Sicario: Day of the Soldado Blu-ray Review

"Sicario: Day of the Soldado" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with an impressive 2.40:1 AVC encoded 1080p transfer. Shot using a variety of Arri cameras and finalized at a 2K Digital Intermediate (DI), this presentation effectively delivers a well-defined image quality. Characterized by predominantly earth-toned colors including tans, browns, and yellows, the palette adheres closely to its predecessor. This lends an atmospheric authenticity to the grit and tension of the narrative, making blues skies appear particularly striking while blood offers sharp contrast against the yellow and brown scenery. The flesh tones remain consistently healthy and tan, bolstering the visual appeal.

The film's darker scenes pose some challenges; sequences shot in shrouded environments occasionally exhibit minimal shadow detail, making it difficult to discern major characters or critical elements within the frame. Despite this, the Blu-ray still succeeds in offering appreciable clarity in well-lit conditions. Fine details such as facial stubble and fabric textures become sharply defined when lighting conditions permit. Black levels largely maintain a commendable inky depth, though there are select scenes—such as an early nighttime halo jump—that skew somewhat flat and challenging to perceive.

Overall, the transfer is robust, effectively balancing the fine details encapsulated in both bright and dimly lit scenes. While the deliberate use of sickly yellow and omnipresent darkness can mask intricacies from time to time, it does add to the thematic moodiness of the film. Despite minor fluctuations in visual clarity during extremely dark sequences, this Blu-ray presentation offers a finely tuned visual experience befitting of the film's intense and raw aesthetic.

The Blu-ray release of "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" boasts an impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix that provides an immersive and engaging sound experience. Although not as consistently intense as its predecessor’s track, it still offers substantial surround activity throughout the film. The opening scenes are particularly noteworthy, with helicopter panning effects and forceful explosions that provide deep LFE impact. Ambient sounds populate the side and rear channels effectively, enhancing the film's authenticity and creating a vivid soundscape, particularly in outdoor settings.

The dialogue remains clean and clear across the entire soundtrack, even during heavy action sequences where shouted commands are delivered crisply. The film's score by Hildur Guðnadóttir, dedicated to the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, employs pulsing tendencies reminiscent of the original score while introducing its unique sense of foreboding. This score spreads nicely through the surround channels, complementing the on-screen action without overpowering other elements. Overall, this DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix offers a well-balanced, dynamic listening experience that perfectly supports the film's tone and tension.

The Blu-ray extras for "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" provide an insightful, though somewhat limited, behind-the-scenes experience. While largely comprising polished Electronic Press Kit (EPK) material, these features deliver useful observations into the film's development, cast, and characters. "From Film to Franchise: Continuing the Story" dives into the filmmaking decisions behind creating a sequel, albeit raising questions about franchise potential. "An Act of War: Making Sicario: Day of the Soldado" offers engaging interviews detailing the film's production process. Lastly, "The Assassin and the Soldier: The Cast and Characters" includes actor discussions on their roles interspersed with notable scenes. Although not exhaustive or groundbreaking, these extras do offer a reasonable supplementary package for fans of the series.

Extras included in this disc:

• From Film to Franchise: Continuing the Story: Insight into the sequel's development.
• An Act of War: Making Sicario: Day of the Soldado: Engaging production interviews.
• The Assassin and the Soldier: The Cast and Characters: Actor discussions on roles.

"Sicario: Day of the Soldado" presents a gritty and intense expansion of its predecessor's universe, albeit not without its shortcomings. The sequel eschews the vicarious audience perspective, embodied by Emily Blunt's character in the first film, and instead plunges viewers into a more detached and panoramic view. This shift results in narratives that are sometimes perplexing and disconnected from the core of the original story. Despite this, the film excels in creating moments of visceral impact and tension through its expert portrayals by Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro. These performances alongside the suspenseful, albeit sometimes contrived, plot twists maintain audience engagement.

The film notably opens with harrowing depictions of suicide bombings and complex espionage twists that pivot towards a familiar drug cartel narrative. This thematic transition is jarring but ultimately necessary to tie the sequel to its roots. Taylor Sheridan’s screenplay endeavors to explore connections between drug cartels and terrorism, though these connections often feel tenuous and under-explored. There are several gripping sequences, particularly those involving Alejandro Gillick orchestrating brutal reprisals. However, these scenes sometimes venture towards the derivative, diluting the innovative essence that "Sicario" originally offered.

While new characters such as Isabela Moner's cartel heiress add layers to the narrative complexity, their arcs feel underdeveloped amid sprawling subplots. The film’s latter half suffers from pacing issues and fragmented continuity. The attempt to set up future installments is apparent but feels forced and lacking coherence. There are notable logic lapses, like inexplicable character decisions during key moments that diminish the film’s plausibility. Despite these flaws, "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" manages to retain enough of the high-stakes drama and finely tuned action sequences to make it worthwhile for fans of the genre, albeit failing to entirely recapture the original’s brilliance.

"Sicario: Day of the Soldado" comes to Blu-ray with a solid A/V presentation that captures the film's dark and gritty aesthetic quite effectively. While the sequel doesn't quite reach the high-water mark set by its predecessor, it still offers plenty of tension and action, particularly in its stellar first half. The movie attempts to expand the universe of Sicario and effectively demonstrates that there is room for this franchise to grow. However, the second half of the film feels somewhat meandering and clichéd, often losing the tight narrative focus that made the first installment so compelling.

Performances are a highlight, with visceral and engaging portrayals that keep the viewer invested even when the story falters. Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin provide particularly strong performances that ensure a level of intensity throughout. From a technical perspective, the Blu-ray transfer is impressive, although the film's pervasive darkness occasionally hampers fine detail levels. The sound design is immersive, enhancing the overall viewing experience.

In conclusion, "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" may not have been a necessary sequel, but it manages to deliver intermittent excitement and build upon its predecessor's foundation. The narrative has its flaws, but strong performances and high production quality make this a recommended watch for fans of the original. However, any future sequels will need a more focused approach to avoid the pitfalls encountered here.