Sicario 2 ---Day of the soldado

Review has spoilers

Muslim terrorists strike the United states yet again , but this time it is Mexican drug cartels who are suspected to be smuggling the islamic terrorists across the border . To retaliate against this , the US government gives permission to CIA agent Matt Graver ( Josh Brolin ) to carry black operations across the border into Mexico . Graver recruits Alejandro Gillick ( Benicio Del Toro ) who specialises in such operations . Gillick kills a lawyer working for a cartel , and Graver kidnaps Isabela Reyes ( Isabela Moner ) who is the daughter of the head of the rival cartel .

The CIA team then fake the daughter's rescue and transports her back to Mexico , making her think that they rescued her from those who kidnapped her . But the Mexican police double crosses the CIA team and attacks them , forcing the CIA team to retaliate and kill the corrupt policemen . Scared for her life in the midst of the fighting , Isabela runs off . Gillick alone takes up the task of relocating her while the rest of the team go back .

While Isabela and Gillick are stranded in Mexico , Graver is stunned by the reversal of the Presidential order to carry out the black operation . Now the team is ordered to erase all proof of involvement of US forces in the operation as the President fears that he may be impeached if knowledge of the operation becomes public due to killing of the Mexican policemen , though Graver argues that the policemen were killed in self defence .

Further , Graver is ordered to kill Isabela and he is forced to ask Gillick who has found Isabela to kill her . But by this time Gillick has formed a bond with Isabela who reminds him of his dead daughter , and real emotions come to play as he refuses to kill her . This is the emotional angle of what is essentially a ruthless action movie . But what is action without emotion ? Good movies are those which combine action but have an emotional core and the movie does exactly that .

But as Gillick tries to transport Isabela back to America disguised as an illegal immigrant , he is recognised by Miguel ( Elijah Rodriguez ) who is a Mexican American boy working for the gang which transports the immigrants . And both Gillick and Isabela are captured . So will the two survive the ruthlessness of the gang's members and go to America safely , especially after Isabela is recognised as daughter of a cartel head ? The movie is worth watching to find out the answers .

The movie has pitiless action scenes and great cinematography of the dry mexican landscape , backed by good acting from Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin . Isabela Moner looks cute and tough at the same time , evoking fatherly feelings in the character played by Benicio---though this is never openly expressed . But low key emotion plays the key turning point in this high octane action triller . Music is good too , pulsating rythmically throughout the movie . I missed the presence of Emily Blunt , who was a key performer in Sicario part one . But still I would give the movie a thumbs up .

Verdict---Good .

Three and a half stars out of five .