After his shattering cop drama End of Watch garnered Oscar buzz back in 2012, director David Ayer is moving to DEA officers for his next thriller, the Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring Sabotage.
A new trailer for the film has hit the web today, and the biggest surprise in the preview may be just how good it looks. The marketing campaign takes the dramatic pressure off Arnie (likely a smart move) and instead heavily features both the film’s loaded supporting cast and its gritty action sequences.
Check it out below:
Sabotage centers on John Wharton (Schwarzenegger), the skilled leader of an elite DEA squad. When Wharton’s squad infiltrates a major drug cartel’s safe house and discreetly sets aside millions of dollars worth of cash for themselves, they soon become the targets of a mysterious assassin. With the DEA getting closer to the truth and the killer still gunning for members of his squad, Wharton finds himself in the fight of his life.
In addition to Schwarzenegger, Sabotage stars Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Mireille Enos, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Harold Perrineau, Martin Donovan, Max Martini and Josh Holloway.
The trailer showcases Ayer’s trademark preference for up-close-and-personal camera angles, as well as his considerable talent for smart and involving action sequences. One particular scene involving Enos’ character shooting from the trunk of a car looks like a real treat for action fans. The fact that the film was co-written by Ayer and Skip Woods (Swordfish) is a very promising sign. Though Schwarzenegger is known for no-brains-attached action flicks, Ayer typically brings some serious intelligence to his films. Sabotage is certainly high on my watchlist for 2014.
What do you think of the trailer? Will Sabotage be more intelligent than recent fare from the Governator (see: The Last Stand, Escape Plan), or is it destined to rank alongside those low-IQ turkeys? Sound off in the comments section!
Sabotage blasts into theaters April 11th, 2014