There's something very clearly missing from Sicario 2, and that's a character that the audience can root for. Even though Emily Blunt was nowhere near the standout in the first film, she played a character that the audience could root for and was essentially how you followed the plot of the story. However, Day of the Soldado doesn't have that. Instead, we watch Brolin and Del Toro play one corrupt side and the other side consists of the cartels. I found myself not being able to figure if I should really be rooting for the protagonists. And perhaps that's kind of the idea. In fact, most of Taylor Sheridan's previous work/characters often have significant flaws so that they seem more realistic and conflicted. I wonder how this film would have played out with Blunt returning or a character similar to her. Don't get me wrong, there are some gorgeously shot sequences, thrilling gun fights, and great performances. But it's missing the human element and doesn't feel as captivating as the first film. But even with that said, I'll take a third film any day of the week.
6.3/10
6.3/10