Mexican drug cartels smuggling terrorists over the border leads to a clandestine war in this Fox News wet dream/second installment of a movie that needed a sequel like I need another hole in the head.
(NOTE: I’m not singling out Fox News. CNN, MSNBC…I’m just getting my news from a talking parrot at this point.)
I liked the first “Sicario” film. It didn’t get enough play, but it was riveting and snubbed at the Oscars. If you missed it, (SPOILER ALERT) Emily Blunt played a Federal agent recruited into the CIA’s border war against Mexican drug trafficking, an effort headed up by a surly CIA agent (Josh Brolin) and an assassin (sicario) played by Benicio Del Toro.
I won’t get too far into spoilers, but if you recall, the sicario’s hatred for the cartels was so intense that there was no action he considered too far in the war on drug kingpins. Del Toro’s character doles out all manner of punishment and in a climactic final (and ultra disturbing) scene, he may either goes too far and proves himself as evil as the people he’s fighting or is justified in that to fight evil you must out evil them.
Thus, it seems a bit out of character that the sicario goes out of his way to protect a kidnapped drug kingpin’s daughter in this go around. Maybe the sicario found religion since the last film. I don’t know.
As films go, it’s a good diversion, the special ops tactics are fun to watch but I think the first film really was a one and done. Emily Blunt sold the film as the audience was able to get an intro to a whole seedy underworld through a newb’s eyes, whereas we’re sort of led to believe Brolin and Del Toro are going to take each other on over a difference of opinion but, well….OK I’ll shut up.
STATUS: Shelf worthy. Worth a rental at best, or wait till it’s on cable or Netflix.
Bookshelf Battle 