'Sicario: Day of the Soldado' Review

As the drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border rages on, cartels are suspected to be trafficking terrorists across the U.S. border. Sicario: Day of the Soldado escorts federal agent Matt Graver as he re-teams with the mysterious mercenary Alejandro to stage conflict between the cartels in response to the rising threat. However, in order to initiate the dispute, they must covertly kidnap the daughter of a Mexican crime lord under the guise of a rival cartel.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado effectively serves as a sequel to Sicario (although it's made more in the vein of a spin-off), and I've honestly questioned its existence ever since it was announced. This was primarily because key creatives Denis Villeneuve, Emily Blunt, Roger Deakins, and Jóhann Jóhannsson wouldn't be returning, and I must say their absence was sorely felt, but also because Day of the Soldado felt largely unnecessary. Sicario just didn't seem like a film that should be franchised due to its prestige and status as a gritty standalone story, but clearly someone else thought otherwise and here we are... Taking charge, Stefano Sollima substitutes for Villeneuve in the directors chair while Taylor Sheridan is one of the few holdovers from the first film as the sequel's credited screenwriter. 

Since Sheridan was sticking around, I held out hope this sequel might at least have a solid foundation in the form of a bang-up script. For the past three years, all three of Sheridan's sole screenplays which culminated in his "Frontier Trilogy" (Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River) have been tremendous crime thrillers with a western tinge and gritty sentimentality. Unfortunately though, Sheridan's Day of the Soldado screenplay proved to be very run-of-the-mill in comparison to his previous efforts. The opening is fairly strong, but it all gets caught up in the bureaucracy behind the mission as opposed to the actual plot at hand. Speaking of plot, there's not really a satisfying resolution to the events whatsoever... It just kind of ends, and it felt like Sheridan wasn't sure of the direction he was headed. The ending is also total sequel-bait and was so stupid that I'm no longer interested in a planned Sicario 3 whatsoever. 

With a sequel, I think it’s important to retain some semblance of the original’s identity. Considering several key creative forces from the first film left, that automatically meant there were some big shoes to fill. I'd say it should have been a red flag that this film probably shouldn't have been made, but I'm not exactly a studio executive or Taylor Sheridan, am I? It's not even like the sequel just lost ordinary talent and needed replacements though. Denis Villeneuve, Roger Deakins, and Jóhann Jóhannsson are among the best directors, cinematographers, and composers who have worked in Hollywood of late. Sadly, Jóhann Jóhannsson died in February of this year so his absence couldn't really have been helped much (although I can't verify anywhere online if he was ever to involved in Day of the Soldado or not). In spite of the criticisms I've voiced so far and those I'm about to elaborate on, I really respect the filmmakers for including an "in-memorium" title card for Jóhann Jóhannsson during the credits. It was a very sweet, admirable thing for them to include that they didn't have to do, and it meant a lot to me as a film score junkie and fan of Jóhannsson's work. 

Anyways, sorry for that depressing detour, but I've listened to Jóhannsson's scores for Sicario and Arrival countless times and really appreciated his unique style as a composer. To get back on track, I read that director Stefano Sollima actually made the decision to enlist an entirely fresh crew to further distance himself from the first film and the producers agreed it would be for the best. This meant that the sequel essentially scrapped all creative forces other from Sheridan and specific cast members. Sollima, Dariusz Wolski, and Hildur Guðnadóttir were brought in to respectively direct, photograph, and compose, but you just can't beat the triple-punch of Villeneuve, Deakins, and Jóhannsson. I'd say there's no need for a comparison, but as I watched, it became abundantly clear that they were attempting to recreate what had come before them. However, those three individuals are masters of the craft and it's incredibly difficult to replicate their work so it comes off as cheap, hollow imitation. 

And that is precisely the origin of Day of the Soldado's identity crisis. It strives to be different from the original, yet tries to do things similarly and only come across as vastly inferior. Instead of being another tense, gritty crime thriller, Day of the Soldado wound up being no different from any other generic action-thriller you might find in Walmart's bargain bin. A large part of what made the original special was that it kept its protagonist and the audience in the dark. The tension was derived from a feeling of uncertainty, but almost everything in Day of the Soldado is simple and straightforward. I didn't necessarily require it to be incredibly complex to enjoy it, but it never felt like it was building towards anything and is nowhere near as effective at stirring the tension. Therefore, it was a very tedious two hours for me.

On a brighter note, the acting in Sicario: Day of the Soldado mostly rises above the film's other problems. At the forefront, Benicio Del Toro turns in another excellent performance as the film's titular silent hitman ("Sicario" means "hitman" for those confused) and once again plays Alejandro as the strong, silent type. He comes across as cold and calculating when things get tough, but watching him unshed some of the character's humanity in the film's quieter moments was absolutely incredible. Del Toro truly is one of the best working actors today and it really shines through this otherwise lackluster sequel. You also may or may not recognize Isabela Moner, but she broke onto the scene last year in Transformers: The Last Knight and is set to star in Dora and the Lost City of Gold. A lot is asked of Moner, but she delivers the necessary range as a revelation who joins the wave of young talent to emerge in recent years.

Meanwhile, Josh Brolin has had a huge year between his leading roles as Thanos and Cable in Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2 respectively. While not quite as mainstream as his comic-book forays this year, Day of the Soldado brought what many are calling "The Summer of Brolin" to a close with his final role for the year of 2018. In regards to his performance, Brolin's macho physicality works in favor of the film's action and Brolin succeeds at being both charming and terrifying dependent on whatever the role requires. Although he's a bit underutilized in the second half, I was happy to see him bring his A-game. However, it was a character played by Elijah Rodriguez that I wasn't particularly onboard with. It's only Rodriguez's second feature role, and he's only a teenager, but I felt he lacked the necessary acting ability and the writing behind his character didn't do him any favors. About everyone else is essentially relegated to smaller supporting status including the likes of experienced actors Jeffrey Donovan, Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener, and Manuel Garcia who make the most of everything that's offered to them.

At the end of the day, Sicario: Day of the Soldado is just another subpar sequel which made me appreciate its predecessor even more. It ultimately couldn't decide what it wanted to be or why it needed to exist, and that aimless approach made my experience all the more infuriating. One could probably argue that Day of the Soldado is a competently made film in certain areas, and I'd certainly agree that there are specific bright spots throughout, but it was such a sludge to sit through that I have a hard time forgiving it for much of anything.

Film Assessment: C-

Recollection Reflection Review: 'Sicario'

Sorry that this review's delayed, but I had my wisdom teeth removed last Wednesday and rewatched Sicario later than anticipated as a result. With the recent release of a sequel, I figured I might revisit the original and provide my updated thoughts. Since we've passed the midway point of 2018, I'l be recapping my favorite and least favorite films of the year fairly soon in addition to providing an updated ranking of the Marvel films once I've seen Ant-Man and the Wasp. In the meantime, you can look forward to Throwback Thursday Reviews of Mission: Impossible III, The Equalizer, and Mamma Mia!, Triple-R Reviews for Ant-Man, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and reviews of new releases Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Skyscraper, The Equalizer 2, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.

'Sicario' Review

Nominated For: Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Sound Editing.

Recollection- Sicario Review

Reflection- I actually never saw Sicario in theaters. I remember having an urge to see it based on the cast and buzz surrounding it, but didn't get around to it till much later. I didn't catch Sicario till it was released on Blu-Ray and actually picked it up at Best Buy because I saw it was marked down substantially for a New Years 2016 sale. I watched it soon afterwards and was immensely satisfied with it. Interestingly enough, this was my introduction to Denis Villenueve and I've been a huge fan of every film he's made since. I still need to find time to watch the rest of his filmography, but I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. Anyways, I wanted to re-review the film because I looked back and saw that my first review hardly scratched the surface. Knowing there was huge room for improvement and the timing was right with the release of its sequel, I decided to rewatch the film and write this Triple-R Review.

Review- Sicario accompanies an idealistic FBI agent named Kate as she's enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war on drugs at the border between the United States and Mexico. Led by an enigmatic consultant, the team sets out on a clandestine journey that forces Kate to question everything she believes in order to survive.

Sicario was directed by Denis Villenuve and featured the first feature screenplay to be written by Taylor Sheridan. In the time since, the two filmmakers have annually been responsible for some of my favorite films to be released (this includes Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 from Villeneuve and Hell or High Water and Wind River from Sheridan). As a director, Villeneuve seems to thrive in the subtlety of letting a story slowly unfold, a talent that serves him well here.

Fundamentally, Sicario is a brilliant exercise in authentically building tension. There's an over-looming sense of dread and paranoia established at the onset that never really goes away. Villeneuve plays with the perspective of the protagonist in fascinating ways by keeping Kate and the audience completely in the dark. Both the audience and Kate know something bad is coming. It's just a matter of when. Because of this, the slightest movement in the background will catch your eye and put you even further on edge. It seems to capture the experience of this clandestine lifestyle in a way that's invigorating and authentic. The scene in which the characters must cross the U.S.-Mexican border is a masterful demonstration of this technique coming to fruition. The uneasiness originates from Jóhann Jóhannsson's nail-biting score as the music propels the narrative forward and accentuates the suspenseful ambiance.

