SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO MOVIE REVIEW
Critic's Rating: 3.0/5
Story:
A sequel of Sicario (2015), this film picks up the same theme of Mexican drug cartels and their involvement in illegal cross border activities between the US and Mexico. This time, CIA operative Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) teams up with Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) to crack down on the cartels trafficking people across the border and allowing terrorists to enter Texas.
Review:
As sequels go, Sicario: Day Of The Soldado tries to up the scale and action from its predecessor. Where director Denis Villeneuve’s 2015 thriller managed to strike a fine balance between grit and drama, Stefano Sollima’s sequel stays focussed on action alone. A key character from the first film, Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) isn’t a part of the story this time and that makes all the difference. The narrative misses her pathos and her constant sense of fear. While Sicario 2 is an engaging film with great action sequences, the stunning visual appeal doesn’t quite make up for the absence of a genuine emotional core. This one has all the thrills but very little heart.
The story is based entirely around the US-Mexico border. The setting keeps shifting between Texas and Mexico City, but for the most part, the film plays out in the desert between the two countries. It’s a dusty landscape that’s reminiscent of the Westerns and that sets the mood for Sicario 2. The cinematography by Dariusz Wolski and the background score by Hildur Guðnadóttir make this movie a lot better than it actually is. Both the cinematographer and the composer work on the same template that made the original movie so artistically wonderful. While Sicario 2 has its technical strengths, the writing is a bit wish-wash. The lead characters, Graver and Alejandro wage a war against the drug cartels and the Mexican police, but their actions are a bit too convenient and there are no consequences at all. They kidnap the daughter of a Mexican drug lord and there’s no backlash from his gang. The writers really seemed to have missed the bus with Sicario 2.
Nevertheless, the performances by Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro are top notch. Brolin plays the clay-cold Graver with ease, while del Toro builds on the legend of his character and his ability to be Mexico’s version of Léon: The Professional. While he’s not dodging bullets, he can pull off the most outrageous feats with ease. If you enjoy the thrill of gun fights and larger-than-life characters, Sicario 2 can be an engaging experience. Just don’t expect it to make too much sense.
A sequel of Sicario (2015), this film picks up the same theme of Mexican drug cartels and their involvement in illegal cross border activities between the US and Mexico. This time, CIA operative Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) teams up with Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) to crack down on the cartels trafficking people across the border and allowing terrorists to enter Texas.
Review:
As sequels go, Sicario: Day Of The Soldado tries to up the scale and action from its predecessor. Where director Denis Villeneuve’s 2015 thriller managed to strike a fine balance between grit and drama, Stefano Sollima’s sequel stays focussed on action alone. A key character from the first film, Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) isn’t a part of the story this time and that makes all the difference. The narrative misses her pathos and her constant sense of fear. While Sicario 2 is an engaging film with great action sequences, the stunning visual appeal doesn’t quite make up for the absence of a genuine emotional core. This one has all the thrills but very little heart.
The story is based entirely around the US-Mexico border. The setting keeps shifting between Texas and Mexico City, but for the most part, the film plays out in the desert between the two countries. It’s a dusty landscape that’s reminiscent of the Westerns and that sets the mood for Sicario 2. The cinematography by Dariusz Wolski and the background score by Hildur Guðnadóttir make this movie a lot better than it actually is. Both the cinematographer and the composer work on the same template that made the original movie so artistically wonderful. While Sicario 2 has its technical strengths, the writing is a bit wish-wash. The lead characters, Graver and Alejandro wage a war against the drug cartels and the Mexican police, but their actions are a bit too convenient and there are no consequences at all. They kidnap the daughter of a Mexican drug lord and there’s no backlash from his gang. The writers really seemed to have missed the bus with Sicario 2.
Nevertheless, the performances by Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro are top notch. Brolin plays the clay-cold Graver with ease, while del Toro builds on the legend of his character and his ability to be Mexico’s version of Léon: The Professional. While he’s not dodging bullets, he can pull off the most outrageous feats with ease. If you enjoy the thrill of gun fights and larger-than-life characters, Sicario 2 can be an engaging experience. Just don’t expect it to make too much sense.
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