Sicario: Day of the Soldado Review (2018)

Sicario: Day of the Soldado

  To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the first Sicario movie after my first viewing. That said, after watching several analysis videos and really thinking on it, I realized that it was an excellent film with lots of layers and a lot to say. Dennis Villeneuve has a way of telling stories that is unlike a lot of director's working today. He takes his time, each shot having meaning, and he is intentional with his dialogue/cinematography.
  When I saw the trailer for Sicario: Day of Soldado, I wasn't sure how to feel. Mainly because it was directed by a different person, Stefano Sollima, and also because the first film didn't seem to need further storytelling. Either way, here we are. Round 2.
  Sicario: Day of the Soldado was a mixed bag for me. Mainly because it was a lot more entertaining than the first film if we're talking pure commercial draw, but it seemed to have a lot less to say. In fact, it wasn't clear to me what the film was saying at all.
  The action was good, the simple, gritty story is engaging and lean, but it felt soulless.
  There were times where it felt like this film wanted to be Logan. We have this relationship between Benicio Del Toro's character and this young girl (who isn't a very good actress), and they want us to care about them, but I just didn't. The girl annoyed me, and her bad acting took me out of the film every time she was on screen.
  Day of the Soldado isn't a bad film, but it's not a particularly impressive one either. If you're looking for a popcorn flick that has more edge than Avengers, than go give this one a viewing. If you're looking for the thought-provoking, dynamic thriller that the first was, you won't find it here. 6 out of 10 stars (Worth Ticket Price)