Miss Bala

Starring: Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Damián Alcázar, Cristina Rodlo, Anthony Mackie

Director: Catherine Hardwicke

Based on the 2011 Spanish language film "Miss Bala" directed by Gerardo Naranjo

Gloria (Gina Rodriguez), a make-up artist in LA heads to Tijuana to help her best friend Suzu (Cristina Rodlo) win the Miss Baja California beauty contest. The night before the competition, the girls head to The Millennium Club to schmooze with the judges, including the Chief of Police, Saucedo (Damián Alcázar). When the club is hit by gunmen, Suzu and Gloria are separated. While trying to get help from the police, Gloria finds herself kidnapped by Los Estrellas, the cartel that attacked the club, led by Lino (Ismael Cruz Cordova). Lino, who like Gloria was born in Mexico but grew up in the States, takes a liking to her. After being tricked into blowing up a DEA safe house, Gloria finds herself at a crossroads, either accept life with Lino and the cartel or help the DEA bring down Lino and his empire.

For such a bland and unnecessary remake, I feel like there is a more worthwhile story in here somewhere. The film not only deals with the cartels but with the trafficking of girls and the rampant corruption in Mexico. Instead of focusing on the thriller aspects, this could have been a more meaningful and timely story about any of those aspects, especially once Gloria gets to see behind the curtain.

Gina Rodriguez showed her acting chops much better in last year's Annihilation. She's fine in this role but her character is too passive. When she does act, it either doesn't make sense character-wise or it gets someone who is innocent, killed. Only after a late twist does she decide to take matters into her own hands, but even then it doesn't completely fit her character, who changes so much over the course of what appears to be a matter of days.

The action, when it does eventually creep into the story, is edited so frenetically it's hard to tell what's going on. When it does slow, it is for slo-mo shots that aren't necessary. For a story that doesn't have much tension, the action scenes don't help.

I do applaud the production for having a diverse cast and crew behind the cameras. I just wish it were for a better movie.