In The Union, a construction worker’s encounter with an ex-girlfriend leads him to become a spy overnight. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Mike, a regular construction worker in New Jersey, unexpectedly runs into his ex-girlfriend, Roxanne, at a bar. While Roxanne left for college after high school and never returned, Mike has been living the same uneventful life ever since.
What Mike does not know is that his encounter with Roxanne is not a coincidence and that she has returned with a specific purpose in mind.
Roxanne kidnaps Mike and takes him to London, where he discovers that Roxanne is a spy for a secret agency called the Union.
The Union focuses on public safety and recruits street-smart individuals who can easily blend in with the crowd.
Now, they want to recruit Mike for a mission that requires someone who has never served in the police, military, intelligence, or any secret agency.
Joining this mission gives Mike the chance to experience an exciting yet dangerous life for a few days. Will Mike succeed in the mission, or will he return to his old life with only disappointment?
Performances
Mark Wahlberg’s Mike is an unremarkable man who never fully evolves into the adept spy the audience expects to see, and Wahlberg lacks the charm and vitality to compensate for it.
On the other hand, Halle Berry’s Roxanne is deft, strong, and bold. Roxanne is not always a likable character, but Berry’s performance remains impressive.
Mike Colter and Jessica De Gouw also deliver strong performances, with Colter easily changing his personality and De Gouw successfully portraying her character as a mysterious woman.
Positives
For an action comedy, the film’s plot is good enough, even though it is largely predictable. The makers do not try to surprise the audience unnecessarily, as none of the revelations are presented with much fanfare.
The story takes the audience from London to Istria. With scenic backdrops adding color to the espionage and action, the film maintains a light-hearted tone throughout.
Negatives
Some scenes, like Mike crawling at a children’s recital to hide from his pursuers, elicit chuckles, but most of them fail to be funny. Similarly, the dialogues intended to be funny fall flat.
The film could have been funnier with more quirky characters, like the brief but memorable appearance of the Good Will Hunting fan Mike encounters in the bathroom.
Aside from Roxanne’s fight with a Russian woman, the action scenes are also lackluster. Even the car chase lacks thrill and excitement.
In fact, towards the end, the action sequences become overcrowded with too many characters involved in the chase. The presence of these additional characters feels unnecessary and distracts from the focus on the main characters.
None of the characters in the film leave a lasting impression. The audience struggles to root for or care about Mike, who remains a flat character, or even Roxanne, who sometimes comes across as mean and arrogant.
Additionally, there is no convincing chemistry between Mike and Roxanne, which makes their romance unengaging.
Verdict
The Union fails to entertain the audience with its comic or action sequences. It is a dull film with a protagonist who never truly impresses.
Also Read: The Union recap and ending explained
