Mile 22

Mile 22 is an adrenaline fueled espionage ride starring Mark Wahlberg, Iko Uwais, Lauren Cohen, Ronda Rousey, and John Malkovich.  The cast is great and its good to finally see Iko (The Raid movies) in a great role with an intruiging story.  I say that last part concerning the story, because that's the main detractor from the whole film.  While I can appreciate the very real complexities in spy stories that unfold themselves in dramatic ways, too much complexity  and a confusing narrative do not serve Mile 22 very well.  For nearly the first hour, who knows what the fuck is going on with the story.  That only serves to make an audience listen to an overly intense Wahlberg just overact oscillating back and forth in narrating the briefing and getting in everyone's ass with his ramblings.  If you're just watching it for the action and don't care about the plot, then you're fine as the pace is pretty relentless.  It has and does everything else well though, in so far as what we've come to expect from contemporary Bourne type movies is all here in action, set and location, and casting.  You've got great female leads kicking ass here, too.  John Malkovich, as great an actor as he is, however looks comical in his wig as the overwatch supervisor.  It's also obvious that this is a film, much like certain military films, that tries to give much credence to the little known Special Activies branch of the CIA while at the same time trying to stay relevant to the current political and intelligence situation and issues of the day.  It's Iko's biggest Hollywood profile role and in in reality, he basically owns this film.