The action crime thriller Denis Villeneuve's Sicario, this film shows Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) teaming up with assassin Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) to start a war between the cartels, who are suspected of smuggling suicide bombers into the United States.

Though 2015's Sicario has an incredible 92% rating from critics on 2018's Sicario: Day of the Soldado doesn't match the original in of quality with its story and cinematic direction, but it has still proven itself to be a worthwhile watch as a thrilling action movie.

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado Missed Denis Villeneuve As Its Director

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado Lacked One Of Modern Cinema's Best Directors

Though the sequel had Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan return to write the script, Sicario: Day of the Soldado lacked the leadership of Denis Villeneuve, causing it to fall short of the original. Sicario is distinctive due to Villeneuve's vast, meticulous style of filmmaking. Since the release of the film, Villeneuve has proven himself to be one of the best directors working today, especially in sci-fi, with movies like Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Dune: Part Two.

Based on his filmography after directing Sicario, Villeneuve made it clear that the franchise wouldn't be the same without him sitting in the director's chair, lending his particular cinematic talents and vision to the production. Sicario 2 director Stefano Sollima does a great job presenting a tense, heart-pounding sequel with his award-winning skills as a filmmaker. Nevertheless, Sollima's Sicario movie doesn't reach quite the same heights as Villeneuve's.

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado Couldn't Replace Emily Blunt's Kate Macer

Sicario's Sequel Lacked The Heart Of The Original

Another crucial aspect of Sicario missing from the sequel is the presence of actor Emily Blunt's protagonist, Kate Macer. Sicario: Day of the Soldado features the return of del Toro and Brolin, who both give terrific performances, just like in the original movie. However, their characters are more sadistic and unsympathetic than Blunt's, making it difficult to root for either one of them. It was especially hard to see Gillick as a protagonist in the sequel after the murders he committed at the end of Sicario.

Macer genuinely wanted to prevent all the death and chaos created by the drug cartels. Meanwhile, Graver wanted to control Mexico using corrupt, cold-hearted military tactics, and Gillick was driven mainly by his rage and desire for vengeance against the cartels. Though the latter has a somewhat redemptive storyline in the sequel as he tries to protect Isabel (Isabela Merced), he is still a jaded and morally gray character who isn't as likable as Macer.

Day Of The Soldado's Story Wasn't As Thrilling, But It's Still Worth Watching

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado Presents A Unique, Exciting Story

While Sicario: Day of the Soldado just isn't as great a film as the original film, it is still a noteworthy title on its own and should be judged by its individual merits. With this second Sicario movie, screenwriter Taylor Sheridan presented another tense, sprawling, and thought-provoking story that expanded the world of the franchise and explored more of the war on drugs and the corruption on both sides of the conflict. And like the original film, the sequel has plenty of great drama through its characters, even without Macer.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado also manages to balance its steady suspense with exhilarating action scenes that go off like a bomb, with several surprising twists keeping its audience locked into the story.

Specifically, Gillick forms an unexpected bond with Isabel after kidnapping her, driving him to protect her instead of following orders and killing her. This showcases great and unexpected development for his character after he lost his family and went on a ruthless rampage. Sicario: Day of the Soldado also manages to balance its steady suspense with exhilarating action scenes that go off like a bomb, with several surprising twists keeping its audience locked into the story.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado fell short of the original film, as the absence of Kate Macer left a noticeably large hole in the story. Likewise, director Stefano Sollima's direction failed to rival Denis Villeneuve's grand, inventive, and thorough style that made the original movie so beloved. Despite this, the sequel is another dark, thrilling, and action-packed story that has understandably won over audiences on streaming. The renewed interest in the Sicario franchise could even stoke the fires of hype leading up to the production of the third film, Sicario: Capos.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes