THE UNION (NETFLIX) (2024)

SYNOPSIS: Mike (Mark Wahlberg), a construction worker from Jersey, is quickly thrust into the world of super spies and secret agents when his high school sweetheart, Roxanne (Halle Berry), suddenly comes back into his life and recruits him on a high-stakes U.S. intelligence mission. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

Just when you think The Union is yet another star-studded spy comedy thriller along the line of Red Notice and The Gray Man. The answer is a yes and also a no.

Truth to be told, the entire premise is familiar if not predictable.

Mike McKenna (Mark Wahlberg) is an ordinary blue-collar construction worker in Jersey. The movie opens with him having a one-night stand with his seventh-grade teacher. What a loser you might think. Then his life takes a drastic turn when his high school sweetheart, Roxanne (Halle Berry) “abducts” him to London and recruits him to be a secret agent for a covert organization known as “The Union”.

Weeks ago, Roxanne’s team was annihilated on a mission in Italy. Before they can uncover the mole, they need to find the “macguffin” thus they need a nobody, Mark Wahlberg or Mike in this case to help in the case. If you can believe two weeks of training and he is allowed in field work.

As mentioned prior, The Union is formulaic with the usual double-crossing and espionage antics. Could it be Roxanne’s boss, Tom Brennan (J.K. Simmons) or her ex-hubby, Nick aka Luke Cage (Mike Colter) that is up to good? Who cares right. The entire experience is never intriguing or compelling as television director Julian Farino tries his best to keep things busy with Wahlberg and Berry first romantic pair up and acceptable stunt work littered all around.

Wahlberg and Berry is generally fine as long lost lovers. They might be in their 50’s but they still have the charisma to jointly light up the small screen with their combined star power. Simmons, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Jackie Earle Haley is mostly wasted as Roxanne’s teammates failing to establish any memorable development and punchlines.

What’s more impressive is the on-location shooting in Croatia, Italy and London consider the majority of movies nowadays are shot on soundstages. The Union in the end manages to pull off a couple of impressive action sets including lots of roof jumping, high stakes shootouts and wild car chase to make it a worthwhile watch.

Netflix’s penchant for globetrotting action-spy movies continue with The Union. We can confirm there’s not much changes to the streamer’s approach in delivering mindless actioners. Still, Wahlberg and Berry’s first team up is far more entertaining than the bunch of Seagal and Van Damme’s lazy, horrifying DTV specials.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee