A Great Looking Insulting Disposable Waste of Time

Rating: 3/10 (13 March 2016)

Bad movies can be subdivided into the truly bad and those with heart, a world-view or something to say. "Sicario" sadly is merely bad. Though it certainly looks good with great locations, aerial shots and fine special effects, beneath its visual aesthetics, it is an empty vehicle. The story is the drug war on the US and Mexico border. It involves the interplay between local law enforcement, the Feds and other government entities. Though more details might also be spoilers, I have chosen to pass on illuminating more because the details matter little as the writer and director seemingly believe in nothing? This nihilism curses the film and makes every plot point, character and political statement vapid and disposable. From Mexico's corruption and America's drug use as enabler to this tragedy, everyone and everything are mere props used only to advance story and then willfully thrown away. The actors are skilled with Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin their usual quirky selves but Emily Blunt is used up as story vehicle / protagonist and like the rest of this film's caricatures; discarded once they are no longer of use. As one who loves bad film, there is a certain honor in an awful work where the creator failed but at least believed in something. Sicario was a bad film which frittered away a studio's money and the artistic abilities of actors and a film crew for nothing. The horrible real life tragedy that is the drug war and destruction of the once wonderful city of Juarez were treated as disposable shorthand for film maker's bereft of soul.