is an intentionally convoluted one which unravels as the movie progresses. There are conspiracies, dodgy agency folk and assassinations. The whole thing is regularly referred to as a metaphorical game of Chess (In fact the two lead characters have the surnames Bishop and Castle!). We open with a flashback set in Bosnia 1993, during a failed mission to rescue political hostages, when a third party comes in and kills allied troops, including Michael Bishop (Mark Dacascos). The third party was a former colleague of Bishops, named Sherwood, played superbly by Tony Todd. Bishop is left with 7 bullets holes in his chest thanks to Sherwood and left for dead. As it happens though a few years later he is still alive and now working as a bodyguard, but his client is killed under his nose and he must track down who did it. Bishop could leave it alone but out of duty he wants to find the killer but as he unravels the plot he finds that the situation now is linked with his mission in Bosnia. The plot has depth and keeps you guessing while there are plenty of twists. The final twist is excellent (you could call it: Bishop takes Queen, check mate!). It isn't merely the plot that has clever touches but the methodical way in which Bishops thinks. The film makers make darn sure this guy looks like someone who has intelligence training. He gets out of situations and solves situations using his head, not just flying in there feet first as you'd expect a martial arts star in an action movie to do. Great parts include Bishop setting up a censor outside of his motel room using a lamp, and his use of a fridge at the end is also very good. The film is littered with nice touches that give it a depth that you don't expect.The cast are excellent. Really and truly in the main roles there is not a weak link. Mark Dacascos is good here. He has always had more humanity and acting ability than a lot of his action man peers and he is good here, playing the methodical Bishop. His relationship and chemistry with Carrie Ann Moss (Castle) is a big part of the movies success. They initially have friction as he is a chief suspect, but as the plot unravels they work together and form a bond that doesn't go into the B-movie cliché of becoming immediately sexual for the sake of some T&A. Carrie Ann Moss is also very good in her role, balancing loving mother with ambitious FBI career woman very well, before turning into a bad ass at the end. Then there is Tony Todd who is excellent as the villain. They managed to get someone in to play Sherwood with some charisma. If Sherwood wasn't menacing and wasn't played right this would have suffered. Similar to Bishop, Sherwood is highly intelligent and is given the intellectual high ground over all his cohorts (as he says 'f**cking amateurs!). Finally the is good support from James Purcell and also some real class from John Neville and Oscar nominated Graham Greene, two highly respected actors. There is a real classiness to the central cast that warrants this film more accolade than it has. This really had the quality to be released theatrically.The direction by Tibor Takacs is stylish and although he goes overboard at times he keeps proceedings moving along nicely and there are some good action scenes. The action is strong here but there is now big stand out scene, obviously due to budgetary constraints. The film opens with two consecutive action sequences and the airport hit is very good. Really they needed an extended action scene in there somewhere, rather than just short bursts. The rather blandish and cold cinematography actually works well for this film, giving some atmosphere and that combines well with Guy Zefara's low key and ambient score. He knows the limitations of doing a Synthesizer score and doesn't try an recreate a full orchestra. Rather he create a subtle score that keeps the atmosphere going and uses an effective percussive style for the action. Overall this is an accomplished little film. Its not original by any means but gives some depth to its material and although it lacks a strong finish it is certainly a film that demands viewing. ***1/2

I'm not sure how anyone could give this 10 out of 10. There is a good film somewhere in there but it never seems to come out. Everything is average. The main actors have done much better work elsewhere. One looked forward to Mark Dacascos, Carrie-Ann Moss and Tony Todd in the same film, going head to head, so a disappointment then. The ending was good however.It is always good however to see John Neville in a film. He never made nearly enough films. His Sherlock Holmes in 'A Study in Terror' and his Baron Munchausen in the Terry Gilliam film, made years apart, are good indicators of his potential as a great film actor. Theatre gained and movies lost his abilities along the way.The title of the film seemed plucked out of a hat. I could not work out why it was called 'Sabotage'. Any suggestions?