Sicario 2: Soldado - Summer 2018
- Thread starter ianh
- Start date
I did say it wasn't a "universally agreed opinion" 
My very particular issue wasn't the script or Blunts acting ability during "talking" scenes, but that to me she wasn't able to portray the physical movements of a FBI HRT member (the "Delta Force" of SWAT teams) realistically during the action scenes, where instead she looked like the "actress playing a part" that she is, and that made me think "did she get any training before the film or, if she did, did she simply forget it once the filming started?" which took me out of the film whenever saw her in any action scenes.
A good example is is the during the first action scene (where they find the bodies in the wall) and she "looks" like an actress with her body movements, the way she holds, aims and shoots a weapon etc (which took me out of the film right at the start) compared to someone like Mireille Enos (Lizzy) in the 2014 Arnie film Sabotage for example, who moved and looked like she'd gone through some intense training before the film and was able to put that on screen which made her look realistic.
I felt the same watching the male FBI agent too (movement/weapons etc), where as watching the CIA/Del Toto "team" I never felt the same way, hence preferring those scenes.
My very particular issue wasn't the script or Blunts acting ability during "talking" scenes, but that to me she wasn't able to portray the physical movements of a FBI HRT member (the "Delta Force" of SWAT teams) realistically during the action scenes, where instead she looked like the "actress playing a part" that she is, and that made me think "did she get any training before the film or, if she did, did she simply forget it once the filming started?" which took me out of the film whenever saw her in any action scenes.
A good example is is the during the first action scene (where they find the bodies in the wall) and she "looks" like an actress with her body movements, the way she holds, aims and shoots a weapon etc (which took me out of the film right at the start) compared to someone like Mireille Enos (Lizzy) in the 2014 Arnie film Sabotage for example, who moved and looked like she'd gone through some intense training before the film and was able to put that on screen which made her look realistic.
I felt the same watching the male FBI agent too (movement/weapons etc), where as watching the CIA/Del Toto "team" I never felt the same way, hence preferring those scenes.
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Yeap, as a film it's pretty poor but the training the actors went through before filming really shows through with their tactical movements, which was the point I was making - doing it wrong because you're "an actor" is no excuse when other films do it right, so it smacks of laziness, either from the studio (costs too much) or the actors (did train but didn't transfer it to film) and when the rest of the actors in a film can do it "right" yet the main character looks poor when they shouldn't be then I'm not fan.
Not really. If everyone is poor (80's Arnie/Sly etc films) I'm fine or if everyone is good (Lone Survivor, Band of Brothers, Blackhawk Down etc) them I'm good too, or even if the script calls for someone to look poorly trained I'm happy with that too.
However I realise that my own opinion on these things maybe different than others as I judge films on my own expectations, rather than anyone elses.
That opinion is so much "expert on a computer forum" it's quite funny. Sorry, I don't mean to be rude. But really? Out of the whole film that's your takeaway?
No it's not my take away from the whole film, it's just explaining the bit of the film I didn't like and why, thats all.
"Armchair expert" - yeah theres some of that to be fair, I was in the military to 20+ years and saw how people do it "properly" yet never did it myself but there are hundreds of vids on youtube etc of real people doing it for real which matches what I've seen previously which gives me some opinion on it. Doesn't make me right/wrong though, it is just an opinion in the end.
I liked the story, where the action was secondary to the breakdown of character/self that Blunt was forced to go through, and depth that it portrayed the Americans were willing to go to prevent the Cartels getting a foothold in the US. I thought the cinematography of the Texas/Mexico border was fantastic with a matching soundtrack that really amped up the tension without giving it much release, making you feel constantly un-nerved. I though the CIA /Covert side was acted in a very well delivered and believable way although I would have liked to have seen more Del Toro backstory and I thought Blunt did a respectable job of showing how quickly someone who is supposed to be "top of their game" can get lost in the murky depths of covert work, going from a calm collected "agent" at the start to someone burnt by her experiences by the end which, in real time, would have only been a few weeks.
However I didn't think Blunts partner brought much to the film and felt a bit 2 dimensional, I felt that story had no real arc to it, other than Blunts collapse nothing else was really changed by the end of the film despite all the bloodshed which made it feel a bit nihilistic as a story (may have been a deliberate effort by the script TBF).
I'd really would have rated it higher on my own personal scale but, and I'm sorry to labour the point so much so please feel free to stop reading at this point but............
I just get a huge "NOPE" mental block whenever I see Blunt portraying a FBI HRT member. These are people who train with Tier 1 folks like Delta and DEVGRU just to give you an understanding of just how highly trained her character is supposed to be (i.e. not just a simple "SWAT" or "field officer" type person) so when you she the actress looking "wrong" during the action phases (more like a desk officer out in the field) it makes me incapable to looking past the "it's just a film" thoughts, especially when almost everyone else looks so "right" doing the same things, which is why I'm so looking forward to seeing those people "doing it right" having a second crack at the story.
