Sicario 2

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)

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)

Josh Brolin and his hitman Benicio Del Toro set out to rid Mexico of the drug cartels, but the mission gets a little out of hand and the consequences can be very painful... Sicario 2 is a good slow-burn thriller, but in all respects it loses a little to the first. It's still a proper manly film, though, and a very tough one at that. It's enough for a good thriller, but don't expect an exceptional film this time. (27.07.2018)

Ein größerer, jedoch keineswegs schwererer Felsstein. Sheridan wiederholt sich bereits mit einer Vorliebe für Macho-Charaktere etwas zu sehr, ähnlich als ob er aus dem dunklen Ambiente des heutigen Amerikas immer weniger vermochte herauszuholen. Es bleibt nur bei bedrückenden Erscheinungen, welche sich diesmal nicht zu einem solch erdrückendem und mysteriösem großen Ganzen zusammensetzen. Nichtsdestotrotz ist Soldado ein handwerklich gesehen sehr gut gemachter Job, ein Thriller mit Tempo und Atmosphäre. Selbst in den stärksten Momenten wirkt er immer noch eher als erfolgreiche Nachahmung eines Films, dem es gelungen ist, das Publikum mit Spannung unter der Oberfläche zu in Schwingung zu bringen. Soldado ist zwar in bedeutendem Maße eine eher oberflächliche Angelegenheit, jedoch das zieht Sicario den Boden unter seinen Füßen nicht weg. Benicio Del Toros Laserblick und die gesetzeslose Landschaft sind ja immer noch hier. (01.07.2018)

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. (03.07.2018)

Even though at first glance, and maybe even after the first scene, everything seems the same, Sicario 2: Soldado doesn't reach the heights of its predecessor. It can't, because the majority of the key participants from before are missing. Denis Villeneuve and his perfectly convincing direction, Joe Walker with his precise editing, Jóhann Jóhannsson's pulsating music, and above all, Roger Deakins' engaging camera, which turned an above-average experience into something unforgettable. And all of them have now been replaced, except for the key acting duo, and at least Taylor Sheridan returns. Once again, he has decided to cut deep, but this time he lacks the more human dimension that resonated with the viewer in the first film thanks to Kate's character. Her successor, in the form of the constantly bedraggled Isabela Merced, cannot handle a similar task because she only serves the plot without getting her own scene, at the expense of the machinations, action, and stubbornness of Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro. As a standalone genre film, Stefano Sollima's vision certainly holds up, thanks to the charisma of the aforementioned actors, but as a sequel to a film that shook the cinema three years ago, it is damn too little. (24.07.2018)

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)

It’s not Villeneuve and the screenplay is a bit wobbly, but Sicario 2 is still way above average. Arabs walking through Mexico to blow up supermarkets are giving the Yankees a headache, so Brolin is brought in to deal with it and he in turn orders Del Toro to deal with it. I like the contrast between the messy action here and the spectacular action of the first film. Loads of fantastic scenes, sign language with a farmer and an execution in the desert. It's really good, but the first one is simply better. And Deakins is sorely missed. (28.04.2019)

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 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% (17.09.2018)

[spoiler party] Picking up from Villeneuve's Sicario, which in terms of execution is one of the most distinctive and profound contributions to the conversation around US-Mexican misunderstanding, is nothing more than an ordeal, especially given the almost complete replacement of the creative team. What's left, however, is screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, whose work continues to draw on themes hinted at in the first piece, the most prominent of which is the frustrating inability to grasp the essence of evil in order to root it out. Here the frustration is all the more powerful because of the link between the smuggling cartels and Islamic terrorism, which, though it drives the plot, we actually learn somewhere past the midpoint of the film that it was actually a red herring. The constantly recurring name of cartel leader Carlos Reyes should indicate that the story will somehow end with him, but we don't see him for the entire film. We do, however, see a number of gun-fetish scenes, perfectly coordinated military actions, and quite a bit of American military hardware that, while leaving a decent pile of bodies in its wake, never for a moment makes it feel like they're winning. Because Sicario translates the conflict of good and evil into a clash between order and corrupting chaos, which order can never win because chaos is inherently incapable of understanding. Therefore, the film is left with nothing but hopelessness and cynicism. _____ From a production standpoint, the original film remains completely untouched, of course, but this is far from suggesting that the sequel is poorly made. It just talks more than it shows, and it treads on thin ice in its revitalization of some of the themes from the first film (the nervous ride of the military convoy, the insight into the transition of the ordinary Mexican to uneven moral ground), where you can see how far ahead of everyone else Villenueve is. Yet Sollima is no Jan de Bont, but a director with his own sense of pace and space. I got to know him most in Alejandro's final journey down the road, where everything lasts a second or two longer than we might expect, and every miniscule gesture has an introduction and an epilogue. Unfortunately, as a new addition to the Hollywood stable, it's obvious that he was viewed with initial suspicion and clearly getting pushed into some pigeonholes. (26.09.2018)

I really liked Isabela Moner's performance, despite having said many times that I don't like child actors. Either there's something wrong with me, or the kids are better actors than they used to be. The story seemed to be a bit more far-fetched than the first installment so the logic suffered a little, but it wasn’t bad at all as a whole, I had fun and the two hours just flew by. 4*-. (02.01.2019)

Objectively, it must be said that this is a very worthy successor to the near-perfect first installment. And yet when I saw it for the third time (compared to Villeneuve's Sicario, which I've now seen 8 times), it just lacked any moment of surprise and came nowhere near the first film in terms of the oppressiveness of the atmosphere. On the other hand, again there is no shortage of spectacular shootouts, brutality, and still quite juicy characters (apart from the demonic Del Toro, the tough pragmatist Josh Brolin shines yet again). Still, the greater involvement of politics unfortunately fails to add much either, so I'm actually hoping and anticipating that Taylor Sheridan will take my breath away again in the latest Sicario like he did 4 years ago with the first one. (11.11.2018)