Review by Claire Hoenecke

Sicario: Day of the Soldado packs too much into its two hour run time instead of allowing one plotline to carry the film.

What begins as a straightforward plot quickly becomes convoluted as terrorism, kidnapping, and border crossing come into play. Consequently, the film feels like three movies happening all at one time. One plot follows Josh Brolin’s Matt Graver as he attempts to start a war between Mexican cartels. Another depicts Benicio Del Toro’s Alejandro guiding the daughter of a cartel leader across the border. Finally, the final plot shows a young boy’s induction into a cartel. The three storylines are loosely connected but are not related enough to justify them all existing in the same film.

Despite the film’s convoluted plotline, the actors are engaging enough to hold the audience’s attention for the majority of the film. After his work in Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2, Josh Brolin proves that he is just as if not more terrifying as a normal human than he is as an evil alien or time-traveling cyborg. Benicio Del Toro’s portrayal of Alejandro as a grieving man still coming to terms with his family’s deaths is subdued yet compelling.

The film is well acted, well directed, and overall well made. The creators did as best they could with an overcomplicated script, and what results is a totally fine movie that won’t blow you away but also won’t leave you too disappointed.

Rating: 6/10

Sicario: Day of the Soldaldo is rated R for strong violence, bloody images, and language.