Unfortunately, Jóhannsson passed earlier this year of an overdose, so may he forever rest in peace as an extraordinary film composer whose unique sound was and forever will be unparalleled. The tense proceedings are then further enhanced by the film's narrative drive. Villeneuve is also aided by Sheridan's script, Roger Deakins' cinematography, Joe Walker's editing, and some sensational sound design work. Everything coalesces in a masterful, slow-burn crime thriller. For all the outbursts of intensity, there are preceding scenes of serene quietness. The audience and the characters both seem to recognize that it's the calm before the storm, and that storm isn't for the faint-hearted. Like Kate, the audience is treading into treacherous waters, and there are horrific truths underneath the surface which are uncovered slowly, but steadily. Ultimately, the violence is gruesome, grungy, and unnerving on account of its realism. 

Leading the film, Emily Blunt offers what many consider a career-best performance, and I can certainly agree that she was quite deserving of an Oscar nomination that year at the very least. Blunt expertly conveys Kate's internal imbalance as she ventures closer to the truth and expresses the manifestation of trauma and pain remarkably well.

Alongside Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro play a pair of shady operatives. The sleazy charm of Brolin's Matt Graver works wonders while the enigma surrounding Del Toro's Alejandro will knaw at your insides. Del Toro leans heavily into the mysterious nature of the character which winds up making him all the more intimidating as the plot proceeds. Meanwhile, I must say it was neat to spot Victor Garber, Jon Bernthal, and Daniel Kaluuya whom I've come to appreciate in various other television series and films. They're not given a lot to do in the grand scheme of things, but I appreciated their involvement and willingness to elevate the material provided to them. 

Sicario falters most for me in regards to pacing, as it's occasionally too slow for its own good. Otherwise, it's an outstanding crime thriller that's unafraid to explore the gritty shades of gray morality. 

Film Assessment: A

'Deadpool 2' Review

Deadpool 2 follows a disfigured cafeteria chef who struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste after surviving a near fatal bovine attack. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor - finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

You may now be thinking to yourself "What in the world did I just read?" Well, you've now had the genuine pleasure of reading the first official synopsis released for Deadpool 2. Since this is a spoiler-free review and Deadpool is such an unconventional character, I figured it would be best to include an interesting synopsis instead of describing the actual plot because there are a surprising amount of spoilers I'm going to have to tip-toe around for the duration of this review.

I've been fairly excited for Deadpool 2 for quite some time since I enjoyed the first film so much, but my anticipation erred on the side of caution and waned as time went on for a few reasons. First of all, the marketing behind the first film felt very unique and inventive which is something I think Deadpool 2's marketing lacked till about two weeks ago. There were occasionally some creative teasers, but none of it was quite on the level of what 20th Century Fox's marketing department cooked up for the first Deadpool. I began to grow worried that Deadpool 2 might also lack the creative spark that made the first film such an unexpected and unprecedented success. Adding to this concern was the fact that Tim Miller cited creative differences and left the project, resulting in David Leitch taking the franchise's reigns.

Leitch's previous directorial efforts have been hit-or-miss for me as I found Atomic Blonde to simply be an okay espionage flick with a few great action sequences while John Wick (which Leitch co-directed) is one of my favorite action films to be released in recent years. Considering Leitch's extensive background as a stunt coordinator, I figured Deadpool 2 might at least be able to up the ante in regards to action sequences, but I wasn't sure if Leitch would have a good reign on the humor, tone, and story since he hasn't quite dealt with a film of this nature previously. 

Fortunately, Leitch delivered as I found Deadpool 2 to be even more enjoyable than the first film thanks to entertaining, well-choreographed action set-pieces, a surprisingly heartfelt story, and a huge dosage of meta-humor poking fun at the current state of comic-book movies and a great deal of other things. For all intensive purposes, Deadpool 2 is a fitting example of the conventional sequel which aims to be bigger and better than its predecessor. 

