Today’s quick review: Sicario: Day of the Soldado. To pave the way for an American war against the Mexican drug cartels, Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), one of his most dangerous operatives, arrange the kidnapping of Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner), the daughter of a cartel kingpin. The kidnapping sows the chaos they were hoping for, but their plan goes awry when their attempt to return Isabel to Mexico meets with an ambush.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a gritty crime thriller about the US government’s clandestine war with the Mexican drug cartels. Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro reprise their roles as ruthless government operatives willing to work outside the law to get the job done. Day of the Soldado benefits from two strong performances and the same powerful subject matter as the original Sicario. However, the movie’s storytelling decisions rob it of some impact.
Day of the Soldado retains the bleak tone and moral ambiguity of the original. Matt and Alejandro live in a world where there are no rules, only the bounds of what is politically expedient. Their aggressive approach to handling the drug cartels is the defining feature of the movie, shaping both the mechanics of the plot and the morality of the characters. The result is a tense story where actions can have unpredictable consequences.
Still, Day of the Soldado is missing the deft touch that made the original so effective. Without an idealist to provide another moral perspective, the cold-blooded pragmatism of Matt and Alejandro loses much of its impact. The plot is another weak point. In spite of a strong premise—a US-instigated drug war to justify further intervention in Mexico—the story quickly gets lost in the weeds, eventually culminating in a limp, inconclusive finale.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado will appeal to fans of the violent side of the crime genre. Its brutal depiction of the War on Drugs stands in sharp contrast with the romanticized version seen in some action movies, while its flurries of violence give it a sense of tension that other realistic crime movies lack. But in spite of its strengths, the combination of a weaker setup and a lackluster finish make it a clear step down from the first film.
For a more refined, haunting take on the same characters, try the original Sicario. For an even more expansive portrait of the drug trade, try Traffic. For a bleak superhero drama done in a similar style, try Logan.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for strong characters, a promising setup, and mixed follow-through.