Review - The Union on Netflix

When I saw the trailer for The Union, a Netflix original starring Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry, I thought it might be a cute Saturday evening flick.

I'm sorry to say I was disappointed.

I like Ms. Berry and Mr. Wahlberg and have enjoyed their performances in other movies, but this film, the latest entry in the genre I call "clueless guy and hot chick with killer skills"  was a miss.

BACKSTORY

In 2020, Netflix purchased the pitch for Our Man from Jersey which became The Union). The screenplay was adapted from a story by Stephen Levinson.

Joe Barton and David Guggenheim wrote the screenplay.

Netflix had Berry and Wahlberg lined up for the film, and 2 years later, they added J. K. Simmons, Jackie Earle Haley, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica De Gouw, and Alice Lee to the cast. They also had minor parts for Lorraine Bracco and Dana Delaney.

BLURB

Mike is a blue collar construction worker from Jersey. Roxanne is his old high school girlfriend who is now a U.S. intelligence agent with The Union, a super secret organization that saves the world without anyone knowing.

After Roxanne's entire team is wiped out in a mission, she goes back to Jersey to recruit Mike for a mission because he's someone she can trust even though she hasn't seen him since high school.

MY THOUGHTS

The movie is supposed to be a mashup of spy thriller, comedy, action, and romance. Obviously, it's set up to be a franchise, but Netflix has a hit or miss record with their originals. For me, this just didn't work. 

Here's why:

(1) It's dumbed down. I simply was not able to suspend disbelief in the plot or the world of  The Union.

(2) Some scenes should have been re-shot. In one scene, the characters are shooting pool. When Berry shoots, you hear balls dropping into pockets even though the cue stick in her hands wobbles as she's making the shot. That's just sloppy film making.

(3) The plot and characters were generic. Of course the two main characters were going to hook up. Of course they were going to survive and accomplish their mission. It was a paint by numbers story with no surprises.

(4) Best thing about the movie? J. K. Simmons who could probably read the phone book and make it sound interesting. Also, Lorraine Bracco was amusing in a role she's played since Rizzoli and Isles.

(5) Her hair style. Okay, this is trivial and has nothing to do with her acting or the story,  except to make her look edgy I guess. Perhaps it's the director's idea of a woman who looks tough, or maybe he didn't want Halle Berry's beauty to shine through.

In the movie, she has a section of bleached blond straight hair attached to the crown of her head that sweeps down the side of her head and brushes her cheek. 

It doesn't look real—it looks like a freaking hair piece sitting on top of her head! In some shots, you can see what her usual cute pixie style beneath.

*Sigh* I freely admit that my standards for storytelling are probably different from the general public's because I am a writer. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you watch this movie, leave a comment and tell me whether you agree or disagree with my review of The Union—but please be polite.

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