Sicario: Day of the Solando review.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado

You are not a wolf. And this is the land of wolves now.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a film that has a lot of pressure going against it before you watch it. It has the task of following up to the original Sicario movie which in my eyes is a five-star classic. The sequel is also missing the first films lead Emily Blunt, who gave a performance that matches any other film protagonist, and its director, the genius that is Dennis Villeneuvue. The films central theme of border control and immigration is one which is under the spotlight now in the news with the recent dehumanising treatment of the immigrant children. All eyes are on Sicario: Day of the Soldado to see if not only if it’s a worthy sequel to the first film but to see if it adds unnecessary fire to the recent political controversies regarding the relationship between America and Mexico. Surprisingly, Sicario: Day of the Soldado manages to carry this pressure on its back and make it feel as light as feathers.

The films plot revolves around federal agent Matt Grover and the Sicario himself Alejandro, once again played by Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, as they team up to take down the Mexican cartels who are trafficking terrorists across the border into the US. The film opens with a sequence which does not shy away from violence that isn’t normally shown in movies. The opening is a brave move by director Stefano Sollima who does not shy away from sensitive topics at any point throughout the movie, no matter how horrific an incident is it should be shown to highlight the horrors that happen in the world and not pretend that they don’t happen. The film’s opening third sets up the plot in a way that is a bit slow but ultimately necessary as it doesn’t leave any plot holes. The film takes off around the half way point following another stunning motorway sequence that is exhilarating. From that point on Sicario: Day of the Soldado will leave you biting your nails. There are scenes where it seems obvious where it is going to go judging from past action films, but this isn’t like a typical action film. No scene goes the way you’d expect in a way that will leave you on the edge of your seat for a solid hour. For the majority of the third act my jaw was on the floor. The only downside is that the film’s conclusion feels slightly forced and leave you questioning if it was earnt.

This truly is the summer of Brolin. In Infinity War he was a villain for the ages. In Deadpool 2 he was a badass that stole the show. Now in Sicario: Day of the Soldado Brolin is the no nonsense agent who will complete his mission through whatever means necessary. Perhaps he was under utilised in the original, but in this film, Graver plays a much more central part. The first half of the film is when he controls the screen. Brolin is a master of not giving a damn about what anyone thinks and offers a few moments of humour in a film that doesn’t award you with many smiles. The star of the film is once again Alejandro, this may be the best character that Benicio Del Toro has ever played. The characters revenge story is so captivating that even when he lacks morality you understand why and can’t hold it against him. The decision to pair him with a young girl named Isabel pays off superbly, their relationship carries large portions of the film in a captivating manor.  Emily Blunts, Kate, may have been the eyes of the first film but Alejandro truly is the soul of this franchise.

The only thing that lets this film down is if you over compare it to the first film. In Sicario the film was very ambiguous in both it’s script and cinematography, keeping its cards close to its chest. Sicario: Day of the Soldado on the other hand shows you its deck without much ambiguousness. This may help the film in not feeling like a carbon copy, but I feel that the mystery in the first film was one of the things that elevated it to a classic. Roger Deakins is the best cinematographer of all time, just look at Blade Runner 2049 and Fargo, he crafted the world in Sicario into one of the most breath-taking and unforgettable movie worlds of all time. Dariusz Wolski, the man behind The Martian, takes over for this film. He does a solid job in creating beautiful landscapes, but it just doesn’t feel the same. There is just no competing with Deakins. I do feel that if this film had Villeneuve and Deakins once more than this film may have been even better than it already is. That’s nothing against Sollima and Wolski, who both do fine jobs, but the two men behind the scenes of the original are the best in the game. Blunts absence is felt in places in the film too as she was like the viewer in becoming familiar with the world of Sicario and without her it feels that we are blind in the film at times in regard to understanding the mission, if there is a third film I hope that there is a way to persuade her to come back into the fold.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is thankfully mature in the way that it handles the political issues. It is not preachy or bias, which would have made many people resent the film. It takes shots at both sides of the border, including a verbal takedown on Trump. The film highlights the effects that power has on immigration, the cartel, The US government and everyone but the immigrants have power in deciding what happens to them. The Sicario franchise is excellent at showcasing the horrors of the cartel and how the innocent are the ones being affected the most, not the central characters (besides Alejandro’s past.).

Overall Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a film which I thoroughly enjoyed, thank goodness because the ones we’ve talked about so far haven’t blown me away. It may not be on par with the first but that’s to be expected given its greatness. The sequel feels like a necessity, I feared that it would be a disaster that would tarnish the first films legacy. Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen so that your jaw, like mine, can hit the floor and the hairs on your neck can stand up for hours after you exit the cinema.

Liam’s Sicario: Day of the Soldado Summary

Best Moment: Del Toro’s gun firing technique is almost as cool as he is.

Worst Moment: The last five minutes are questionable.

Best Character: Alejandro no question about it, he is the Sicario after all.

Worst Character: Catherine Kenner as the superior agent isn’t really given any motive besides being by the book.

Overall rating: 4/5