John Wharton (Arnold Schwarzenegger), heads a highly trained group of drug enforcement agents (DEA). It’s a well-tuned and well-oiled team, but things go horribly wrong after they attack and rob a drug cartel safe house. The task force is now under investigation by the FBI and also being hunted by the drug lords. One by one, in gruesome fashion, each member is being targeted and eliminated. The once united team appears to have a crooked insider.
Keeping Schwarzenegger company in an ensemble cast including Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Olivia Williams and Josh Holloway. Over-styled to look more like Harley riding Hells Angels than DEA agents, this team is so into booze, babes and hedonism that you wonder when they train and whether they should be trusted with guns.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is well past his prime and therefore unconvincing as a menacing DEA agent. He literally grimaces and struts around awkwardly. There is also one needless scene where he is shown working out in the gym, lifting weights and flexing his muscles. It does not help and all you wonder is why he’s still trying!
Director-writer David Ayer’s story is greatly disjointed and everything that happens appears too arbitrary. He peppers the film with several grisly killings and juxtaposes the DEA squad with suit wearing homicide detectives who are constrained to do things by the book.
The whodunit about a revenge-seeker seesaws between pulp and suspense but its short on thrills and delivers a lame ending.
Rating: **
