The Union

2024   Netflix

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  1 hr  47min

Spy ~ Comedy ~ Action ~ Adventure

Directed by:  Julian Farino

Starring:  Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, and J. K. Simmons.

“The Union does the dirty work for the CIA and FBI, they’re blue-collar workers, average everyday people living ordinary lives just like you. They get plucked by The Union to be trained to shoot and do combat intelligence and tactical weaponry.”

Mark Wahlberg stars as Mike McKenna, a broke construction worker still living at home with his mom, still working the same job, still hanging out at the same bar with the same friends, in Paterson, New Jersey. One day after work he and his buddies are playing pool and drinking beer at their usual spot Wilson’s Bar, when Mike’s ex-girlfriend Roxanne Hall(Halle Berry), who he hasn’t seen since high school, suddenly shows up.

They spend the evening drinking, playing pool and reminiscing. Roxanne talks Mike into going to a place in the park where they used to make out in high school. Mike finds their old song on his phone and they start to slow dance. Roxanne then jabs him in the neck with a tranquilizer and kidnaps him. Mike comes to in a hotel room in London, England where she explains why she did it.

Mike tries to leave the hotel and runs into Tom Brennan(J. K. Simmons) who offers to buy him breakfast and explain everything. “We work for The Union. We do the dirty work for the FBI and the CIA. We recruit ordinary hard working Blue Collar people like yourself and train them to help us do the dirty work under the radar, keeping the world safe. We need you Mike.”

It’s a typical spy story, bad guys got the goods that will change the world for the worst and we have to stop them at any cost. Usually it’s guys in prison that get recruited for the role, in this story it’s the average Joe blue collar worker down on his luck. Hence the name The Union. Reminds me of The Gray Man I just saw with Ryan Gosling. It’s more of a comedy than an action thriller. Didn’t feel like it was hitting on all cylinders.

Given the star power I feel it should have been better. I’m a big Mark Wahlberg fan. Just saw him in Spenser Confidential, one of my favorites. He was definitely better in that movie. I like J.K. Simmons and Halle Berry but didn’t seem like the roles gave them enough room to make their performances better. It’s definitely not their best.

It’s ok, just ok…

One thumb up, the other down and a wave of both hands sideways as in ….ah, just so-so.

Update: Mom and Dad just watched it. “Yeah, it was alright,  If Mark Wahlberg wasn’t in it, I don’t think I would have watched it.”