Ex-governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger turns up as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) supervisor in the latest crime thriller directed by David Ayer, who wrote The Fast and the Furious (2001) and directed thriller-drama End of Watch (2012). Though the trailer is hardly likely to set your expectations too high for the classic action star’s return, this B-grade exhibition of blood, gore and clichés still manages to painfully disappoint.

Notorious veteran DEA officer John Breacher (Schwarzenegger), whose wife was kidnapped and ruthlessly tortured to death, leads his family-like squad to raid a cartel, with a dodgy plan to snatch 10 million dollars for themselves. And just when they think they’ve pulled it off nice and clean, their hidden money is nowhere to be found. After undergoing months of internal investigation, the whole team eventually gets to return to action, only to mysteriously start being picked off, one at a time. FBI agent Caroline (Olivia Williams) steps in to investigate, while Breacher and co get restless, as the traitor seems to be among them.

While the storyline does indeed have something to offer, all the suspense is spoiled by tell-tale lines and gaping plot holes. On top of all the unreasonable situations, it’s even more frustrating that so many flat characters line up to salute anti-hero John Breacher. All the bloodshed feels unnecessary and exaggerated. The cheap cop jokes and bragging don’t make it any more entertaining. Then, as if all the boxes must be checked, the budding romance between Breacher and FBI agent Caroline just comes as a stupid slap in the face.

As much as Williams’ Caroline keeps you interested, Arnie struggles to deliver any kind of recognizable emotion, having you wish he’d stuck to his desk job. Not that the script’s doing him any favors. There are ways Sabotage could have been made into a decent thriller. But, really, Ayer’s thirst for gore just gets in the way. Just as the number of headshots shown in the film implies, brains have no place in this movie.