Sicario: Day of the Soldado

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. (06/29/2018)

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. (07/03/2018)

The admirable intentions are unfortunately overshadowed by the routine of the execution and the script (especially in relation to the expectations). The story offers enough action in the space of two hours, confronts its protagonists in an interesting way, and ends in a Hollywoodesque and daring fashion, but I still wasn’t satisfied. The characters remain woefully underdeveloped and superficial, and the plot doesn't escalate as a self-contained complex work, but rather as an introductory episode of something much larger – something I'm still willing to forgive in the future, if a third part is made that will close and complete everything. What I’m not forgiving, however, is the lacklustre staging and the clumsy development of the story, which consists of a series of stacked plans and missions whose (non-)fulfilment only creates the backdrop for an interesting and dramatic, but unsatisfyingly ramified conflict between morality and pragmatism in a world without rules. Once again Brolin and Benicio's acting is top-notch and it’s their characters that make me look forward to the likely conclusion, but I'm hoping for a much more personal and thoughtful approach, this deep-faced yet emotionally cold action flick won't leave a great impression... 60% (09/17/2018)

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. (12/28/2018)

Bigger, but not heavier. Sheridan repeats his interest in macho characters a lot, as if he is able to garner less and less from the dark environment of contemporary America. He focuses only on the depressing scenes this time, which do not form as much of a devastating and mysterious whole. But the craft of Soldado is very good, making it a thriller with tempo and atmosphere. Even in the strongest moments, however, it still looks more like a successful imitation of a film that managed to make the audience vibrate with tension below the surface. A lot of Soldado happens on the surface, but that doesn't take the wind out of Sicaro's sails. Benicio Del Toro's laser vision and lawless landscape are still here. (07/01/2018)