Sicario: Day of the Soldado

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Isabela Moner, Jeffrey Donovan, Catherine Keener, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Matthew Modine, Shea Whigham, Elijah Rodriguez, Howard Ferguson Jr.
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) resumes his clandestine war against Mexican drug cartels by trying to start a war between differing factions.

Review:

Tim: I loved Denis Villeneuve's Sicario, so I was eagerly anticipating the sequel. I did go into this film with mixed feelings. Villeneuve not returning to the director's chair was worrisome. He's one of the greatest actors working today and I feared what his loss would mean to this film. On the other hand, Taylor Sheridan also wrote this film. Sheridan was proven to be one of the great writers in Hollywood today, so that gave me some confidence. Whatever my expectations were on Sicario: Day of the Soldado, I did not expect to find a great movie. And yet, that's exactly what this is. I know the reviews weren't as kind this time around, but I found the film to be entertaining and enjoyable. It might not be quite as good as the original, but it's surprisingly great.

It was so exciting and fun to be transported back to this world. It feels so far away, even though it's just on the southern border of this country. I was fascinated by the look into this world of political intrigue, espionage, and Mexican drug cartels. It was such a compelling idea, to use some of the tactics leveraged in the Middle East in the Mexican drug war. I loved the idea of the Americans starting a war between drug cartels. This was all so interesting and great fun to revisit. I loved how the movie approached the subject in a realistic, gritty manner.

I'm not familiar with director Stefano Sollima, but I was remarkably impressed with the work he did here. He crafted a great film. The score was fantastic and one of the best uses of music I've seen in many years. The music was perfect, ratcheting up the intensity of the film and drawing us into the on screen action. The cinematography was likewise excellent. From the shots of the desolate Mexican landscape to choppers flying low, to explosions and car chases, this violent action drama oftentimes felt beautiful to look at. I loved the grittiness of how this film looked. Sollima pulls all these elements together into a truly entertaining film.

I have to give Taylor Sheridan great credit for yet again delivering a top-notch script. The details of this world helped add believability to the film and the story simply grips you and doesn't let you go. The dialogue was excellent and surprisingly funny at times. I've loved all the scripts Sheridan has written (including his work on the television show, "Yellowstone") and this is no exception.

The cast was so effective. While I was a little disappointed Emily Blunt didn't return, I read that they felt like her story had been completed in the first movie. As I reflected on this, I realized I agreed. It made logical sense not to include her. Josh Brolin is once again so good as Graves. I loved how he portrayed this character. He's dangerous, intelligent, and has this edge to him. Brolin was convincing in all that, but he also delivers a few funny lines with impeccable comedic timing. I'd watch Brolin in this role for a dozen movies. I also loved Benicio Del Toro here. Del Toro is obviously a great actor, but I've never been able to really love him as an actor, I'm not sure why. Performances like this, though, are nothing short of remarkable. I'm oblivious to how he was able to deliver such an incredible performance. He's strong, wise, world-weary, kind, and ruthless. Alejandro is one of my favorite characters and Del Toro gets to shine for so much of this film. Brolin and Del Toro don't get a ton of time together, but man, I love them in these roles. Isabela Moner was a great addition to the cast and gave a solid performance for such a young actress. Catherine Keener and Matthew Modine were both nice additions in small roles. The whole cast worked well and were believable in their roles.

I'm still a little surprised by how much I loved Sicario: Day of the Soldado. I kept asking myself, "This can't be a great movie, right?" And yet, every time, I'd recognize how much I was loving the film. It's entertaining, exciting, and effective. Sure, there are a few odd decisions the characters make (both Graves and Alejandro make head-scratching decisions at the end). This movie isn't quite as good as the first one, but it's one of the best sequels I have seen in a long time. I loved this movie and I'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed that Sheridan writes one more to make it a trilogy.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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