YMMV / Sicario: Day of the Soldado

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Was Miguel really trying to kill Alejandro when he shot him, or did he gamble by shooting him in the face and giving him a wound that could easily be lethal in its own right while also being just survivable enough to give Alejandro a chance, but put him out of commission long enough so that Miguel's peers wouldn't notice?
  • For a teenager with (as far as we know) no prior experience with firearms, the difference between a brainbox shot and a hit on mid-cheek even at a distance of 4 feet from muzzle to target as seen on screen could easily be a matter of a minor flinch or twitch on trigger press. For a new shooter, accuracy measured in inches with a handgun is hard. It's more unbelievable that the more experienced coyote who ordered the kill didn't recognize that a shot to the cheek is unlikely to produce an immediate cessation of movement and execute an anchor shot.
• Anvilicious: The US, fearing the worst about Islamist terrorism, illegal immigration, and spooky foreign criminals, fights a costly, collateral-damage-filled war without any regard to the rules or international relations... based completely on faulty intel. When they realize this mistake, half the government wants to pull out suddenly and cause even more violence to save face, while the other half continues to wage an illegal war out of rage. Does that sound familiar to you?
• Harsher in Hindsight: Following the escalation of cartel violence before and after AMLO was elected president, including the shooting of members of a Mormon community, President Donald Trump announced his intention to have Mexican-based drug cartel gangs designated terrorists. His plans did not go through, but AMLO has protested against the decision.
• Like You Would Really Do It: During the last 20 minutes, Alejandro gets shot in the head after being captured by a rival cartel. Problem is, given how Alejandro is arguably the central character of the franchise and underwent significant Character Development in this film, many viewers didn't buy that he'd go out in such an underwhelming way. Lo and behold, the gunshot was through the cheek and allows Alejandro to escape.
• So Okay, It's Average: Most critics thought the film was a decent thriller, but found it lacking many of the traits that made its predecessor so highly regarded.
• Squick: When Alejandro awakens after miraculously surviving being shot in the face, we see an innumerable number of bloody bits pouring out from underneath his head scarf. Even though the reveal shows that it was a through and through shot between his cheeks, it would have been very plausible to believe that his face was literally blown off.
  • Given the angle of the shot, it's likely that he at least lost a few teeth. Anyone who's ever had a tooth knocked out will find spitting out that volume of blood quite understandable.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: The lack of Emily Blunt's Kate Macer in the sequel is something that many viewers felt caused the film to lose some of the first one's strength.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: The plot about cartels making the terrorism list after the bombings and how the government seeks to deal with them is tossed aside for Alejandro trying to get Isabel across the border a little over halfway into the movie.
• Tough Act to Follow: The first Sicario made multiple "Best Films of the Year" lists and was praised for Denis Villeneuve's taut direction. With a different director and so much clout from the first installment, it was borderline impossible to strike gold twice.
• What Do You Mean, It's Not Political?: The plot of the movie may remind some viewers of contemporary claims by US politicians that ISIS operatives were operating on the US border and possibly being smuggled into the country (claims which were later dismissed for insufficient evidence). But movie was in the works since 2015, and the rough outline of the script was there by 2016.

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