Mark Wahlberg’s Bombastic Action Flop ‘Mile 22’ Is Streaming Free: Should You Bother Watching?

The Oscar-nominated actor and star of Transformers, Mark Wahlberg, remains a significant figure in the realm of action heroes, despite the action thrillers he heads receiving mixed reviews from both critics and audiences. This was true for his 2018 production, Mile 22, which will be available to stream for free starting next month, where Wahlberg squares off against one of the most underestimated action stars in the industry – Iko Uwais, famously known for The Raid.

In the film Mile 22, Wahlberg teams up once again with director Peter Berg, who was behind movies like Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day. The story revolves around a tough-as-nails CIA operative leading an elite, clandestine team. Their mission is to escort a valuable foreign intelligence asset to an airfield for extraction, but the 22 miles between them and safety prove to be far more challenging than anyone anticipated.

Mark Wahlberg, Iko Uwais, John Malkovich, Lauren Cohan, and Ronda Rousey star in the action-packed film, “Mile 22,” which will be available for free streaming starting May 1st on [platform name]. Here’s a look at its official synopsis:

[Synopsis goes here]

Operative James Silva, working for the CIA, heads a compact yet potent paramilitary unit on a pressing and perilous task. Their objective is to move a vital foreign intelligence figure from an American embassy in Southeast Asia to an airfield for extraction – a journey of approximately 22 miles. As Silva and his team push forward, they find themselves in a struggle against the clock as the city’s military, law enforcement, and criminal gangs converge to retrieve the asset.

‘Mile 22’ Was Panned by Critics, but Offers Bullet-Flying Action Thrills

The movie “Mile 22” received mostly negative reviews upon its release, with only 23% approval from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences seemed to like it slightly more, giving it a score of 44% on the Popcornmeter. Critics’ consensus states that “Mile 22” is an action thriller that focuses more on shooting scenes and less on delivering thrills. Essentially, the movie feels like a long, tiring endurance test rather than an exciting marathon.

In the film “Mile 22,” although it isn’t explicitly mentioned, one major issue lies in the underutilization of Iko Uwais. Despite his impressive charisma and exceptional martial arts skills showcased in movies like “The Raid,” “The Raid 2,” and “The Night Comes for Us,” Uwais seems to have been overlooked by Hollywood. Remarkably, Uwais has established his own production company and aims to direct and star in multiple action films. Could it be the right moment for director Gareth Evans to finally bring us “The Raid 3” and rekindle our appreciation for Uwais’s action prowess?

Speaking of Mark Wahlberg, he’s still dominating the action thriller genre with the movie “Flight Risk,” released earlier this year. Directed by Mel Gibson, “Flight Risk” features Wahlberg as a pilot escorting an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) who is guarding a fugitive (Topher Grace). However, during their journey across Alaska’s wilderness, tensions rise and trust is put to the test, as it turns out that not everyone on board is who they claim to be. Regrettably, “Flight Risk” didn’t fare well with critics.

Mark Wahlberg is set to assume the mysterious character of Parker, a role that was previously portrayed by Mel Gibson and action star Jason Statham, in the forthcoming crime thriller “Play Dirty”. He will reappear in the action sequel “The Family Plan 2” on Apple TV+. Additionally, Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to join Wahlberg in the crime thriller “By Any Means”.

2025-04-29 17:03

‘Mile 22’ Was Panned by Critics, but Offers Bullet-Flying Action Thrills

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