Sicario: Day of the Soldado

Awesome stuff, and even though according to critics the the sequel lags behind the first one I enjoyed it more. This year definitely belongs to Josh Brolin, the guy is shining, I can't remember when an actor has impressed and pleased me four times in one year – two lead roles (Only the Brave, Sicario 2: Soldado) and two villain roles (Deadpool 2, Avengers: Infinity War) hats off. While the first film had a stronger combo (Denis Villeneuve, Taylor Sheridan, Roger Deakins), here only screenwriter Sheridan survived, but director Stefano Sollima and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski also did a solid job, and this is still a film that has no competition in theaters. The Mexican cartels, the smuggling of people from Mexico to the U.S., the uncompromising and intense action, the disgustingly realistic setting and atmosphere, the diabolical Benicio Del Toro and the serious Brolin make this film an incredible experience and I was literally gasping for breath in the cinema, plus the shocking final twist that opens up questions and sets the stage for the third installment – I can't complain about anything. The first one had a slower pace and not enough action to make me happy to watch it again, but I do want to see this one again. I recommend it. There hasn't been and won't be a bigger manly ride in theaters. (03/07/2018)

Stefano Sollima sure is a brilliant filmmaker. He really had his fun with the Sicario sequel, although it was a shame that there were so few action scenes since I had so much fun watching them. They were real and raw, without a single drop of CGI and that’s something I can always appreciate. What was worse, however, was the actual script. There were so many twists and turns by the end that thought I was gonna die. I know that Tylor Sheridan’s proved himself over the years, but he really overdid it this time. This has to be the most botched up script of 2018. (28/12/2018)

The first reviews I saw for this were so hesitant and even negative that they cooled my interest to the point where I waited for the reaction of my favorite reviewer, and only then did I dare to sit in the dimness of the movie theater. There's no point in lying to myself that the biggest reason for seeing the sequel was the success of Sicario, which became a small cinematic revelation for many film fans. Stefano Sollima may not achieve the quality of Denis Villeneuve, but he is still an above-average filmmaker who is also close to the genre. Taylor Sheridan may have had a weaker moment with this one, and in fact, I feel like it's the weakest script I've seen from his workshop so far, but even here I don't find any reason for fundamental criticism. What worked in the first film - namely the atmosphere, characters, music, and style - has basically been successfully transferred to the sequel. The creators imitate the style of Sicario, but they do not copy the content. It's not a major title of the year, but it is a decent summer genre film where I didn't feel any disappointment from the money invested to buy my ticket. Overall impression: 75%. (19/07/2018)

Josh Brolin is, for at least the second time in his life, "special" in a movie that is unflinching, but one that is neither better, nor as good as the previous. Sollima knows how to strike mafia poses, ruthless glances, and climactic action passages. He can create a solid atmosphere and stunning scenes of destruction (the convenience store bombing). But where the first film managed to tell a story with global subtext and issues, the second film tells a simple personal story of individuals, where the global scope serves only as a kind of framing device – present in the image, but quite uninvolved and self-serving. The character of Benicio Del Toro is underused and even less exploited, but the fans of Matt Graver will be in for a treat. Brolin excels especially towards the end, and not just because cinematographer Wolski impressively allows him to. He says a lot with his eyes, and even more with his gestures. Things are set up for another sequel, and it will probably turn out well, but the first one is a film going in a completely different direction than this sequel. (29/06/2018)

The fate of the women in the second Sicario is either to look on sadly (Catherine Keener) or to be rescued by men (Isabela Moner) who, when solving problems, apply the logic of “when force doesn’t work, use military force”. In this respect, the film does not much differ from its predecessor, though Sheridan’s ostentatious nihilism and desire to shoot a vicious film and vicious people take on parodic proportions. The “philosophy” of the film is best captured by the motto of Brolin’s character, “F*ck it all”. Sollima’s direction is mundane and Wolski only imitates Deakins through mannerisms. For the most part, the scenes are shallow and devoid of atmosphere and tension (because, among other things, all of the characters are such assholes that you do not care about them at all). The only authentic moment comes when Del Toro’s antihero can drop his forced macho pose for a moment and carry on some quite ordinary “human” dialogue (albeit with sign language). The extreme slowness given by the mechanical narrative (one bad plan is replaced by another, even worse plan, over and over again), the lack of catharsis and resulting unsatisfying resolution does not come across as an attempt to express existential anxiety caused by a world overrun with evil to such an extent that there is no way out, but rather only as the result of shoddy work and the compulsion to make a sequel at any cost. In the bizarre climax, where the remnants of logic vanish and we become witnesses to the birth of a monster, the film comes close in its exaggerated nature to the later work of Sam Peckinpah (e.g. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia), but without the crucial sense of humour, which Taylor Sheridan unfortunately does not possess. This sequel is absolutely unnecessary, but it’s probably not the last one. I will be surprised if, after a week, I remember anything other than Josh Brolin’s stylish footwear (crocs) while inflicting psychological torture – the effectiveness of which, by the way, the film does not question in any way (unlike Zero Dark Thirty). 45% (28/06/2018)