User reviews

I am surprised less at the average score the internet gave this movie and more at the number of reviews given. The film features a cast of relatively known people and has a few innovative bits, yet the whole thing has faded into obscurity, not even getting its own cover on IMDb.

If you judge the plot from the description alone, it appears to be a bit boring and cheap: some ex-navy seal gets mixed in a bunch of interconnected conspiracies with the FBI, CIA and hitmen involved. In practice however, the movie manages to lift the plot above trash. The recurring theme is that of a game of chess where the main character, whose surname happens to be Bishop, is taking part in the conspiracy game.

The acting by Mark and Carie-Anne are average. The script written for them should take most of the blame for that, as it can get shallow and cheesy at times, which is to be expected for this type of movie.

Nonetheless, this movie has class, which manages to keep it out of feeling too cheap. The action is well paced and is not too aggressive or overabundant, so that there is a feeling that a figurative chess game is indeed happening and it is not just a sweaty guy throwing chess pieces around in anger, which is what a lot of actions movies feel like. At the same time, it has a few memorable action scenes which have stayed with me all the way from childhood.

If you like action movies and have not seen this one, I highly suggest adding it to your checklist, although the only place I have been able to find it is on VHS and Youtube...a shame, considering the kind of garbage they still show on TV sometimes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

(Credit to John Sacksteder)

An ex-Navy commando (Mark Dacscos) is framed for a bungled mission to save hostages from terrorists in which he survived being shot 7 times by an assassin (Tony Todd). Years later, he is hired to protect a weapons distributor and his wife, only to have the same assassin kill them. This sets him on a mission with the assigned FBI agent (Carrie Anne Moss) to bring the killers and conspirators to justice. Graham Greene appears as Dacasco's former commander.

I watched this a few months ago because of the cast. I've always thought Mark Dacascos was very underrated and exciting, and I love Tony Todd. I found it on You-Tube and figured, what the hell? It was a poor choice to say the least. Not only is this a bad movie, but downright mundane as well. After an exciting first 20 minutes or so, I started to get bored. There isn't much action. There is gunfire, but I wanted more. Dacascos's skills are wasted and underutilized. He does well, but I wanted more fights from him. Anne-Moss is OK, but unremarkable. Tony Todd's deliciously evil performance is the only noteworthy thing in this movie. The ending is pretty anti- climatic, angering me more than I already was.

This is obscure for a reason. Don't trust the 6.0 rating! Avoid, unless you have to see anything with Dacoscis or Todd in it

3/10

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 have seen the 1996 action thriller "Sabotage" once before, but have to admit that the movie was entirely erased from my memory. So as I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it again here in 2022, of course I did so.

The storyline in "Sabotage", as written by writers Rick Filon and Michael Stokes, was a pretty straight forward, albeit a somewhat generic storyline. Sure, "Sabotage" made for a watchable enough movie, however, it just wasn't a particularly outstanding action thriller. I will say that there were aspects of the storyline that were better than others. But the overall picture was a somewhat bland one.

The acting performances in "Sabotage" were fairly okay. I did sit down to watch "Sabotage" given the fact that the movie was starring Mark Dacascos. I had entirely forgotten that the movie also had the likes of Carrie-Anne Moss, Tony Todd, Graham Greene and John Neville on the cast list. So you actually do have a good selection of talents on the screen.

There is a good amount of action throughout the course of the 99 minutes that the movie runs for. And thankfully so, because the action does help to keep the movie afloat and staying above waters, whereas it would otherwise have been drowning from a mediocre script.

All in all, then "Sabotage" is a watchable movie, though you're not in for a particularly memorable movie experience here.

My rating of "Sabotage", from director Tibor Takács, lands on a bland five out of ten stars.

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 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!

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.

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.

"The Dark Heart Of The Black Ops Beats To A Secret Agenda..." "Sabotage" is a fantastic action movie. The plot: Michael Bishop (Dacascos) is an ex-army commando, who after almost getting killed, is asked to become a bodyguard for an arms dealer. After a routine pick-up at the airport, the dealer is killed by Sherwood(Todd), an assassin for the government. Bishop is blamed and he's on the run.

The plot description doesn't do it justice. This movie is an action-packed thrill ride. This is one the first movies to use the "bullet time" effects. This was made three years before the "The Matrix". The whole cast does a great job. The standout is Tony Todd as Sherwood. He's so evil, you just want to kill him every time he's on screen. This is one of Dacascos' best movies. ("Drive" is another Direct-To-Video Classic).

