Movie review: Sicario: Day of the Soldado

IF YOU are a huge fan of the 2015 film, Sicario (which means ‘hitman’), you will undoubtedly enjoy this sequel, despite having a different director at the helm.
This action film begins with a bombing in a store in Kansas City. The authorities learn that the terrorists behind the bombing were smuggled in from Mexico.
CIA operative Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) gets his orders from the US Secretary of Defence (Matthew Modine) to stop this using any means necessary.
It turns out that the drug lord behind this terrorist smuggling, Carlos Reyes, is also the same guy responsible for the murder of the family of Graver’s associate Alejandro Gillick (Benicio Del Toro).
The two plan to kidnap Reyes’ spoilt daughter Isabel (Isabela Moner) and use this incident to start a war between cartels.
However, things get out of hand, and Graver is ordered to execute the girl. Alejandro disagrees and goes on the run with Isabel. But Graver has his orders and goes in hot pursuit.
The body count is high, and some scenes are downright disturbing.
As with the first movie, it is the characters who make this movie interesting.
Alejandro is this lone gunman who wants members of the cartel to see him before he finishes them off, while Graver is the kind of guy who is not subtle when it comes to handling drug lords.
Alejandro’s humanity is more evident in this movie, especially in scenes with Isabel.
Story-wise, it may not be as mind-blowing as the original but this sequel has its appeal.
The actors, especially Del Toro, really carry this film while director Stefano Sollima has delivered an engrossing drama.