Sicario 2

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)

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)

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)

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)