Just how Deadpool informed audiences right away that it would also be a touching love story, the titular Merc with a Mouth lets you know right out of the gate that Deadpool 2 is an endearing family film (although not in the traditional sense). While I certainly don't think the film is suitable for families because of the hard-R rating, it's undeniably about family. Now with those semantics out of the way, it's worth noting that star Ryan Reynolds received a writing credit alongside the Deadpool screenwriting duo of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. If I were to guess, I'd say Reynolds had a huge contribution to not only the humor, but the story as well because he's also credited as a producer. Reynolds has really taken ownership of this character recently and seems to be very passionate about the direction of this franchise so I can only imagine he wanted a larger role in shaping the character's future wherever possible.

Anyways, as I alluded to earlier, fans of the first film will walk away with a lot to love, as Deadpool 2 doubles down on everything which worked previously while adding new characters and story elements to keep things fresh. Unfortunately, issues occasionally arise as the film's story can feel a bit scatterbrained at times. While this is certainly true to the character, it would have been nice if these particular story-beats had been polished a bit more. I also could have used a little more development to flesh out a few members of the supporting cast (namely Domino and Cable). 

Another thing that was very bothersome was that there really wasn't any excuse for the production to not have replaced T.J. Miller in the film as he's had some very negative publicity lately involving sexual assault and a fake bomb threat. He has a relatively minor role in the grand scheme of things and could have been easily swapped out ala Kevin Spacey in All the Money in the World. They could have cast Christopher Plummer and had Deadpool reference it in a quick fourth wall break to top it all off, but alas, that's not what happened. It's at least reassuring to hear Reynolds say Miller won't be involved in the franchise's future so hopefully his character will be left out or recast for X-Force or Deadpool 3.

On a much more positive note, Ryan Reynolds is once again exceptional in the role of Wade Wilson. Reynolds brings the character to life in such a unique way that I'm not sure I can envision anyone else  playing Deadpool for the time being. Reynolds' brand of humor and line delivery is simply well-suited to the Merc's exploits and I can't wait to see future onscreen adventures involving this current incarnation. Following his lead, returning characters from the first film include Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Vanessa, and Dopinder who each are proficiently-portrayed by Stefan Kapicic, Brianna Hildebrand, Morena Baccarin, and Karan Soni respectively. In the realm of franchise newcomers, there are lots of additions to the cast, but three stand-outs in particular who I believe to be well-deserving of a mention. 

Of all the X-Force members introduced in Deadpool 2, Zazie Beetz's Domino is easily the most memorable for an abundance of reasons I can't quite get into right now. When all is said-and-done though, Beetz makes for a cool supporting presence and the I found the cinematic depiction of her mutant ability to be quite interesting. 

Josh Brolin killed it as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, so naturally I had high hopes he'd have the same luck as Cable. While Cable's character wasn't fleshed out as much as I'd have liked to see, Brolin really leans into the rough and gruff nature of the character to stand out as a formidable foe for Deadpool to face. 

Last, but certainly not least, I must commend Julian Dennison on another job well-done. Between this and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I've gotta say that this kid has a bright comedic career in Hollywood ahead of him. Dennison displays some interesting range as Russell, putting his comedic chops and more dramatic acting abilities to great use. 

On the whole, Deadpool 2 is one of the few comic-book movie sequels that sticks the superhero landing as a second entry that's irrefutably bigger and better than the first in just about every regard. If you can stomach the raunchiness, Deadpool 2 is a solid sequel which is well-worth watching and surprising in all the right ways. Also, keep your eyes and ears peeled for plenty of cameos and references if you're a big fan of any ongoing or extinct comic-book film franchises. Oh, and be sure to stay in your seat afterwards for what may just be the greatest mid-credit sequence I've ever seen (split into two scenes). I can guarantee that you'll regret missing it if you run to the restroom instead. 

Film Assessment: A-

'Hail, Caesar!' Review

Nominated For: Best Production Design.

