Summary
Arnold Schwarzenegger’sloose adaptation of an Agatha Christie classic was intended to reinvent his screen image - but instead marked the end of an era. Schwarzenegger became one of the biggest movie stars in the world during the 1980s, and went on a winning streak that includedThe Terminator,Predator,Twinsand many more. Inevitably, there came a point where audiences tired ofArnold Schwarzenegger action movies, as effects-heavy blockbusters likeIndependence Dayinstead rose in prominence. Always eager to reinvent himself, the star veered into politics instead and was sworn in as the Governor of California in 2003.
Schwarzenegger is still acting, and will return for asecond season of Netflix spy comedyFUBAR.Arnold has been largely absent from the big screen since legacy sequelTerminator: Dark Fateunderperformed, however. He has several projects likeBreakoutin development, while the long-delayedKung Fury 2is currently trapped in legal limbo. It would be great to see Arnie return in an old-fashioned action movie, but it appears the screen icon is taking life a little easier in his later years.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Sabotage Is A Loose Adaptation Of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None
David Ayer’s blood-soaked thriller adapted a classic thriller
WhileSabotagemay not bill itself asan adaptation of Agatha Christie’sAnd Then There Were None, the film was advertised as a loose riff on the famous novel. The film follows a team of corrupt DEA agents - led by Arnie’s gruff Breacher - who steal millions from a cartel and are then picked off one by one. The movie was directed byThe Beekeeper’sDavid Ayer and is a dark, nihilistic ride filled with unlikable characters and gruesome violence.
Test audiences balked at the ending where Breacher gunned down Olivia Williams' cop and escaped, so the studio insisted Ayer chopSabotageinto a more conventional action flick.
Sabotagewas actually shot as more of a slow burn thriller, where it wasn’t clear who was committing the killings or why. There was also a lengthy subplot involving Olivia Williams' detective hunting for a missing girl, whilethe shock ending was supposed to reveal Breacher himself was the killer. Breacher’s justification was that somebody within his team had sold out his family, causing them to be brutally murdered. Not knowing who was responsible, he decided to kill them all.
Test audiences balked at the ending where Breacher gunned down Williams' cop and escaped, so the studio insisted Ayer chopSabotageinto a more conventional action flick. This included adding a new ending, where other characters were revealed to be the killers, while Breacher gained revenge on his family’s murderers.Ayer’s original intentions withSabotagewould have made it more in line with Christie’sAnd Then There Were None, as it played up the mystery and suspense; of course, it also featuredwaymore swearing and bloodshed.
David Ayer Wanted To Reinvent Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Image With Sabotage
Sabotage saw Arnie take a risk with his screen persona
The quippy, muscle-bound action heroes that Schwarzenegger built his career on were out of vogue by the 2010s, so he wisely decided to mix things up.The character Arnold plays inSabotageis a broken, bitter figure whose dysfunctional team is the only family he hasleft. In short, he’s not a hero, and the fact he steals from the cartel right in the opening scene underlines this.
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This was all intentional on Ayer’s part, who wanted to drop the corny one-liners and bombast of Arnold’s past workto present a more grounded image for his star. Speaking withGeekTyrantin 2012 before production on the film began, Ayer outlined his intentions withSabotage.
We’re going to reinvent the guy. It’s going to be a new Arnold. I’m going to transform him.
The film was one of several projects where Schwarzenegger flexed his acting muscles too. He muted his screen persona for introspective dramas like 2015’sMaggieorAftermath, whileSabotageoffered audiences a grittier version of Arnie’s typical action characters. Arnie’s performance is one of the stronger elements of the film because despite the character being an amoral killer, he still makes Breacher oddly likable.
Sabotage Was Arnold’s Third Box-Office Flop In A Row Following His Acting Comeback
None of Schwarzenegger’s comeback vehicles worked
There was much excitement when news broke of Schwarzenegger’s return to the big screen following his run as Governor.The Last Standwas billed as a modern-day Western where Arnie’s sheriff had to fend off killers in a small town, with Liam Neeson having previously been attached. Sadly,The Last Standbombed in 2013, just briefly recouping its $45 million production budget (viaThe Numbers). His follow-upEscape Planpaired him with former screen rival Sylvester Stallone, and while it was a worldwide hit, the film bombed in the U.S.
Sadly,Sabotagefailed to reinvent Arnold and was a critical and financial bomb, earning 21% onRotten Tomatoesand failing to recoup its $35 million budget. Arnold still saw success during this period with supporting roles inThe ExpendablesorTerminator: Genisys, butSabotagebeing his third flop in a row quietly confirmed the days when he could pull viewers in on his name alone had ended. Still, as a curious mix of Schwarzenegger action vehicleandAgatha Christie’s adaptation,Sabotageis worth a curiosity viewing.
Sabotage
Cast
Sabotage is a 2014 action flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger plays John ‘Breacher’ Wharton, the leader of a DEA task force that is hunted down by a drug cartel. Alongside Schwarzenegger stars Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Olivia Williams, Joe Manganiello, and Josh Holloway. David Ayer helms the film with a script written by himself and Skip Woods.
