The Union (2024) is directed by Julian Farino and stars Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, J.K. Simmons, Mike Colter, Jessica De Gouw, Jackie Earle Haley, Alice Lee, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Lucy Cork, Patch Darragh, Stephen Campbell Moore, James McMenamin, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Dana Delany, and Lorraine Bracco. The film follows Mike (Wahlberg), a modest construction worker thrust into the world of international espionage when his high school sweetheart, Roxanne (Berry), recruits him for a high-stakes mission after her former team is killed in action.

 Wahlberg and Berry deliver little new, but they once prove themselves to be capable action stars. Wahlberg does the typical everyman schtick we’ve seen from him countless times before, but I’d be lying if I said he isn’t serviceable for this kind of character. Berry, on the other hand, is always a fun presence and that’s no different here. She’s no doubt a badass female action star and this film only cements that further. 

The supporting cast includes veteran actors such as J.K. Simmons and Jackie Earle Haley, the problem is, they’re stuck playing some of the most generic action characters the genre has to offer. The script takes little time to provide them with any kind of nuance. On top of this, the villain played by Mike Colter is just plain bad. He gives a completely generic performance and the script does little to distinguish his character from even the worst NCIS villain.  

The film is unfortunately yet another multi-million dollar studio blockbuster that tries to appeal to every kind of audience and thus dilutes the effect of each genre/tone it implements. It’s also just another expensive Netflix action movie in the vein of Red Notice (2021) and The Gray Man (2022). Another comparison would be The Fast and the Furious franchise or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

You’ve seen this movie before – even down to an opening sequence that’s a direct ripoff of Brian De Palma’s Mission Impossible (1996). It even features a cliche training montage where the main character goes from everyman to a trained secret agent over the course of only two weeks. Why does the script even put it on a two-week timeline if they’re just going to skip over it?

Thankfully, the movie is saved by consistently entertaining action that prioritizes fun over stakes/tension. This is helped by some exotic locations, practical stunts, and expensive-looking sets. The movie does little for the brain, but a lot for the eyes. 
 

Overall, this is a generic yet perfectly serviceable action-comedy if the viewer is in the right mood. That being said, I think everyone else will be bored to death. At least the stars seem to be having fun, they probably got paid a wild salary. I disliked it, yet it was easy to watch and well-made on a technical level. It’s a mixed bag, but also the definition of “forgettable.” C