Beastie Boys: Sabotage (1994 Music Video) User Reviews

So goddam phat it's obese

[the-sabbath · 9/10 · 21 March 2006]

Before seeing this video on Beavis & Butthead way back in my youth, I'd only a passing acquaintance with the Beastie Boys. Did this put me on track!

Masterful direction and a matching of visual action to the music that's just sublime, all backed up with some hilariously well thought out costuming and makeup. It looks like everyone had a lot of fun making this.

The only other video that comes close for sheer artistic value (in this reviewers' humble opinion) is Aphex Twins' Come to Daddy. But I'd happily put Sabotage head to head against Come to Daddy any day of the week.

Definitely one of the best music videos of all time and certainly the only one I've ever bought on VHS. Do excuse me, I've gotta watch it again now...

Hands Down, the best Music Video till the end of time.

[Krunk2k · 10/10 · 3 January 2001]

What can be said. To see is to believe. Without viewing this modern day masterpiece of short-subject film making, it is hard to describe the energy and invocation of sheer hilarity that this video portrays.

A straight up, in-your-face farce on the 1970's cop sitcoms, rockets its way through your TV with the electrifying Beastie Boys hamming it up on the screen and rocking out on the soundtrack.

Socking it to the man as they tounge and cheek their comedy chompers around a nice fat donut, the Beasties "Starsky and Hutch"-it so hard you'll want to apply a fake mustache and bust some heads.

Likewise, Spike Jonez (director of critically acclaimed "Being John Malkovich") stupifies us with his stunning camera work, blending mood altering hand-held mastery with kung-fu action shots that contain such artistry it should be illegal. To say Jonez's style mixed with the Beastie Boys' lyrical stylings is the understatement of the century. Simply put, Sabotage is the pinnacle of Music in Motion.

Jonze proves his talent...

[KubrickCRM114 · 10/10 · 9 June 2003]

With a single music video, I became a fan of Spike Jonze. I am a totally huge fan of classic rock (The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, ect.) and when this video came out, I was instantly hooked. I have seen this style so many times in old 70's tv shows that when I saw it in this video, in this context, I knew Spike Jonze was brilliant. If you want proof, who heard this song before the video came out and instantly thought, "Starsky and Hutch"? A great performance by all those involved.

The Beastie Boys return to punk, in a triumphant way

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 5 June 2001]

From the exceptional director of many things, Spike Jonze, came this music video in 1994. Among his other ones (All About the Benjamins, Praise You, and his best to date Weapon of Choice with Christopher Walken), this one is another foray into things we have not seen a while in music videos.

This time, the trio who started out punk and went into the Def Jam cycle of rap, came back in Ill Communication to make this hit Sabatoge, and the video is just as great as the song. It is a funny take-off on old 70's cop shows (having a black cop as bunny is dead pan) with the three in fake wigs and moustaches running around with a frenzied pace from Jonze to match they're song. Brilliant punk song and video, this is one of the best of the 90's. A+

Mike D, Ad-rock and MCA in the song video of the year,,,,

[magnern · 10/10 · 8 October 2000]

Well, what can we say,,,,,,The Beasties are showing their best side...Sabotage is a song that gives you a rush,,,and the movie is too!!!!

The movie got really great action stuff. The video was voted by fans all over the world to be in song videos top10 on MTV,,,,and now they are on the 7`th place on the list,,,so, if you are going to buy just one video this year,,,,,let it be The Beastie Boys with SABOTAGE!!!!!!!!

All kinds of mediocre

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 6 June 2015]

This is the music video from the music group Beatie Boys for their song "Sabotage". It runs for slightly over 3 minutes and basically looks like the intro from a television crime series with the Beastie Boys acting as cops. It's over 20 years old, but, in fact, looks much older still. The director is Spike Jonze (he also wrote it together with the Beasties) by the way, actually an Academy Award winner and really known for music videos early in his career. He was in his 20s when this short film was made. Sadly, while I enjoy some of his films, I was not impressed by this one. I found it neither funny and comedy is really the only genre it fits in. Well.. maybe action or pseudo-drama as well. Still, you're missing nothing here. The song isn't really memorable either. Not recommended.