Mile 22

A typically erratic Peter Berg film, Mile 22 follows a group of elite soldiers (including Mark Wahlberg’s James, Lauren Cohan’s Alice, and Ronda Rousey’s Sam) as they’re tasked with transporting a valuable informant (Iko Uwais’ Li Noor) to a nearby airfield – with the seemingly simple journey complicated by outside forces bent on ensuring that the convoy doesn’t arrive at its destination. There eventually does reach a point at which Mile 22 is, at the very least, watchable, which is no small feat, certainly, given the degree to which the movie’s opening stretch manages to alienate the viewer – with Berg’s predictable reliance on infuriating visual flourishes (eg shaky camerawork) draining the energy and excitement out of the meant-to-thrill pre-credits sequence. The less-than-engrossing vibe is compounded by an almost total dearth of interesting, sympathetic characters (ie they’re all, but Wahlberg’s James especially, Type A jackasses), while the narrative, prior to the aforementioned airfield-bound trek, suffers from a needlessly convoluted feel that exacerbates the arms-length atmosphere. There does reach a very specific point, however, at which Mile 22 morphs into a passable actioner, with a violent (yet disappointingly incoherent) fight sequence between Uwais’ Li and several goons triggering a second half that’s far more propulsive and even exciting than one might’ve anticipated. The refreshingly brisk running time ultimately ensures that the picture finishes on an unexpectedly strong note (ie what feels like the climax actually is the climax), while the strong conclusion seems to promise a followup that wouldn’t exactly be unwelcome – which effectively confirms Mile 22‘s place as a hit-and-miss endeavor that could (and should) have been much better.

**1/2 out of ****