Somehow director Peter Berg thought it was necessary to make things seem more complex and confusing than they actually are. In essence Mile 22 is an action flick. Nothing more and nothing less.
So in my opinion I should judge it as one. Surprisingly the action is quite decent. Although I truly wished some directors would forsake the shaky cam. Especially in case of Iko Uwais it's not needed. He is a skilled martial artist who knows how to make things look good. I was happy to see that Iko's part in this film was larger than I expected it to be. Certainly a bigger role than he had in The Night Comes for Us. He doesn't have that much dialogue but fortunately it fits the role he plays. But what exactly do I mean with decent. As in that the action is well choreographed and that it is exciting enough. It's pretty brutal. However it does take a while for the real action to take place. The introductory scene also is full of action but is more to show you what Silva (Mark Wahlberg) and his team members do. To give you an idea how they operate.
In between story scenes you see Silva talking to a bunch of suits where he apparently is reporting the story. Most likely to instil some kind of suspense if it weren't for the fact that Silva is talking gibberish. Wahlberg tries to mimic people like Kevin Spacey and Tim Roth who are masters at sounding clever while not saying much. Mark can be a capable actor but pretending to be an intellectual is out of his reach. It also has very little relevance to the events or plot in general. The way these scenes are implemented almost make them seem like an afterthought as if they realized that the film needed more padding.
The way the film ends will also make you scratch your head. It's completely pointless. My guess is that there was more plot but they decided to cut it to keep the film short. And that is a good and bad thing at the same time. I think the film could have used a few minutes more to give us more. That being said though I did like the ending. Far from logical or even possible but definitely one that made me smile.
Don't get distracted by all the mumbo jumbo. Focus on the action and you will have a great time. At least for the duration of the film.
While Mile 22 is an average movie at best. Compared to The Night Comes for Us it's a better film overall. Yes, I said it. Mile 22 at least knows to maintain a balance between the several elements that make a film enjoyable. TNCFU is just gratuitous for the sake of being shocking and violent without actually offering something compelling or entertaining. I mean if there had been some point or message. Or if it were a parody on ultra violent movies then I would have welcomed it more. But it never does. All the violence gets boring real quick since it's humourless and lacks style and beauty. Even Iko is wasted in his role. That is just a big travesty.
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