Sicario [4K Ultra-HD + Blu-ray] [2018]

Well the action sequences are fun, but the characterisation was hopeless.An anti hero who gave up being a drug cartel assassin to go into accountancy.A lady cop who runs a hostage release team who has all the intellectual toughness of a string of spaghetti.A CIA man who is utterly cynical but utterly committed at the same time.A selection of Special Forces types who are all 6'5" tall and who spend the film saying 'Don't shoot my people by mistake'A plot where the US government goes into partnership with the aforesaid assassin...Nope, it's daft...

Oh my God - I have now seen this twice. This is a brutal, absorbing, shocking, violent and most likely highly realistic film. I cannot fault it in any way - the editing, the cinematography, the landscapes, the ambient soundtrack, the acting, the almost-constant strong tension (note the background heartbeat effect in moments of higher-than-usual tension). I would say that this is the best-made film of the year, if not longer. The juxtaposition of beautiful landscapes and hideous violence is stunning, the performances are outstanding all round - these seem like real people and not movie folk. This is far from a comfortable film but it is absolutely outstanding - stunning. I was exhausted. Be prepared for the ride if you buy the ticket. My nearest comparison in ambience and mood is "Apocalypse Now". Unbelievable - a master work in folm making.

Sicario has some decent action sequences (especially in the last third) and an effectively intimidating performance by Benicio Del Toro, but these positives are outweighed by a pretty dull (and at times, hard-to-follow) script and a somewhat cardboard protagonist in Emily Blunt.She broods, cries and pouts a lot for most of the movie, and ultimately doesn't do very much. Unless they lowered the bar in a misguided attempt to achieve gender parity at the FBI, it's very difficult to accept her as an elite agent... she's no J Lo in Out Of Sight, that's for sure.I really don't have much more to add. With a more proactive lead, and a lot more of the excitement we got in the final reel, perhaps I could recommend Sicario. But the amount of chaff you have to sit through to get to the good stuff, it simply ain't worth it. File under 'Could Do Better'. 5/10

Emily Blunts character, a goodie two shoes learns the hard way that sometimes evil must be met by a stronger evil in order to cobat sheer terror brought on innocent civilians by men running torturous gangs with only the interest of Power, Money and terror through corruption with no consideration for anyone that stands in their way to bring the power of the law to their front door. This was a powerful gripping edge of the seat ride that had me hypnotised every step of the way. I long for part two and more if they have any plans to continue this, I hope they do. It seems to be very close to the bone in portraying what actually goes on in this world. Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin are hardened assassins given the go ahead to bring these killers to justice by any means possible whatever it takes, a solution most of us may not speak about freely but deep inside we all want to feel safe on the streets and in our homes. With men like this its possible it can happen.

Benicio Del Toro deserves the lead billing here, as Emily Blunt's character is merely an irritant, acting more like a spoiled child than an experienced FBI agent. Still, I suppose she does create a certain amount of tension. The violence portrayed is nowhere near as brutal as the real thing, although some true nastiness is discussed. The Mexican cartels are truly horrifying and should be brought down by any means necessary. That much is clear. However the Colombians are not much better. I guess the choice is down to the lesser of two evils, and that is the lesson the little girl needs to learn. A well made film with some spooky FLIR footage in and around a border tunnel being one of the highlights. But it all belongs to Del Toro, as he emanates an almost palpable atmosphere of brooding malevolence. Excellent.

This is a good film in the sense that the cinematogrophy is nice, the acting is good, the soundtrack is appropriate - it's highly watchable. However ultimately I was left wanting something more from the premise of the film. For all the suspenseful music, nothing really happens that you can't reasonably expect and it's a fairly linear progression. It really feels like you are just watching events unfold, rather than being immersed into a gripping moral dilemma for Emily Blunt's character. She comes across as simply being painfully naive, and powerless like the viewer, in stark contrast to an almighty CIA and Sicario. It's not that that's frustrating, which should in fact be the message, it's simply that it's presented rather than felt in my opinion, not being matched with a realistic storytelling style.