One of my favorite films of 2015 was the crime thriller Sicario starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro. The film was a surprise hit and instantly sparked talk about a sequel, but little has been heard about it for some time until now. When Sony debuted the first trailer to the sequel it ws titled Sicario 2: Soldado, but now only a few months from release they have changed the title to Sicario: Day of Saldado featuring the return of Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, but does it return to the same form that made the first film so great or will it get stuck across the border?

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Sicario: Day of Saldado follows the drug war on the US-Mexico border that has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking terrorists across the US border. To fight the war, federal agent Matt Graver re-teams with the mercurial Alejandro. It’s always a tough job to take a truly great movie and make a sequel that lives up to its greatness, especially with one that didn’t really need it. Thankfully this follow-up manages to not only live up to its predecessor, but also surpass it in some ways. I was worried about the absence of Emily Blunt this time around since she kind of cemented the first story, but Brolin and Del Toro are more than enough to keep this story moving violently forward.

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The story this time around felt a bit bigger despite still focusing on the Mexican Cartels. There is a direct connection that brings Brolin back into the mix after getting to see him in action doing something a bit different. The same can be said for Del Toro when he is brought back into this world. Both of these guys are amazing in these roles and not only knock it out of the park, they are given so much more to work with to help them be more rounded characters than the first time around which was surprising. Brolin showcases a bit more humanity at times while still doing all the horrific things required to accomplish what they have set out to do. Del Toro maintains his cold persona, but there is a time you see some sparks of a softer side that in turn humanizes this killer more so than you might expect.

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While this isn’t an action film there is plenty of violent action throughout and some great directions with the story. There are layers that build to something bigger in the future should this be another success with an open ending clearly hoping for more. There are aspects that might be hard for some to watch, but it makes sure to not water down this violent world that is very much more likely closer to the truth than you might think. Make sure to check out the original Sicario before stepping into this next chapter and hopefully not the last.