It’s amazing how much Mile 22 changed from the time it was initially put into pre-production to its actual release. Hyped as a starring vehicle for Ronda Rousey, then the reigning and unstoppable UFC champion, it quickly turned into another Mark Wahlberg action film with Lauren Cohan as the other prominent face in the advertising. Rousey would be put into the background, if shown at all, as a red shirt and the film came and went quickly from theaters in 2018.
Simple premise. Wahlberg and crew are a super-secret government strike force that does the sort of jobs the rest of the clandestine forces can’t or won’t do. When a defector promises information in exchange for asylum, the crew has 22 miles to make it to an airplane to get them out of the country. Shenanigans ensue, like they always do, and it’s a violent race against time.
The one thing Mile 22 has is that it understands exactly what it is and moves as nimbly as an action film can. It’s as thin as possible, with zero possible fat, and has zero qualms with killing as many main cast members as possible. It’s kind of refreshing to see an action film that has franchise aspirations take down main cast members so soon; there’s a sense that not even Mark Wahlberg will make it out alive.
It’s just a passable action film, however, in a year where Mission Impossible: Fallout and the Marvel Cinematic Universe raised the bar in such profound ways for the genre.
Nothing worth the watch.
Universal presents Mile 22. Directed by Peter Berg. Written by Lea Carpenter. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, John Malkovich, Ronda Rousey, Carlo Alban, Sam Medina. Run Time: 95 minutes Not rated. Released on DVD: 11.13.18