There is a lot of energy and thought put into the action sequences. The ice rink fight and the climax are just so cool.

"Sabotage" is highly recommended! For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

I enjoyed this film because I am a Mark Dacascos fan. He plays a street smart bold character/hired bodyguard who is resourceful and tough. His one fight scene in the hotel has a great cinematic angle. At first, this film may confuse the viewer because the dialogue is not simple to grasp at first yet after the 3rd time watching this film, I finally understood it. Carry Ann-Moss plays a tough single mother/FBI agent with a strong willed-killer instinct. The film has good action, humor that is dry and a emotional-chess like story line.

This film is shot in Ontario during a period where Canada was learning how to make dramatic high-violence films. It is a relatively high-budget film with excellent special demolition effects and high-performance military hardware used throughout the film. The plot is not that strong but the film is well executed. It is shot in the style of a 1970's USA action film (i.e. Dirty Harry), its not a 1990's-level film. There are a few minor continuity mistakes but that's okay. Carrie-Anne Moss and Mark Dacoscos do a good job executing a script which at best, is only slightly above average. The lead villain - Tony Todd - is excellent. Overall its a 9 on special effects and a 9 on acting, held back by a 6 on script quality. Unlike a Clint Eastwood film, though, the lead character isn't fleshed out and doesn't have catch phrases like Harry Callahan and there isn't a good love-interest in the story so the plot line is more anorexic than able-bodied.

The plot is good, and the story line is very unpredictable, but it may be hard to follow at times, the acting is pretty good and there are some good stunts and and a good ending.

Years after taking the blame for a rescue mission turned sour and nearly being killed himself, Michael Bishop is working as a body guard for an arms dealer and his wife. When the same assassin kills them both he is forced to investigate a possible conspiracy within the intelligence services, eventually joining forces with FBI Agent Louise Castle to get to the head of the plot.

I watched this film a few nights ago when I noticed the cast – I thought I hadn't seen it before and didn't realise that I had until the final ten minutes when one scene triggered my memory. That is an indication of what I thought of this film – it is wholly unmemorable. That is not to say it is awful, merely that it isn't very good and you'll be unlikely to ever watch it again unless, like me, you forget you've ever seen it. The plot is OK but not delivered as well as one would have hoped but still passes the time without doing anything too special. It occasionally has moments of action but mostly it just putters along. Certainly anyone looking to see martial arts action on the strength of Dacascos (as I was) will be mostly let down.

The twists in the plot are good but not as shocking or as dramatic as they should have been – again due to the delivery. The climax is good on paper but somehow it simply doesn't come off – perhaps the complex plot was not developed and explained as well as it needed – thus making plot twists less dramatic.

On paper the cast are good but in practice they are not. Dacascos is someone I always enjoy but he is not a great actor. Here his best moments come when action is called for. Moss is interesting to watch post-Matrix, she is OK but I wonder why she wasn't credited on this film – after all she WAS credited on Lethal Tender around about the same time and it wasn't any better than this. Continuing the list of well known faces, Todd (Candyman) was a good bad guy and lifted his scenes, Graham Greene and John Neville were given little to do and did appear to be slumming it a bit (esp Neville in a horrid camp role).

Overall if you are looking for a way to pass 99 minutes and aren't too bothered about forgetting as soon as you stop the tape then this is OK, otherwise you'd best leave this. On paper it all looked good but the delivery is weak and the film suffers as a result.

Marc Dacascos plays a well defined role in this action drama movie. Going beyond the first impression, it is a dense and intricate game of chess.

The first time I saw this movie I thought it was pretty good. Good acting, a lot of action through the hole movie, but it was a bit confusing. It is about NAVY Seal, in a mission he gets shot by a man called Sherwood. He cant continue in the army, so he gets a job in a bodyguard company. one day his client gets shot by a man, and after a while he understand that it was Sherwood that shot his client. Later in the movie it begins to be hard to understans who's on his side, and he see that some of his closest friends are behind this big conspiracy. He gets to know a female FBI agent, and together they find out more, and that it was some FBI agents in the conspiracy too. They take the female FBI agents daughter, and at the end they kill em all. And in the middel of all this, they are after the bodyguard, because they want to arrest him. Beside all the confusing stuff it was good, with a lot of action. Not a movie that you have to see.