For Sequels Sake, Sicario!

I hate when a film refuses to kill their darlings especially for the sake of a sequel.
Jurassic World: the Fallen Kingdom and Ocean’s 8 are two films from the summer of 2018 brought to us by the revival of film franchises long past their heyday. Deadpool had a quiet haul, Hotel Transylvania fulfills the family movie quota, and Ant-man is part of a bigger whole: Marvel. Add Sicario: Day of Soldado and now we have a rich summer rich in sure bets.

Sicario is new to the franchise market, but can it survive as a profitable film series to a story that needed no sequel.

This new cinematic universe takes us over the border and into Mexico’s underbelly of Cartels, corruption, and U.S. politics. Great premise, however,  Day of the Soldado focused more on the continuance of the series than the importance of telling a complete story. By saving the “hero” in the end, it’s clearly evident what was at the heart of this film release– the next movie.

Did I want to see Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin on screen again? Hell yes. But not like this. Day of the Soldado backtracked the evolution of the story to set up plotlines for future films. The killing of Alejandro was enviable; bringing him back to life, egregious.

Alejandro’s death was the perfect bookend to a character arc I rarely witness in movies.

After going rogue from the US government, Alejandro entrusts himself to escort a cartel leader’s daughter –now a hostage of the US government — to the Mexican border after a botched expedition to start a Cartel war goes south. Alejandro, not absent of cruelty, reveals a side of himself we witnessed at the conclusion of the Sicario; a scene skillful acted alongside Emily Blunt. Alejandro is remorseful and almost apologetic to the plight of the young hostage whose life is as expendable as this own.

Alejandro understands that if he does get her to safety, they’re both dead; a predicament he’s all too familiar with. He, himself, got into bed with the cartel in South Columbia, and his family perished. Now he is too deep within another vicious organization and a similar fate will befall the girl if he doesn’t help her.

The Cartel Leader’s Daughter is a pawn in a scheme the US concocted to start a Cartel war; she’s “an innocent.”

And as fate would have it –and history continually repeats itself– Alejandro is responsible for her. Just as he was responsible for the safety of his own family; they are all victims by association.
With every pawn, there is a king, queen, bishop, knight, and rook all vying for supremacy on the borderline of imperfect existence. Alejandro must get the girl to the other side. Save her from the inevitable fate of an effed up situation. By saving the girl give, Alejandro can give her a chance his own daughter never had: a chance at a new life absence of the crime world she was born into. A little heavy, I know, but subconsciously, this is a solid foundation toward exposing the fragility of relations that rely heavily upon trust in people who are without trustworthiness.

The ‘lone wolf and cub scenario’

To show this bond between the two travelers, there this emotion device in writing I call (and you may have heard of this before) the ‘lone wolf and cub scenario.’ Writers use this story device to establish a hypothetical bond between characters A and B. Check out The Professional and Terminator 2. The lone wolf and cub plot device helps to establish an intimate relationship between Alejandro and the Cartel Leader’s Daughter.

Two people alone on a journey allows time for those individuals to develop a bond worthy of care even when you know that person has an agenda opposite your own. Through brief exposition, the two establish this connection of thrust,  then it is immediately called into question and put to the test of validity when the immigrant father and daughter ruse fails.

Bang, just like that he’s dead.

Day of Soldado was an unnecessary sequel but a well-told and delightful cinematic treat. There was a lot going on story-wise but they build the tension very well during that third act.  Where this film fails is in the imaginary fourth act, where they save the hero for the sequel.

Segment

Kill your darlings and the hero, forget the sequel.

I always refer back to Shane Black’s Lethal Weapon band how the film was supposed to end with Rigg’s death but save him when the studio decided the character was too likable and the ending of the film too dark to release in its original context. This proved beneficial for New Line: they got three decent sequels. However, whatever is good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander. In some cases, it works, especially if you’ve read the preexisting book (or other media). In another case, we just don’t know what ended up on the cutting room floor until the DVD of the directors cut.
Saved for the Sequel
  1. Ripley, Aliens
  2. Matt Hooper, Jaws
  3. Happy, Iron Man 3
  4. Dante, Clerks I Assure You We’re Open
  5. Han Solo, Return of the Jedi
  6. Rambo,  First Blood

Not Saved for the Sequel

  1. William Wallace – Braveheart
  2. Hooch – Turner, and Hooch
  3. Luke- Cool Hand Luke
  4. Blair Witch
  5. Thelma and Louise
  6. Maximus Decimus Meridus, Gladiator
  7. Man on fire
  8. Janet Leigh

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