Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)



Movie Title: Sicario: Day of the Soldado

Year Released: 2018

Rated: R

Runtime: 2h 2min

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Director: Stefano Sollima

Writer: Taylor Sheridan

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Isabela Moner, Jeffrey Donovan, Catherine Keener, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Matthew Modine, Shea Whigham, Elijah Rodriguez, Howard Ferguson Jr., David Castaneda, Jacqueline Torres, Raoul Max Trujillo, Bruno Bichir

Review: When the cartels begin smuggling terrorists across the border, Federal agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) re-teams with the mysterious Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) to start an entirely new war.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado comes three years after the phenomenal sleeper hit Sicario. Although the sequel does carry over characters and the tone of the original it's an entirely new story. This time around the plot revolves around domestic terrorism, human trafficking, and border security - all current concerns in the media and politics. Where Sicario succeeded in its storytelling, Sicario: Day of the Soldado kind of fails.

The original has Emily Blunt's Kate Macer as the surrogate for the audiences. We learn what she learns as she learns it. We aren't quite aware what's the true nature of things, but we are engaged and curious and want discover what is actually happening. In the sequel, without Macer or a Macer-like character there isn't much mystery. Here we see the sausage being made as it were and that lessens the impact of the revelations that happen along the way. I know that the sequel is not a copy of the first movie like most sequels are, but it's hard not to compare the two. It just feels like the sequel is missing a key ingredient.

A big part of the story is the kidnapping of a cartel kingpin's daughter which is intriguing, but doesn't quite seem to have the overall impact on the plot like it should. The story is not as involving, but the characters of Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), and Isabel (Isabela Moner) are top-notch. They are what hold your attention and make this one worth the watch.

It's been rumored that the Sicario films could actually be made into a trilogy. This might help to offer some clues into a lot of what happens in Day of the Soldado, so we'll just have to wait and see. The first film is a masterpiece and the sequel was good, but a little disappointing and frustrating at times. I'm still on the fence about it. So viewer be warned.

Stars (out of 4):
       

Fun Fact: The first installment in the series was titled "Sicario," a Spanish word that translates to "hitman" in English. "Soldado" in English means "soldier."



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