Killed By Horrible Writing

Rating: 1/10 (13 July 2018)

Powerful presentation of the reality of life in the hellhole of Juarez, of the struggle to escape into the US, of the ruthlessness of all sides of the cartel war, and US agency efforts to fight back; but the story is essentially killed by the absurd portrayal of FBI agents who are supposed to be 'idealistic' but come across as zombie wimps. And the whole premise of inserting FBI agents into a cross-border CIA operation just to give authority for stateside operations, and refusing to tell them what they are doing, is absurd, as is the FBI agents whining about questionable procedures.
Blunt's character is just annoying in her timidity, particularly when she is portrayed in the first scenes as a kick-butt, door smashing federal cop. Here is where the writing is horrible - FBI / CIA chief (it isn't clear) tells Blunt's character that she is volunteering for a joint agency operation, authorized by the President (or, an 'elected official'), and doesn't tell her the nature of the operation? And then she and her silent FBI partner spend the rest of the movie whining about the questionable nature of the operation.
This would have been a phenomenal movie if the conflict with the timid FBI agents had been left out. I'm hoping that Sicario 2 will delete the wimpy sideshow, and just show the reality of the cartel war.