Hail, Caesar! follows the daily life of a PR man who must solve many behind the scenes issues with the various talent at Capitol Pictures, a movie studio at the height of it's powers. I've been looking forward to Hail, Caesar! since the first trailer released for the film hoping it would be similar in tone to The Grand Budapest Hotel, even though I was completely aware that different directors were behind both projects. So as may be apparent from the date I'm publishing this review, the combination of school and work as well as releases of films I was anticipating a bit more constantly delayed me from seeing the film. The delay however has allowed me to see the general response to the film, which was unlike any I had ever seen. In this case, I've noticed that critics enjoyed it and audiences hated it, and having seen the film I think I might have discovered why that is. The film boasts a star studded ensemble cast that's filled to the brim with great talent. However, the cast is used sparingly with a few actors relegated to a few scenes sprinkled throughout the film and I think that's one of the issues that audiences have with the film. They saw the name talent that compelled them to see the film and were disappointed by the underuse of some of these actors. I'm going to discuss them in order of actors who were on screen the least to the more important characters. Most notably absent was Jonah Hill, who is relegated to a one scene cameo yet is featured prominently on the poster and quite a bit in the promotional material for the film. However Hill's role does service the narrative in a small capacity and he's great for his minute on screen. Ralph Fiennes plays the snide Hollywood Drama director Laurence Lorenz, which works perfectly juxtaposing with Alden Ehrenreich's western star Hobie Doyle forced into drama as the studio attempts to change his image. This allows for a hilarious scene between the two where Lorenz is trying to get Hobie to correctly say a line, which Hobie is unable to do. This gag runs a bit long but it only gets funnier and funnier. Fiennes is limited to a few scenes but fantastic in the capacity used. Scarlett Johansson gets to take on the role of DeeAnna Moran, an Esther Williams esque actress, enduring some personal problems of her own that the studio wants to sweep under the rug. Johansson is primarily featured in a mermaid synchronized swimming sequence that's just a delight that leads into a particularly funny bit in the film. So she's restricted to about two or three scenes but also great when onscreen. Tilda Swinton gets to play twin rival journalists, Thora and Thessaly Thacke, who are trying their best to get an intriguing scoop about one of the studio's stars and she's the perfect balance of irritating and snoopy for both characters. Swinton is brilliant as usual but utilized conservatively in the film with a few scenes sprinkled around. Channing Tatum plays a Gene Kelly type as Burt with a spectacular tap dance and song number. Tatum continues to impress me again and again, first proving he can be a comedic and action star in the Jump Street movies, and now getting to flex more of his musical talents. I'm aware Tatum's acting career began with dancing in the Step Up films but tap dancing is a whole other animal that requires rhythmic precision. I was amazed at Tatum's abilities on display for the sequence and he also shocked me when I learned he could carry a tune as well. Channing Tatum's character is an interesting case as I can't go into too much detail without spoiling the film but he has one scene that had me laughing hysterically throughout. On the flip side of that, there are the members of the cast that carry the narrative focusing on George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, and Josh Brolin. George Clooney gets to play the dunce movie star, Baird Whitlock, who is kidnapped in the film by a nefarious secret organization, which makes for an intriguing reveal that at times allows for some effective comedy. Alden Ehrenreich, who I mentioned a bit earlier, plays the cowboy western star Hobie Doyle and is surprisingly a standout among the cast with great comedic timing and heart. Josh Brolin is perfect as Capitol Pictures' studio fixer, Eddie Mannix, and really the main character of the film as it follows a day in his hectic life. Speaking of this, the film feels very unfocused which is certainly a problem but after I saw the film I realized that this is to reflect how insane Mannix's life is because of the crazy talent he must deal with on a daily basis. Conclusively, if you are interested in Hail, Caesar! because of the cast, I'd be very wary. The cinematography, score, and direction are all standard and effective but nothing particularly stood out to me. The Coen Brother's do a fine job and achieve what they set out to do with the film as they clearly are fascinated with 1950's Hollywood. Another strange thing was the style of editing that would would randomly jump from one part of the story to another without the proper groundwork and foundation to understand what is going on initially. In summary, the Coen Brothers created a strange love letter to old, classic 1950's Hollywood that I'd recommend for rental or home media purchase as opposed to checking out in theaters. 

Film Assessment: B-

'Sicario' Review

Sicario was one of the films that I spoke of in my list of the 5 movies I wish I had seen 2015 and I  purchased it on Blu-Ray recently so thought "Why not review it?"

'Sicario' Review

Nominated For: Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Sound Editing.

Sicario is a thriller that follows a black ops border mission that aims to end some drug cartels. The film is directed by Denis Villeneuve, who does a phenomenal job collaborating with cinematographer, Roger Deakins, and composer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, to build suspense and intrigue. Sicario's finale especially contains an interesting mix of camerawork and a chilling score that culminates to build waves of suspense. 

The film's central cast also give some great performances with Emily Blunt as a very capable female lead, Josh Brolin as mysterious Department Defense contractor, but Benicio Del Toro is the one who steals the show, quite literally. 

Overall, Sicario is an incredibly well made film with with great direction, some awesome cinematography, spectacular performances and a petrifying score. I'd recommend it for any whose interests were peaked regarding the film or anyone that just enjoys a suspenseful thriller. I'm doubtful the film will be significantly recognized by the Academy, but I'd be glad if it were indeed nominated. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens Friday when the nominations are announced. 

Film Assessment: B+