An action crime thriller that’s heavy on style and thrills, but light on a plot. Miss Bala is dull and derivative and feels like a retread of an episode of CSI.
It stars Gina Rodriguez as a makeup artist visiting her best friend and godson in Mexico. The two women go off for a night of clubbing that quickly turns sour after a shootout ensues leaving them both separated and Rodriguez picked up by a group of criminals.
The criminals take her away to their hideout and force her to become part of their operation which involves a drug cartel. I think seeing The Mule beforehand would’ve prepared her better for the job.
As long as she continues to do her part, the criminals promise to give her information on her friend’s location as she was also kidnapped at the same club.
Anthony Mackie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a small role in the film as a fellow drug cartel who also has ties to her kidnappers. His role is virtually wasted especially once we get to the climax. Don’t get me started on that.
Gina Rodriguez proves she has what it takes to be an action star, but the script lets her down with some pointless action scenes and durable cliches.
We also feel like there’s not a lot at stake because of the simple fact that Rodriguez’s character has to do whatever the crime bosses say in order to see her friend again. The plot is more or less buying time until we reach the inevitable conclusion.
When a character can take out an entire drug cartel pretty much single-handedly, it’s not a thriller, it’s a cartoon masquerading as a thriller.
Grade: C+
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of gun violence, sexual and drug content, thematic material, and language.)
